Anais Nin at the Festival of Books

For the first time Anaïs Nin was represented at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which ran April 24-25, 2010 at UCLA. It was a success in terms of sales and perhaps even more so getting the word out that there is a determined organization promoting and preserving the work of Anaïs Nin, namely The Anaïs Nin Trust.

The Trust is carrying on the work begun by the first Trustee of the Nin estate, Rupert Pole, who for more than twenty-five years after Nin’s death saw to the publication of Volume 7 of The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Delta of Venus, Little Birds, the four volume Early Diary of Anaïs Nin, the four unexpurgated diaries: Henry and June, Incest, Fire, and Nearer the Moon, not to mention the nineteen volumes of the impeccable Anaïs: An International Journal, edited by Gunther Stuhlmann.

When the Trust decided to begin emptying the personal library of Anaïs Nin and Rupert Pole at their Silver Lake house, designed by Eric Lloyd Wright, it brought both popular and rare editions of Nin titles to the Festival of Books. The booth was perhaps one of the most unique at the Festival—fashioned after a boudoir, complete with fainting couch—attracting Ninophiles of all sorts. Some had known Nin, some had read many of her works, and others were curious first-timers. It was also a sort of gathering of A Café in Space contributors, as I (Paul Herron, editor) welcomed Kim Krizan (“Hugh’s Stand”), Connie Baechler (“Overlay”), Tristine Rainer (“Les Mots Flottants”), and Sarah Burghauser (“Ouroboros and Disorientation—Profile of a Nin lover”). Naturally, spirited discussions erupted, as well plans for a future conference on Nin, and news of a play based on Nin’s life and work which will have a reading this summer in Los Angeles. The fainting couch was the favorite spot for these rendezvous, and customers were treated to information about Nin as well as sharing their own stories.

My personal favorite humorous moment was when a married couple paused to look at some of the titles on the shelves. The husband casually picked up Nin’s D.H. Lawrence: An Unprofessional Study when the wife grabbed his arm and hissed: “Now there’s a guy no one should bother analyzing!” and hauled him away. Another interesting incident was when one young man remarked about A Spy in the House of Love, “I was put off by that book—it smacks of desperation.” I responded that Nin must be an effective writer because the novel was written during the time when Nin swung wildly from man to man, desperately seeking someone who could love her the way she needed, and was often seriously considering suicide. He seemed to relax a bit and had his photo taken lying on the fainting couch.

But the Festival is not over for the Anaïs Nin Trust—the titles are being offered at the online store. Each book is embossed with a Pisces symbol and verification it comes from the Silver Lake house library…books present there during Nin’s lifetime also include a certificate. Editions long out of print are available as well as the more current ones, but they all share a unique provenance.

The proceeds from the sale will help the Trust carry on preserving Anaïs Nin’s legacy, publish new titles, and remind today’s readers of her remarkable talent and insight of the human psyche.