Pride: Colette

Episode Summary

The podcast episode is titled "Pride Colette" and is part of the series Encyclopedia Womantica. It focuses on the life and work of the French author Colette. Colette was born in rural Burgundy, France in 1873. Her full name was Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. She married Henri Gaultier-Vilars, who went by the pen name Willy, at age 20 and moved to Paris with him. Willy encouraged Colette to write down stories from her school days, which he published under his own name as the novel Claudine at School. It was very successful, leading to more Claudine novels, but Willy took all the credit and money despite Colette doing the writing. After separating from Willy in 1906, Colette became part of the underground lesbian community in Paris. She had a six-year relationship with a cross-dressing noblewoman nicknamed Missy. To make money, Colette worked as a dancer, drama critic, fashion writer, and more. In 1910 she published the semi-autobiographical novel The Vagabond under her own name. This marked the beginning of her finding her own distinct literary voice. Colette went on to have two more marriages and many love affairs. She published dozens more books, with her most famous being Gigi. She received significant literary honors, including a Nobel Prize nomination. After her death in 1954, she came to be recognized as one of France's greatest fiction writers. The podcast celebrates Colette for boldly living life on her own terms and leaving behind a remarkable literary legacy.

Episode Show Notes

Colette (1873-1954) was a French author known around the world and best remembered for her novella Gigi, which was the basis for the 1958 film.

Episode Transcript

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SPEAKER_05: AT&T and Verizon lure you in with their best phone offers only to lock you into a three-year phone contract, not at T-Mobile. Now, with T-Mobile's best Go 5G plans, upgrade when you want. Every year or every two, you decide. Visit T-Mobile.com to take charge of your upgrades. SPEAKER_04: Get two-year financing on Go 5G Plus and Next. One-year upgrade on Go 5G Next requires financing a new qualifying device and upgrading in good condition after six plus months with 50% paid off. Upgrade ends financing in any promo credits. Visit T-Mobile.com. SPEAKER_03: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Encyclopedia Wamanica. Her bold name is one of the most famous in France and is recognized worldwide. She made her name through love, passion, and the illicit. And chiefly, she made her name for no one other than herself. Let's welcome Colette. Colette was born Cédony Gabrielle Colette on January 28th, 1873, in rural Burgundy. Her father, Jules Joseph Colette, was a tax collector and politician. Her mother, Adèle Eugénie Cédony, was the type to shock the neighbors. Her avant-garde style had great influence on Colette and her work. Colette's quaint village life ended just when she married Henri Gaultier-Vilars at the age of 20. Henri was a music critic and popular writer who went by the name of Willy. Together, the two moved to Paris. Henri encouraged Colette to write down the story she told him of her school life. Henri sent them to an editor under his name. The resulting book, Claudine at School, was based on Colette's bucolic youth. It was an instant success. What should have been the beginning of Colette's prolific career instead made Willy rich and famous. Willy milked the book's momentum through advertising, making Colette pose as a schoolgirl for photographs and play the part of Claudine on stage. Three other novels followed in the series, allegedly in part because Willy would lock Colette in a room and force her to write. The couple separated in 1906. As Colette entered a new stage in her life, so did the rest of the world. In Paris, Colette found a flourishing network of underground lesbian bars and restaurants. It was in this community that Colette met her lover of six years. She was a cross-dressing noblewoman nicknamed Missy. The two, for one night, performed at Moulin Rouge together and their kiss nearly caused a riot. Colette tried to continue writing under her own name, but predictably had no immediate success. She resorted to making money in other ways. Before World War I darkened the atmosphere, cafes, cabarets, and music halls were full of performances of all kinds. Colette became a music hall dancer, living a rich life filled with material for her writing. She dedicated herself to her books while also finding work as a drama critic, political writer, fashion critic, and cooking columnist. In 1910, she published the semi-autobiographical book, The Vagabond. The story centers on a woman named Renee Neray, who after a divorce becomes a dancer in music halls. This fresh, biting, and sensual book marked the beginning of her new and distinctive voice. A 1955 review wrote, "'L'Vagabond' explores with Colette's infinite patience and precision the beating heart of a woman in an age when love is not passionate romance, nor a tender dream, but an abiding duel." Colette went on to marry two more husbands, court many lovers, and write dozens of books. Perhaps her most famous work was Gigi, the stage adaptation of which helped to launch Audrey Hepburn's career. During her lifetime, Colette received a number of significant literary honors. In 1948, she was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. While alive, biographers and fellow writers couldn't agree on the importance of Colette's legacy. Since her death, she's been recognized as one of the most notable French literary figures. An early champion of Colette's work was American journalist Catherine Anne Porter. Prior to Colette's death, Catherine called Colette in the New York Times, "'The greatest living French writer of fiction.'" Colette was an animated and compulsive lover of the written word, evidenced in her grand and intimate work. Shortly before her death at the age of 81, she reflected, "'My goal has not been reached, but I am practicing. I don't yet know when I shall succeed in learning not to write. The obsession, the obligation are half a century old. My right little finger is slightly bent. That is because the weight of my hand always rested on it as I wrote, like a kangaroo leaning back on its tail. There is a tired spirit deep inside of me that still continues its gourmet's quest for a better word, and then for a better one still.'" Colette died on August 3rd, 1954. Her final days were spent among her beloved cats in her apartment overlooking Paris. All month, we're celebrating Pride. For more on why we're doing what we're doing, check out our newsletter, Womanic Weekly. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Encyclopaedia Womanica. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow. A show about what happens when we look at hardship differently. Host Lucy Kalanithi is a physician, widow, mother, and incredible interviewer who explores life's challenges with guests to frame them differently. In conversation, Lucy and her guests share the wisdom that helped them survive their hardest moments. Gravity is a full-hearted and honest, deep dive into everything that's hardship and all its messiness, resilience, and hope. 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