La baronesa de Greenwich Village (Fuera De Serie)

by Rene Steinke

La protagonista de la historia, la baronesa Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, poeta, modelo y artista multimedia, sorprende en el inquieto Village neoyorquino de la década de 1920, donde vivían los artistas y bohemios más diversos. Su estética rompedora, que no excluye llevar una jaula con una canario vivo a guisa de sombrero, su desinhibición sexual y sus creaciones artísticas, personalísimas, hacen de ella un ser único. Pero la baronesa dadá no es un mero personaje, ni una impostora. No es una máscara en busca de mecenas entre los ricos que juegan a rescatar talentos. Es una mujer hecha a sí misma, para quien vida y arte son la misma cosa, y cuya frágil sensibilidad le hace ser víctima de un mundo frío y lleno de artistas.
En este espléndido relato, René Steinke se inspira en la persona real de Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven (1874-1927) para plasmar con maestría un perfil femenino que resulta inolvidable, sin excluir la vibrante recreación del Berlín de principios del siglo XX o el Nueva York dadaísta en el que triunfan Man Ray o Marcel Duchamp.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Art, Book Club, Womens, Novels, Biography Memoir

448 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2005

About the author

René Steinke is a 2016 Guggenheim Fellow. Her most recent novel, Friendswood (Riverhead), was named one of National Public Radio’s "Great Reads" of 2014. Friendswood was shortlisted for the St. Francis Literary Prize, and it was an Amazon Book of the Month. Her previous novel, Holy Skirts, an imaginative retelling of the life of the artist and provocateur, Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, was a Finalist for the National Book Award. Her first novel is The Fires. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, Vogue, O Magazine, Redbook, Houstonia, Salon, Bookforum, and in anthologies. She is the former Editor of The Literary Review, where she remains Editor-at-Large. She has taught at the New School and at Columbia University, and she is currently the Director of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She lives in Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Story · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this fictionalized account of artist and poet Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven's life, loves and work.

[Kiki von Cougar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my new favorite novel. Rene Steinke's prose is lush and decadent, and perfectly matched for her subject, one of the most interesting (and overlooked) artistic personalities of the 20th century. I may review in more detail at a later date, but now let me summarize by saying that this book made me want to be the Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven when I grow up. (Minus the syphilis, I suppose.)

[Susan Tauster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual and wonderful story. I loved the early 20th century mix of avant garde artists. The author’s construction of the story is first rate. Maybe not a story with mass appeal, which made it more appealing to me!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a book as much as I did this one. It is colorful and sad and sexy and feminist and dramatic and beautifully written. I actually wrote lines from this book down to remember them. I love Elsa and I love this book.

[Scot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I happened upon this book by chance. I had half an hour to kill while waiting for a bus and noticed the unusual cover, which seemed ugly to me. The title suggested a chick lit book, but when I quickly perused the back cover, I discovered it was historical fiction about one of the most colorful characters in the avant garde artistic circles of Greenwich Village's bohemian counterculture just before and during World War I. That intrigued me.

Although the author takes a lot of literary license, the main character, Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhaven, truly existed, as did most of the supporting characters around her. During this novel she sleeps with Marchel Duchamp, poses for Man Ray, writes poetry for the acclaimed Little Review, and shocks conventional society with her revolutionary clothes-as-art. The poetry presented here is either her actual work or closely modeled on it--and I have to say, it's quite good. Sort of Emily Dickinson mixed with advertising jingles, with sensuality and the Modernist cult of the artist overlay. I think the author catches the spirit of bohemia quite well. (Anyone know the musical number performed by the group around the Stammtisch in the musical Rent, "La Vie Boheme"? It conveys the same sense of bravura, celebration of artistic vision, and deviant independence.)

The baroness is a tragic figure, plagued by slowly debilitating illnesses, mental and physical, inherited from (and due to the sins of?) her parents. Nevertheless, she is courageous in her determination to celebrate art for art's sake, the rights of women, the joy of sex, the energy of Dada. She starts out as an exotic model in Berlin, works her way through three unusual husbands (getting the title from the last one), and finds her niche pulling pranks and creating art in Greenwich Village. She lives life on the edge--in poverty, with thieves, whores, addicts, homosexuals, anarchists, longshoremen, and artistes. Fans of Dada should enjoy this book. It made me curious to know more about the real woman, and I discovered that the University of Maryland has a digital library of her work online that's easy to browse.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read about half this book then decided not to waste any more time on it. For one thing, in the appendix, Steinke credits Irene Gammell with "a recent, excellent biography of VonFreytag-Lovinghoven." Then why in the world is the book club reading this fictional bio? Having read some excellent biographies lately I think these fictional ones are really not my cup of tea. So I am also finally consigning Vidal's fictional bio of Aaron Burr to the scrap heap and will read Fallen Founder instead.

