Spy in the House of Anaïs Nin by Kim Krizan

Author and Nin scholar Kim Krizan is the ultimate spy with her book aptly named Spy in the House of Anaïs Nin. She has sourced a rich collection of lost letters and original manuscripts to put together a collection of penetrating essays in an attempt to crack open the incredible life of Nin.

Abandoned by her father at a young age, Nin's mother moved the entire family over to America. During this journey, something incredibly special happened and Nin began writing a letter to her Father to lure him back. This was to become her diary, a habit she kept for 63 years

Her diary often speaks of existential dilemmas - the constant pull of wife and artist. A theme that runs right through her creative life. She used her diary as she would a confidant, a close friend. It would be a re-telling of her life as she envisioned it; sensual and beautiful, painful and penetrating. Her entries are deeply personal, and her feelings and dreams would fuel her writing and exploration of the self.

Krizan has weaved together a selection of essays exploring Nin and her life as a feminist and a visionary. It is based on new examinations of letters, papers, and manuscripts held at UCLA and her home in Los Angeles. We delve deep into a treasure trove of historical pieces that all come together to form a fuller picture of one of the greatest female writers of our time.