#egncb

‘Toward the end of her life, Natalie informally catalogued her longest-lasting relationships, dividing them into three categories in descending order of importance: liaisons, demi-liaisons, and adventures. This list no longer exists, but Natalie showed it to a few people (including Renée Lang, Berthe Cleyrergue, and Jean Chalon), all of whom later revealed a few names to others or in writing. Gathering these various revelations together, it appears that the first category, liaisons, included Eva Palmer, Romaine Brooks, Lily Gramont, Pauline Tarn [Renée Vivien], Dolly Wilde, and Olive Custance. Colette and Armande de Chabannes were listed as demi-liaisons. Among the adventures were Djuna Barnes, Eyre de Lanux, and Armen Ohanian. Beyond these (and other) long affairs-cum-friendships were, by the estimate of Cleyrergue, hundreds of minor affairs.’