[Bess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally embellished, very well-written narrative biography of a really interesting, gutsy young woman with a tragic past who came to NYC from Germany and started over from scratch as an artist/writer/bohemian. Every single gal trying to "get back to herself" should read it.

[Ryan (Glay)]

I love hearing stories about the lives of eccentric and interesting individuals and Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven is def one of them.

But I should have just read a straight biography of her ...

Something about this novelization of her life that just didn't grab me, maybe I should have held on a bit longer but only got 10 or 15 percent of the way in and put it down.

[Ginevra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oltre ad essere la storia di una pazza che scriveva poesie assurde spacciandole per arte, L edizione italiana della casa editrice alet è piena di refusi e questo ha contribuito a rendere la lettura molto fastidiosa. Bocciato.

[Logan Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5??? Idk I loved the concept and protagonist of this book and at times was really engaged but at times very very disengaged…. It ended up taking me forever to read because I would go days at a time not reading it but I still get stuck on how much I enjoyed the premise of the book

[Andrés Quesada]

Lo empecé porque me interesaba el personaje. Lo abandoné por lo anodino y masticado que es el estilo, prefabricado en los Creative Workshops de Estados Unidos.

[karen melander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this outrageous book. It gives a feeling for the Dada world of Greenwich Village in the early 20th century. Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp make appearances.

[Elizabeth White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging fictionalized account of an original artist. The Baroness was ahead of her time , expressing herself through poetry, fashion and lovers.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not super into Dada, but I did find this a gripping book and I’m definitely interested in learning more about the historical Baroness.

[Mo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book while browsing at my local library. It was on the “recommended” shelf, I thought the cover looked interesting, and I decided to give it a try. The book jacket describes the book this way:

In a beautifully written novel, Rene Steinke paints an exquisite portrait of this woman and her time – an era of cataclysmic change that witnessed brutal war, technological innovation, the rise of urban living, and an irrevocable shift in the lives of women, who, like Elsa, struggled to create their own destinies. Holy Skirts is a celebration of resilience and imagination an exploration of the world in which the modern woman was born, and a testament to the lost bohemia.

I think the writing on the book jacket may have been better than that found in the book. I also think the blurb here on GoodReads is a more accurate depiction.

I read this passage on page 54, and decided the book was not for me.

”I would like to hit you with this.” In the lamplight he held a switch of branches. “You’ve embarrassed me.”

Elsa turned on her stomach, thinking that the little cake would never have the sex sense to indulge Mello in all the ways she had. “Yes, but don’t hurt me.”

“You would like me to, wouldn’t you?” he said. This was one practice that she’d heard about but had not experienced, “the delights of the birch.” The pain, she thought, would enliven the nerves to ecstasy. The branch came crashing down, and she lost her breath.

Actually, this book might be of interest to fans of the movie “Cabaret” (it has that "vibe"), but holds none for me.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven: a fierce femme before her time:
"She wanted to wear something witty, something extravagant to this Arensberg salon. But she was exhausted with mere prettiness, weighed down by knowing that it would only become more and more difficult to achieve, and she hated feeling the effort in herself. Besides, prettiness at these salons was trite, and she wanted to put her femaleness to more potent ends. She wanted to inspire questions, to entertain, challenge. She spent a few days creating the ensemble. Out of the black silk evening dress she had ripped that night last year in the elevator with Josef, she has sewn a skirt, but she needed something electrical. She found the taillight on the curb, and it took her only a few hours to figure out the mechanics of it- she had learned something from Josef's doomed inventions. At the top of the high bustle, she attached the taillight, which flashed when she squeezed the lever in her pocket -like visual insight.

On the night of the party she wore the skirt with a petticoat underneath made from pieces of old lampshades. She tied the wide red ribbon over her breasts, midriff, and shoulders, winding them into a tight mummy bodice. Around her neck she wore a silver tea capsule filled with pieces of [her dog's] shed fur, which peeked elegantly through the silver holes. By the time Sara arrived to pick her up, she had stuck a postage-stamp beauty mark on her cheek for extra spunk."

