The Literary Friendships of Natalie Clifford Barney: The Case of Lucie Delarue-Mardrus

Natalie Clifford Barney cultivated literary friendships grounded on the belief that art should be created in the service of life. By creating an Academy of Women, hosting a literary salon, and serving as a positive lesbian role model and muse to the women writers of her generation, Barney provided a supportive network and environment to encourage their creative efforts. Her mission was to help her women friends become "poètes dans la vie" so they could write from a more authentically female perspective. This paper first examines Barney's literary friendships in the general context of her salon and related activities, and then looks more closely at her influence on the poet and novelist, Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, whose work Barney helped shape in more female and feminist directions.