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{{Short description|1977 short story collection by Anaïs Nin}}
:''For the film adaptation, see [[Delta of Venus (film)]]
{{Expand German|Das Delta der Venus|date=October 2013}}
{{For|the film adaptation|Delta of Venus (film)}}
{{Infobox book| <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
{{Infobox book| <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
| name = '''''Delta of Venus'''''
| name = '''''Delta of Venus'''''
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}}
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'''''Delta of Venus''''' is a book of fifteen [[short stories]] by [[Anaïs Nin]] published [[List of works published posthumously|posthumously]] in 1977<ref>I. Ousby, ed., ''The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English'' (1995) p. 683</ref> — though largely written in the 1940s as [[erotica]] for a private [[book collector|collector]].<ref>Anaïs Nin, ''Delta of Venus & Little Birds'' (1996), pp. 13–16</ref>
'''''Delta of Venus''''' is a book of fifteen [[short stories]] by [[Anaïs Nin]] published [[List of works published posthumously|posthumously]] in 1977<ref>I. Ousby, ed., ''The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English'' (1995) p. 683</ref>—though largely written in the 1940s as [[erotica]] for a private [[book collector|collector]].<ref>Anaïs Nin, ''Delta of Venus & Little Birds'' (1996), pp. 13–16</ref>


In 1994 [[Delta of Venus (film)|a film inspired by the book]] was directed by [[Zalman King]].
In 1994 [[Delta of Venus (film)|a film inspired by the book]] was directed by [[Zalman King]].


==Background==
==Background==
The collection of short stories that makes up this anthology was written during the 1940s for a private client known simply as "Collector". This "Collector" commissioned Nin, along with other now well-known writers (including [[Henry Miller]] and the poet [[George Barker (poet)|George Barker]]), to produce erotic fiction for his private consumption.<ref>Anaïs Nin, ''Delta of Venus & Little Birds'' (1996), pp. 13–16</ref> His identity has since been revealed as Roy M. Johnson of Healdton Oil, Oklahoma.<ref>Paul Herron, ''Anaïs Nin:A Book of Mirrors'' (Sky Blue Press, 1996), p.427</ref>
The collection of short stories that makes up this anthology was written during the 1940s for a private client known simply as "Collector". This "Collector" commissioned Nin, along with other now well-known writers (including [[Henry Miller]] and the poet [[George Barker (poet)|George Barker]]), to produce erotic fiction for his private consumption.<ref>Anaïs Nin, ''Delta of Venus & Little Birds'' (1996), pp. 13–16</ref> His identity has since been revealed as Roy M. Johnson (1881–1960), a wealthy American businessman from [[Ardmore, Oklahoma]], who had discovered the Healdton Oil Pool.<ref>Paul Herron, ''Anaïs Nin:A Book of Mirrors'' (Sky Blue Press, 1996), p.427</ref>


Despite being told to leave poetic language aside and concentrate on graphic, sexually explicit scenarios, Nin was able to give these stories a literary flourish and a layer of images and ideas beyond the pornographic. In her Diary (Oct. 1941), she jokingly referred to herself as "the madam of this snobbish literary house of prostitution, from which vulgarity was excluded".<ref>* Anaïs Nin, ''Delta of Venus & Little Birds'' (1996), p. 16</ref>
Despite being told to leave poetic language aside and concentrate on graphic, sexually explicit scenarios, Nin was able to give these stories a literary flourish and a layer of images and ideas beyond the pornographic. In her Diary (Oct. 1941), she jokingly referred to herself as "the madam of this snobbish literary house of prostitution, from which vulgarity was excluded".<ref>* Anaïs Nin, ''Delta of Venus & Little Birds'' (1996), p. 16</ref>
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# Linda
# Linda
# Marcel
# Marcel
The book, unlike the later ''[[Little Birds]],'' contains no poetry as such. Its introductory preface contains entries from [[The Diary of Anaïs Nin|the ''Diary'' that Nin kept]], which expressed her hope that its unexpurgated version would one day be published.
The book, unlike the later ''[[Little Birds (short story collection)|Little Birds]],'' contains no poetry as such. Its preface contains entries from her ''[[The Diary of Anaïs Nin|Diary]]'', which expressed her hope that its unexpurgated version would one day be published.

