Where Colette Lived When She was Neighbors with Vivien

Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, also known as Colette, is well-remembered for her writings, specifically those about the French lesbian literary salons in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. Colette lived next to Vivien at 44 Rue Paul Valéry from 1906 until 1908, shortly before Vivien's death in 1909. In her book, The Pure and the Impure, Colette expresses concern for Vivien's worsening addiction to alcohol, detailing that Vivien would drink copious amounts but eat no more than a few pieces of fruit and some rice when Colette visited her. After imbibing several glasses of various alcohols, Vivien would rush to her bathroom to gargle perfumed water in an attempt to mask the stench of alcohol on her breath. Other worrying behavior that Colette recounts in her book include the trips that Vivien would take on short notice for days, with Vivien leaving just as guests arrived for dinner in her home and returning exhausted later in the week. Some biographers note that these trips were long sexual escapades that were hazardous to Vivien's health. At this point, Vivien engaged in more self-destructive behavior, the culmination of many disappointments and losses in her personal life and with the reception of her work.

Text Source:

Wickes, George. “A Natalie Barney Garland.” The Paris Review, 1975. https://www.theparisreview.org/letters-essays/3870/a-natalie-barney-garland-george-wickes.

Image Source:

Atlas, Nava. “9 Facts about Colette, Prolific and Passionate French Author.” Literary Ladies Guide (blog), September 24, 2018. https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/literary-musings/10-facts-about-colette-prolific-and-passionate-french-author/.