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baroness Elsa Freytag-Loringhoven was a flamboyant poet and performance artist who openly flaunted conventional norms and did so when that type of behavior caused scandals. This is a fictionalized account of her life, based on the scant source material that exists. A little bit crazy and a little bit genius converged in this woman who lived on the edge of poverty in Greenwich Village in the early years of the twentieth century. A companion of Marcel Duchamp and a model for various artists, including Man Ray, the Baroness wrote outlandish poetry that foreshadowed the beat poets and those who came afterword. The author took some liberties, changing names and compressing the timeline, while remaining somewhat true to the spirit of this larger than life character. One had to feel some sympathy for this thrice married and thrice abandoned woman who eventually died in a hotel room in Paris where she retreated when living in New York became too painful. She was a rare creature who lived for her art and lived her art. This book was well written and kept the reader fully engaged. I find myself wishing her performances had been captured for posterity. Very little of her art, and some of her poetry, has fortunately survived her.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictional retelling of the life of Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, Holy Skirts does an admirable job of presenting a woman ahead of her time. Elsa leaves her home in rural Germany in the 1890s for Berlin, where she becomes a chorus girl or sorts, a disreputable occupation at the time, and meets many artists. Eventually she winds up in New York City, living in the same building as Marcel DuChamp, writing poetry, designing her own outlandish outfits, and becoming part of the Dada circle. The book drags a bit in some of the earlier sections, but once Elsa hits Greenwich Village the pages will turn rapidly.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great. A fun fictionalization of the life of a minor figure in art history & the literary avant garde. I have a friend who loves this book so much she dragged out finishing it. I'm ok with endings, though hers was pretty strange and unfortunate. Luckily time has been kind and there are plenty of other books I can read of her work and about her now, as well good biographies of Duchamp and Man Ray and the other crosscurrents of the European and American avant garde in the early 20th century in New York City if I like. If only the art world were still as exciting. I guess it's something that only really exists in certain historical moments and makes sense only in hindsight.

[Julia Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading about this crazy lady who at one point wears a birdcage on her head! Rene Steinke is such a fine writer. It is only fair to disclose that she was my mentor in FDU's fabulous MFA Creative Writing program. This book is truly an adventure through the life of one very gutsy and eccentric character Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven (how's that for a name?)who is not made up but actually existed and who was way ahead of her time. (think Lady GaGa) Entertaining, moving,funny and ripe with exquisite imagery. A must read!

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was beyond poorly written, but I was compelled to finish it in like 2 days because the subject is so fascinating! The Baroness Elsa Von Fragtag-Loringhoven wore bras made of soup cans and was friends with Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray. She was a sexual libertine, a proto-punk, and a gutter poet. There is another book about her called "Baroness Elsa" which seems much better, so it will soon be on the to-read list.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional rendering of the life of Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven who was a poet, artist, sexual libertine, model, artist and a truly colorful character. Originally from Germany, she travelled to new York in the early 1900s (WWI era) and lived in Greenwich village. Very interesting book a bout a truly unique and larger than life character – all about sexual, intellectual and personal freedom.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire Steinke's effort in how she weaves creative interpretation and historical truth into this fictional bio of the unusual life of the baroness. It's entertaining and well-written, but in the end I say just skip it and go directly to the Irene Gammel biography, "Baroness Elsa." The story of von Freytag-Loringhoven's life is unconventional, tragic, inspiring, flamboyant, etc... all on its own.

[Jest · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a novel based on the life of Baroness Elsa von Freytag -Loringhoven. The entire time I was reading it I was cringing and thinking: she would hate this.

People with an interest in Baroness Elsa or New York Dada would be better off checking out the biography: Baroness Elsa by Irene Gammel.

[Gabrielle Nowicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fascinating book is very loosely based on the life of rebel, Dadaist poet, artist's model and friend of Marcel Duchamp, Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven. Elsa's life was cutting edge art and as the story evolves, the reader becomes more uncertain where creativity ends and insanity begins. Her life was as tragic as it was colourful.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

The narrative structure is extremely conventional for a novel about Dadaism. The only vaguely interesting ideas start happening around the "barber scene"...if you are going to read this, I would start on page 250...or read the first 249 pages as quickly as you can, preferably with a bird cage strapped to your head.

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Baroness was quite a saucy dame, to say the least. And this was a book I had trouble putting down, what with all the syphillus and drug use and art-making. It was like being in college agian, but with more perspective. I think this was the perfect book for me to kick off summer reading, and hopefully, to inspire me to be a little more passionate about art.

[Celia Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved it. This is a visceral read. Sexy, harrowing. I felt certain scenes physically - the cold weather in Greenwich Village, the dirtiness of a Berlin cabaret. The Baroness is such a captivating sympathetic character. Her outrageous adventures are described so vividly that I felt I was almost living her life.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven is brought to vivid life in Steinke's well-researched, well-written biographical novel. The Baroness was a vibrantly eccentric women who was, herself, a living piece of art & truly ahead of her time.

[terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

i stopped reading 20 pages before i wouldve finished the book... it starts off wonderfully, but as the character begins to unravel, so does the book... overall a good read. love at first sight, and then i lost interest...