In 2021, the [[porn]]ographic film studio Thousand Faces released a short film called ''Mathilde'' based on Nin's story of the same name from Delta of Venus.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thousandfacesfilms.com/films/mathilde |title=Mathilde |access-date=2023-06-14 |archive-date=2023-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623210517/https://thousandfacesfilms.com/films/mathilde/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Columns-list|3|
*[[D. H. Lawrence]]
*[[D. H. Lawrence]]
*[[Émile Zola]]
*[[Émile Zola]]
*[[George Sand]]
*[[George Sand]]
*''[[Little Birds]]''
*[[Mons pubis]]
*[[Mons pubis]]
*''[[The Diary of Anaïs Nin]]''
}}


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Books adapted into films]]
[[Category:Books adapted into films]]
[[Category:Books published posthumously]]
[[Category:Books published posthumously]]
[[Category:Erotic short stories]]
[[Category:Erotic short story collections]]
[[Category:Short story collections by Anaïs Nin]]
[[Category:Short story collections by Anaïs Nin]]
[[Category:American short story collections]]

Latest revision as of 13:31, 19 September 2024

For the film adaptation, see Delta of Venus (film).
Delta of Venus
First edition cover art
AuthorAnaïs Nin
Cover artistMilton Glaser
Richard Merkin (photo)
LanguageEnglish
GenreShort stories, erotica
PublisherHarcourt Brace Jovanovich
Publication date
1977
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages250 pp (first edition)
ISBN0-15-124656-4

Delta of Venus is a book of fifteen short stories by Anaïs Nin published posthumously in 1977[1]—though largely written in the 1940s as erotica for a private collector.[2]

In 1994 a film inspired by the book was directed by Zalman King.

Background

[edit]

The collection of short stories that makes up this anthology was written during the 1940s for a private client known simply as "Collector". This "Collector" commissioned Nin, along with other now well-known writers (including Henry Miller and the poet George Barker), to produce erotic fiction for his private consumption.[3] His identity has since been revealed as Roy M. Johnson (1881–1960), a wealthy American businessman from Ardmore, Oklahoma, who had discovered the Healdton Oil Pool.[4]

Despite being told to leave poetic language aside and concentrate on graphic, sexually explicit scenarios, Nin was able to give these stories a literary flourish and a layer of images and ideas beyond the pornographic. In her Diary (Oct. 1941), she jokingly referred to herself as "the madam of this snobbish literary house of prostitution, from which vulgarity was excluded".[5]

While using the Kama Sutra and other writings such as those of Krafft-Ebing as models, Nin was very conscious that the languages of male and female sexuality were distinct.[6] Although at times she scorned her erotica, and feared for their impact on her literary reputation,[7] they have subsequently been seen by sex-positive feminists as pioneering work.[8]

Short stories

[edit]

The short stories which Delta of Venus anthologizes are these:

  1. The Hungarian Adventurer
  2. Mathilde
  3. The Boarding School
  4. The Ring
  5. Mallorca
  6. Artists and Models
  7. Lilith
  8. Marianne
  9. The Veiled Woman
  10. Elena
  11. The Basque and Bijou
  12. Pierre
  13. Manuel
  14. Linda
  15. Marcel

The book, unlike the later Little Birds, contains no poetry as such. Its preface contains entries from her Diary, which expressed her hope that its unexpurgated version would one day be published.

In 2021, the pornographic film studio Thousand Faces released a short film called Mathilde based on Nin's story of the same name from Delta of Venus.[9]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ I. Ousby, ed., The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English (1995) p. 683
  2. ^ Anaïs Nin, Delta of Venus & Little Birds (1996), pp. 13–16
  3. ^ Anaïs Nin, Delta of Venus & Little Birds (1996), pp. 13–16
  4. ^ Paul Herron, Anaïs Nin:A Book of Mirrors (Sky Blue Press, 1996), p.427
  5. ^ * Anaïs Nin, Delta of Venus & Little Birds (1996), p. 16
  6. ^ Anaïs Nin, Delta of Venus & Little Birds (1996), pp. 15 & 19
  7. ^ Anne T. Salvatore, Anaïs Nin's Narratives, University Press of Florida (2001) ISBN 0-8130-2113-8, p. 17
  8. ^ Susie Bright, Totally Heterotica (1995), p. 2
  9. ^ "Mathilde". Archived from the original on 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2023-06-14.

Further reading

[edit]
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