A Life in Paris – January 3, 1962

I went to the two most awful réveillons in history…

Photography print available at Found View Gallery.

I went to the two most awful réveillons in history. Pre-Christmas to Babs Wright. She offered a buffet dinner, Place de la Concorde, which she overlooks, lit by real torches, & carols. […] The dinner was: cold TINNED ham & cold hard mince pies. […]

The New Year’s Eve was much worse chez Daisy Fellowes. The reason I accepted was I’ve got a very expensive & beautiful dress eating its head off in my cupboard. So far, as I’ve only worn it twice, it seems to have cost about £150 an outing so I thought, take it out again & it will go down to only £100.

Well of course on N Y Eve no hope of a vehicle so I wrapped up & started to walk when I fell upon a miracle-cab. Only, then I was ½ an hour too early. So I made him go to the Hotel d’Orsay, next door to Daisy & sat in the hall until 8.45. The employés of course thought I’d been posé un lapin [stood up]. On the dot (as Windsors were expected) I walked across the street—found the whole party already assembled & having already run out of conversation. […] Every bore in Paris was there. However I did get a lift home.

Nancy Mitford, to a friend

Notes:
• From The Letters of Nancy Mitford
• Nancy Mitford was a British writer.

A Life in Paris – January 2, 1930

On New Year’s Eve at 10:00 a party at J.J.’s [James Joyce]…

Photography print available at Found View Gallery.

On New Year’s Eve at 10:00 a party at J.J.’s [James Joyce]. […] At 2:30, Joyce was very gay and dancing a jig to “Auld Lang Syne”; Mrs. Joyce, indignant, compels all to leave. She thinks he is “making a fool of himself”—but I disagree; he is a nimble dancer. If Joyce had not been a writer he’d a been a meistersinger; if not a singer, a ballerino.

Stuart Gilbert

Notes:
• From Reflections on James Joyce: Stuart Gilbert’s Paris Journal
• Stuart Gilbert was English scholar and translator. He was one of the first scholars of the Irish novelist James Joyce, and he assisted in translation of Ulysses into French.

A Life in Paris – January 1, 1929

New Year’s fête chez [James] Joyce last night…

Photography print available at Found View Gallery.

New Year’s fête chez [James] Joyce last night. Three dressy—Nora, Lucia, Joyce, and Mrs. “Butcher”. […] Leaning against the antique sideboard he [Eugene Jolas] he absorbed vast quantities of drink and talked about his youth. […] Champagne made me the gift of tongues and I spoke German after a fashion. Mrs. B heard and perhaps appreciated the compliment. Rodker said he refused to publish his own works, he hopes to be known as a French writer. One Mrs. Nutting informed me that some American girl wished to ask me to a cocktail party—but not for my beaux yeux I fancy. J.J. [James Joyce] sang his songs—Mr. Dooley (“A plague on both your houses”) and the long Irish one. All his songs are long. Afterwards he did a hornpipe with McAlmon. Adrienne Monnier, roasting in a fireside corner, seemed bored. Salon not literary enough. The weaving sister explained at length to me her work: nothing remembered. Home at about 3:00 A.M. The usual lendemain, late and weary.

Stuart Gilbert

Notes:
• From Reflections on James Joyce: Stuart Gilbert’s Paris Journal
• Stuart Gilbert was English scholar and translator. He was one of the first scholars of the Irish novelist James Joyce, and he assisted in translation of Ulysses into French.