“I am the most famous unknown of the century.” — Djuna Barnes

“I am the most famous unknown of the century.” — Djuna Barnes

When Barnes called herself a “famous unknown” she may have been being elliptical or ironic, or she may have been just telling it like it is. Her writing didn’t have literal chronological through-lines and some readers found it challenging. So SHE was more famous than her WORK. Her fame came from her love affairs with women, and her immortalization in all the memoirs written by members of the vibrant bohemian lesbian ex-pat community in Paris, pa…