Djuna Barnes
Library
Photo: Papers of Djuna Barnes, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. Do not reproduce without permission.*
Djuna Barnes (1892-1982) was an American author of fiction, poetry, and plays, who got her start as a freelance journalist and illustrator in New York in 1913. Her talent and her connections with the artistic community in Greenwich Village soon led to the publication of her poetry and to the production of several of her plays by the Provincetown Players. Assignments from magazines took her to Europe in 1921 where lived until 1939. During that time she published several book-length works, including the novel Nightwood, which is considered her masterpiece. In 1940 she moved to Greenwich Village, where she lived for the remainder of her life. Her verse play, The Antiphon, was published in 1958. She continued to write poetry up until her death, though little was published.
The cataloged portion of the Djuna Barnes Library contains nearly 400 titles. The library was part of the collection purchased from Miss Barnes in 1973 and 1977, along with her personal and family papers, correspondence, writings, printed matter, and serial publications. The UMCP Libraries continue to augment the Barnes collections by purchase and donation.
Researchers may not make photocopies from Barnes Library materials. Copies (at $0.25 a page) may be requested by completing a "Photoduplication Work Order" and submitting it to the Maryland Room Reference Desk staff.
The personal papers of Djuna Barnes are located in the holdings of the Archives & Manuscripts Department at the University of Maryland (LMSS 73-26).
*Permission to reproduce and distribute this photograph without alteration is granted to educational institutions for non-profit administrative or educational purposes as long as any reproduction carries the following credit line: Papers of Djuna Barnes, Special Collections, University of Maryand Libraries. Requests to obtain and for permission to reproduce this photograph for commercial purposes must be directed to Beth Alvarez, Curator of Literary Manuscripts, University of Maryland Libraries, College Park, MD 20742, 301-405-9298.
Items in the Djuna Barnes Library are non-circulating. Researchers may view the collection in the Maryland Room on the first floor of Hornbake Library, Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The telephone number is (301) 405-9212. For Saturday usage of this collection, all materials must be reserved by 3:00 p.m. on Friday.
