Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Barrès writes, "Madam, she is a madwoman. But on Sunday we will converse about the satisfaction we must give her. Ah! Yes, if she were right! But she is hardly right." It is unclear to whom he is referring. Maurice Barrès (1862-1923) was a French novelist, journalist, and politician, and a close friend of Ana de Noailles. Sibylle Riqueti de Mirabeau (1849-1932), Comtesse de Martel, who wrote under the pseudonym Gyp, was a prolific French novelist.

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Although there is no envelope and the letter is undated, it is most likely addressed to Count Auguste Gilbert des Voisins, director of La Renaissance Latine, a short-lived literary periodical founded by Anna de Noailles' brother Constantin de Brancovan, where Anna de Noailles published in 1904 (Marcel Proust published in this journal as well). In her letter she thanks the count for an article that he wrote about her, presumably on her latest novel ...

Scope and Contents

Noailles thanks Jane Catulle-Mendès for her gracious letter, and Noailles looks forward to seeing her friend tomorrow. She is dead tired. Jane Catulle-Mendès (1867-1955), born Jeanne Nette, was a poet and the final spouse of the poet Catulle-Mendès (1841-1909). She was a close friend of Noailles.

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Noailles thanks her correspondent for having sent her a note about her 1905 novel La Domination (not named in the letter). "How much courage [this note] gives." This may be important because many critics disliked this novel, of which Noailles eventually prevented further impressions.

Scope and Contents

Noailles is suffering and should not be writing, but she wished to thank Jane Catulle-Mendès for the kind words the latter had devoted to Noailles, which Noailles found very touching.

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Noailles thanks Jane Catulle-Mendès for the beautiful flowers the latter sent to Noailles right after her visit to Noailles the day before. Transcription: "I thank you for what you said to me yesterday; without you, I wouldn't know anything, and now we are filled with knowledge, gravity and equity. I owe this to you. But that you should have such a gentle reason [in addition to] so much poetry! Believe in all my admiration."

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: The interest here is mainly the card, which shows Lake Geneva, with the town of Evian in the foreground, facing the Swiss coast. The Noailles family owned a property in nearby Amphion, where they resided for several months each year. This setting provided much of Noailles' inspiration for her poetry. Mme Salmon is most likely Madeleine Lily, wife of celebrated cellist Joseph Salmon. See Christopher A. Brooks and Robert Sims, Roland...

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: The letter is evidently to a Swedish woman because Barrès writes that he regrets not being able to read Swedish. He discusses conditions of publication of his texts (in translation?), either 10 cents per line or nothing at all. He has an article ready to publish if she wants. He is available to meet her to chat one morning, except Wednesdays and Saturdays, and he wants her to talk to him about herself.

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Barrès is asking his correspondent if the latter will do an article, as Barrès desires, and he asks to be informed at once, at the hotel where he is staying. The letterhead is from the "Chambre des Députés," of which Barrès was a member from 1889.

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Noailles thanks her recipient for his kind letter. She refers to Henri Bazin (1829-1917), whom she would love to meet but she will be gone with her son. She reminisces on the recipient's speech on the "sacred land of Alsace," where they first met. Because this letter (like the one below) was included with the one to Jane Catulle-Mendès in MSE/MD 2819-029, it is assumed to have been written to her husband Catulle-Mendès sometime before his death in 1909....

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Noailles writes: "I knew (despite Léon Blum's belief that I am so distant) that you would find this latest verse to be close to you. The other day, if we hadn't had people over, I would have recited them to you, before they would be in shops." She invites him to come over Friday around 5:00 pm to talk about poetry. Because this letter (like the one above) was included with the one to Jane Catulle-Mendès in MSE/MD 2819-029, it is assumed to have been...

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: This letter was included in a copy of Noailles' book Les Éblouissements (Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1907) that has an inscription by her to Frédéric Charpin. In this letter, Noailles writes to Charpin, who apparently was the director of a museum in Arles, as a link for her to the southern French poet Mistral. In her letters she waxes patriotic for eastern France, comparing the German-occupied territories to the sunny and hopeful regions...

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: André du Fresnois (1887-1914), born André Casinelli, was a French writer, literary critic, journalist, and monarchist militant. In her letter Noailles asks him if he will dine at her home on Friday evening, with the Prévosts and the Vogüés, which would bring together the two principal journals "(after the 14th of July one)."

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Achille Segard (1872-1936) was a poet and literary critic. In this letter, Noailles thanks him for newspaper cuttings he has sent her and for the support he gives to poets. She writes from Strasburg.

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Noailles thanks Segard for his book of poems on Sicily, which he sent her.

