Djuna, Did You Used to Visit?
Djuna Barnes, born January 12, lived her final 42 years at 5 Patchin Place in New York City, across the street from E. E. Cummings.
A novelist, poet, and playwright, Barnes became friends with Marianne Moore in the 1920s, when both were young and Moore worked at NYPL's Hudson Park Library. I can imagine Barnes visiting Moore in our children’s room.
Here she is, speaking about Greenwich Village. What she says is still true, almost 100 years later:
New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.
After all, it is not where one washes one’s neck that counts but where one moistens one’s throat.
"Greenwich Village as It Is," Pearson’s Magazine (October 1916).
Read E-Books with SimplyE
With your library card, it's easier than ever to choose from more than 300,000 e-books on SimplyE, The New York Public Library's free e-reader app. Gain access to digital resources for all ages, including e-books, audiobooks, databases, and more.
If you don’t have an NYPL library card, New York State residents can apply for a digital card online or through SimplyE (available on the App Store or Google Play).
Need more help? Read our guide to using SimplyE.