The Early Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1920–1923

The diarist’s account of her life in the early 1920s explores “the conflict she felt between artistic longings and her pre-ordained female fate” (The Detroit News). Continuing the journey of self-education and self-discovery she began in Linotte, Anaïs Nin discloses a part of her life that had previously remained private. She discusses the period in which she met Hugo Guiler, the young man who later became her husband, and made the wrenching transition from the shelter of her family to the world of artists and models. She also reveals the struggle she faced between her expected role as a woman and her determination to be a writer—a negotiation that still poses difficulties for many of us almost a century after Nin wrote this diary. “Through sheer nerve, confidence, and will, Nin made of the everyday something magical. This was a gift, indeed, and it’s a fascinating process to witness.” —The Christian Science Monitor With a preface by Joaquin Nin-Culmell