Djuna Barnes Biography and Works.

Djuna Barnes (June 12, 1892-June 18, 1982) was an American writer and played an important part in the development of the 20th century English language modernist writing.

She was one of the key figures in 1920s and 1930s Bohemian Paris after filling a similar role in the Greenwich Village of the teens.

In 1912, Barnes enrolled as a student at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League in 1915. She began her writing career as a reporter and illustrator for the Brooklyn Eagle.

Barnes wrote mostly featured articles and interviews. She first published her poetry in 1915 as a collection of rhythms and drawings’ entitled, The Book of Repulsive Women. Three of her plays were produced by the Provincetown Players, four years later.

In 1923, Barnes published a collection of lyrical poems, stories, drawings, and one-act plays which she entitled, A Book.

Barnes’s novel, Ryder published in 1928 draws heavily on her childhood experiences in Cornwall-on-Hudson.

Her novel, Nightwood became a cult work of modern fiction, helped by an introduction by TS Eliot and stands out today for its portrayal of lesbian themes and its distinctive writing style.

Some of the other works include, The Antiphon (1958) and Creatures in an Alphabet (1982), etc.

Trivia

Since Barnes’s death, interest in her work has grown amid the publishers and readers, and many of her books are back in print.