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Trapeze

The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1947–1955

Anaïs Nin author Paul Herron author Benjamin Franklin V editor Paul Herron editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Ohio University Press

Published:15th May '17

Should be back in stock very soon

Trapeze cover

This book provides an intimate look into Anaïs Nin's life, revealing her complex relationships and the challenges of living authentically.

In Trapeze, Anaïs Nin explores the complexities of her life through her unfiltered diaries, revealing the intricate dance between her personal and literary pursuits. Initially known for her edited diaries, Nin's true story unfolds decades later when the complete versions became available. This transformation allowed readers to witness the emotional and artistic challenges she faced while navigating the conservative landscape of 1950s America.

The narrative begins where Mirages concluded, introducing Rupert Pole, a significant figure in Nin's life who became both her lover and husband in a bigamous marriage. This relationship marked the beginning of what Nin described as her 'trapeze life,' a precarious balancing act between her established husband, Hugh Guiler, in New York, and Pole in California. This dual existence posed challenges that tested her resolve and creativity, ultimately shaping her identity as a writer and a woman.

As Trapeze unfolds, it delves into themes of love, desire, and the pursuit of authenticity in a world that often demands conformity. Nin's journey reveals her quest for harmony amidst the chaos of her relationships, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of a daring and innovative woman. This captivating account sheds light on the extraordinary life of Anaïs Nin, whose story of love and pain remains largely unknown until now.

“Nin’s diaries still challenge and astonish today because she was utterly daring.…The unexpurgated diaries illuminate the spectacular process of self-mythology for a courageous wife, lover, and artist.…[In Trapeze], striving to reconcile a split existence, Nin finds herself marking down dissatisfactions with each man’s shortcomings and tempting fate in thrilling ventures, although she cannot help but behold both with understanding, compassion, and love. Trapezeoffers Nin’s solution to such a dilemma: embrace ambivalence. Choose everything, choose both, choose between, and choose all.” * World Literature Today *
“Trapeze gives us the iconic writer leading a teetering, emotionally jet-fueled existence, torn between her attachment to her husband of decades and her passion for a much younger lover. The intense, intimate portrait of the woman behind the mysterious Nin legend—and all the hunger and charm and deception that comprised this high-wire act of a life—makes addictive reading indeed.”
“Anaïs Nin’s emotional, erotic circus was not only a trapeze, but also a high-wire act. This carefully edited presentation of previously unpublished material underscores her insatiable search for impossibly perfect life partners. As has long been established, the most memorable character in Nin’s writing is Nin herself.”
“Trapeze gives us Anaïs Nin at her best—the Nin who probes various facets of love and tries to capture the intricacies of her relationships, who can be ruthlessly critical of others, but who also exposes her own vulnerabilities.”

ISBN: 9780804011815

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

376 pages