I loved your biography of the Murphys, and hope to revisit it soon. I’ve carried around a question the past 10 years or more, and you’re one of a handful on the entire planet who might know the answer. Although they all lived in Paris at the same time and hung out with the same people, I’ve never been able to confirm if the Murphys ever met Sylvia Beach or Getrude and Alice. Do you know? Thank you!

Amanda Vaill Apologies for not responding promptly to your question -- I was dealing with the copy edited manuscript of my new book (about the Schuyler Sisters) and haven't been checking Goodreads.

Here's what I know: The Murphys did indeed meet and know both Sylvia Beach and Stein and Toklas, although I don't have any particularly telling anecdotes about their relationships with either. In 1927 the Murphys left their apartment on the Quai des Grands Augustins and moved to the rue Guynemer, just around the corner from the Stein/Toklas flat at 37, rue de Fleurus; so they were neighbors. And Esther Murphy, Gerald's sister, was quite close to Stein and Toklas as well. It was a small, small world.

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