Oldwoman

Wonderful Colette, extraordinary Colette...her words are in all French school-books for children....Erica Jong wrote a poem about Colette...In "A year in the World, Journey of a passionate traveller" Frances Mayes wrote beautiful lines about the French writer...when F.M. studied at university she had problems with her professor...Wright Morris wanted the students to work on men writers only...Virginia Woolf herself wasn't really good enough to be on his list !
So Frances Mayes chosed Keats, Louise Bogan and Colette...The head professor said: "Colette, did she write anything interesting? didn't she dance in Folies Bergères?"...

I agree with Frances Mayes, Erica Jong and so many people, I do love Colette , I always did...Especially since a teacher at college told me it was immoral reading...and I read all she wrote...but one day I discovered part of her letters, those she sent her daughter...and I then realized what a poor mother she was...never taking care of her daughter...not even given a first name of her own...she called her Colette, Colette de Jouvenel...but Colette was her mother's second name...Something changed in my head...
So as I have now plenty free time to read I started reading a huge book...more than 2 kilos of paper, 446 pages and hundreds of documents...
I'm discovering quite a different Colette...I still love her...but I'll read her with different eyes...

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