as i was reading the graphic novel, kiki de monteparnasse, i began to wonder where the stories told came from. so i searched the library catalog and came across kiki's memoirs, written by kiki with an introduction by ernest hemingway!
when i picked kiki's memoirs up, i was surprised by how thin it was, i wanted all the juicy details from her life and wasn't sure if the memoirs would give them all to me.
the first half of the memoirs are kiki or her actual name alice prin's actual memoirs . she explained how her grandmother raised her along with her five other cousins, all who were bastards (for lack of a better word). when she was 12, she moved to paris to be with her mother. she worked odd jobs and longed for love. then due to an argument with the baker she worked for kiki ended up with her first art job, posing for a sculptor. she then began modeling for various artists and even painted her own art. her biggest contribute to the art world was a result of her she meeting american surrealist man ray. she became his muse and together they created beautiful art specifically photography. here are some of my favorites and of course their most famous photograph:
kiki's memoirs were a bit confusing to read, it jumped around and she shared odd details but they were interesting since she was quite the character.
one interesting story kiki discussed was the time that she was in jail for assaulting an officer but luckily man ray came to help her and she was released.
the later half of the memoirs is an interview from a paris newspaper. i enjoyed this portion more because kiki was older, 50, and wiser.
there was one story, kiki shared about her grandmother that caused my admiration of her grandmother for raising the grandchildren. kiki shared how the neighbors told her to turn to public assistance for helping raising the kids to which she responded "i will raise my bastard, its nobody else's business. it's the jerks their fathers who should be blamed." everyone likes to blame the woman for bastard children but people forget that they have fathers too.
i loved how kiki was not ashamed of her bastard status. she shared how she would run into her half sister and the sister would tell her, "i am going to tell my father" to which kiki responded "i don't give a damn, he's my father too."
however, kiki's father was horrible, she shared a story of him trying to poison to kill her but her grandmother saved her. being abandoned by both parents caused much pain for kiki, as she sadly shared "no one knows what sorrow fills the heart of a child who doesn't have a father, whose mother is far away and whose only tenderness in life comes from a grandmother."
kiki's childhood was filled with sadness and misery. she shared words of wisdom as she reflected on her sad memories. she explained "when you meet an ugly and neglected little girl with her head shaved like an egg, don't laugh: pitiful hair makes grown-ups loath but little ones cry." from when her grandfather died, "death among poor people is not a catastrophe as it is among the rich, and when you have slaved all your life and barely succeeded in feeding yourself, the final departure is considered a deliverance." kiki also shared about her mother's cold indifference towards her. she discussed how she would become embarassed when other kids called their mothers, "mama dear." she explained that she "would have let all [her] pain and [her] desire to be able say 'mama', since i was never permitted to say papa . . ." how sad to feel unloved as a child. however though her childhood was tragic, her life improved because of art. it wasn't all glamour but when it was it was, it was glam!
the interview was not all sad stories. kiki shared stories that demonstrated her colorful and vivacious spirit. one of my favorite stories was how she took lace samples from a catalog and pinned them to her coat so that they looked like a beautiful blouse which people would compliment! i also delighted in her stories about peré libion, who supported artists by feeding them at his restaurant. i loved how at the one opening he brought champagne explaining he had provided everything else he might as well provide that (the artist had stolen place settings from his restaurant. lol)
it was an interesting read and nice to see kiki discuss herself in her own words. since it was brief, it left me wanting to know more which i will hopefully discover in the graphic novel.
ps i have to add kiki shared how her mother told her "country bumpkin you are and country bumpkin you shall be." i am country bumpkin that loves the city but feel that regardless of how far away i may move away, i am still a little bit country!
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