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: This letter sent most probably to Léon Daudet, in which Barrès corrects an error in a publication by Daudet, adding that "it's a consternation that [the newspapers] Le Petit Parisien and Le Rapporteur didn't say anything." By this Barrès probably means that they didn't mention Daudet's article. The publication by Daudet is probably in the newspaper L'Action Française, which...

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: André Beaunier (1869-1925) was a French novelist and literary critic. In this letter Noailles thanks him for an article he wrote on her work and she mentions his 1913 novel Visages de femmes. The folder also includes the letter's exportation certificate from France.

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: The text of this letter is reproduced in Claude Mignot-Ogliastri's 1987 book Anna de Noailles. See Lucien Corpechot, Œuvres complètes, pp. 154-155. This letter to Corpechot is humorous and relaxed, showing Anna de Noailles' playful side. It also makes creative use of images.

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: In this letter, Noailles expresses her sympathy for a loss that just happened to Madeleine Lily and her husband, Joseph Salmon.

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: A familiar letter to the comte Marcel de Germiny, who was evidently a good friend. Noailles writes: "Can you come for dinner Tuesday at 8:15 pm, just as you are (unless at this time you are taking a bath!). There will be, I hope (but does one still dare hope) Rostand [Edmond Rostand, the playwright], Mme de Polignac [the princess, born Winaretta Singer of the Singer sewing machines, who brought her fortune to a prince, receiving his title in return],...

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Auguste Dorchain (1857-1930) was a French poet and writer. In this letter Noailles expresses her admiration for his book on 17th-century playwright Corneille and says she was going to vote for him to receive the Lasserre award but that she has been ill with the flu and couldn't go out to vote. She nonetheless believes many others will vote for him. Indeed, he received this award for his book on Corneille.

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Louis Artus (1870-1960) was a French playwright, novelist and critic. Noailles writes to thank him for his words (probably a letter) of sympathy following the death of, perhaps, her friend the famous playwright Edmond Rostand, who died of Spanish Influenza on 22 November 1918. Noailles writes: "Dear Monsieur and friend, Your most touching letter has moved me extremely. I know from your person and your profound talent how real you are when you talk; the...

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Pierre Loti was the pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud (1850-1923), a French naval officer and novelist. Noailles writes to Loti, who sent his book Prime Jeunesse (1919) to her and for which she thanks him most warmly, saying that no other book by him has "more mysteriously" touched her.

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Edgar Lafon was evidently a friend of Noailles. He lived in the Toulouse area and was a university professor. In April 1923, he published an article on Noailles, "La poésie de la comtesse de Noailles," in a short-lived journal titled Feuilles au Vent. He also published in La Revue chrétienne. In this letter Noailles thanks him for his moving letter. She announces that he will receive her next...

Scope and Contents

Noailles wonders what her friend would think of her, if he didn't know that she has just dug up the last existing paper which she is trying to polish from her corrections. She thanks him for his touching thoughts[?] of January 1.

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Louis Lefebvre was a Catholic poet, novelist and literary critic, who wrote for the journals La Nouvelle Journée and La Muse Française. Noailles thanks him for his article on her poetry (perhaps on her latest volume Les Forces éternelles, 1920). She also attempts to correct his perception of her. She says her heart is "very different from the one [he] seems to know!" This...

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: On the first card, Noailles thanks a man for quoting her speech at the Academy of Belgium in his article. So this visit card dates to after 21 January 1922, when she was received in the Academy. In pencil, a later hand has written "Vct de Guichen", probably referring to Eugène, Vicomte de Guichen (1869-1938), a historical writer and member of the Académie Française. The recipient of the second card is probably a publisher or an editor, because Noailles...

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Paul Musurus (1851-1927) was Anna de Noailles' uncle, who lived in Istanbul. He was a poet and introduced her to poetry, especially to Victor Hugo's poetry, when she visited her family in summer 1887, at the age of 10. Jean Richepin (1849-1926), was a famous French poet, novelist and dramatist. This letter of admiration has family value. In this letter, Musurus praises Richepin's collection of poems "Les Glas," which Musurus says proves the eastern...

Scope and Contents From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Both Aurel (dates unknown) and Marcel Battilliat (1871-1941) were writers. In this letter, Aurel refers to her acceptance at first of a literary award but then says she cannot profit from something that could save a companion without resources. She then refers to Anna de Noailles who, though "already pampered by celebrity," accepted a literary prize on the backs of so many poor writers who could have received it. Aurel says her own books are "damned"...

Scope and Contents

From the notes of Dr. Catherine Perry: Letter sent to the poet Jane Catulle-Mendès on the occasion of Jane Catulle-Mendès's creation of a literary prize in remembrance of her son, Primice Catulle-Mendès, killed on the Front in 1917. Noailles speaks of the "heroic Child, twice immortal by his divine courage and the glory of her immortal work," and assures her friend of her "great feeling and admiration."