Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Titans of The Muses
    Titans of The Muses
    Titans of The Muses
    Ebook91 pages1 hour

    Titans of The Muses

    By Noreen Nash and Jeanne Rejaunier

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    For more than two decades, ever since famed international film director Jean Renoir chose beautiful young actress Noreen Nash to play a coveted role in his second (and considered best) American film The Southerners, Renoir and his wife Dido Freiere were the cherished, intimate friends of Noreen and her husband, well known Hollywood “Physician to the Stars” Lee E. Siegel, M.D. In addition, the Siegels were weekly hosts at ongoing Sunday afternoon gatherings attended by a fascinating coterie of guests that, in addition to silver screen luminaries, invariably included infamous Tropic of Cancer author Henry Miller. And so the notorious Henry Miller became the Siegels’ close friend as well.
    Jean Renoir, one of the foremost film directors of all time, and Henry Miller, topping the list of the most controversial figures in American literature ... both great friends of the Siegels. And yet the two men had never met. It might have been a foregone conclusion that they should become acquainted. Or should they? The two were quite different, as Noreen Nash explains. How would they get along? Would they take to one another or not? The Siegels debated the pros and cons of making the introduction, and ultimately decided affirmatively to connect the two giants.
    And so, we learn in TITANS OF THE MUSES, what happened when Henry met Jean.
    Due to its historical importance, characterizations, element of gossip and wealth of detail, TITANS OF THE MUSES presents readers with a fascinating, heretofore unseen portrait of two of the most noteworthy cultural figures of the 20th century.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNoreen Nash
    Release dateApr 7, 2015
    ISBN9781310248665
    Titans of The Muses
    Author

    Noreen Nash

    NOREEN NASH came to Hollywood as the Apple Blossom Queen of Wenatchee, Washington, under her given name of Noreen Roth, and began acting in movies and television as Noreen Nash. She was chosen by famed international movie director Jean Renoir for the ingénue lead in his film The Southerner, which is considered by critics to be Renoir’s best American film. Noreen decided to give up her busy and successful film career to raise a family and to attend college at UCLA, where she was a French major, and from where she graduated with honors. She was married to Dr. Lee E. Siegel for 47 years, until his death. She later married actor James Whitmore. She has two sons, Pulitzer Prize nominee Lee Siegel Jr., noted author of fifteen books and Professor of World Religions at the University of Hawaii; and Dr. Robert Siegel, head of Cardiologiy at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles. She has four grandchildren who are the light of her life.Noreen was inspired by her love of French history to write Agnes Sorel, Mistress of Beauty. This is the story of a true historical figure whose loveliness remains legend, and who became the first officially designated mistress to a king of France who struggled to follow the visions of Joan of Arc.Noreen’s study of medical history spurred her to write By Love Fulfilled, which follows a young physician in the court of Catherine de Médici during a time of social, political and religious upheaval.

    Related to Titans of The Muses

    Related ebooks

    Artists and Musicians For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for Titans of The Muses

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Titans of The Muses - Noreen Nash

      1TITANS OF THE MUSES

      When Henry Miller Met Jean Renoir

      Noreen Nash and Jeanne Rejaunier

      1TITANS OF THE MUSES

      Published by Noreen Nash and Jeanne Rejaunier at Smashwords

      Copyright 2015 Noreen Nash

      All rights reserved

      ISBN 978-1508683339

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

      DEDICATION

      To my family, who have filled my life with love.

      ######

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      Thanks to John Siegel for his much appreciated technical expertise; to Jeanne Rejaunier for her editorial skills; to graphics designer Brent Meske for his beautiful cover design; and to our Facebook friend Jorge Moreno del Valle, for reuniting us after many years. Thank you, Jorge ... without you, this book would not have seen the light of day.

      #####

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Dedication

      Acknowledgments

      PART I

      PREFACE

      INTRODUCTION

      TITANS OF THE MUSES

      PART II

      Also by Noreen Nash

      BY LOVE FULFILLED

      -Prologue

      PART III

      Also by Noreen Nash

      AGNES SOREL, MISTRESS OF BEAUTY

      - Chapter 1

      PART IV

      Also by Jeanne Rejaunier

      MY SUNDAYS WITH HENRY MILLER

      Introduction and Chapter 4

      PART V

      AUTHOR BIOS

      Noreen Nash

      Jeanne Rejaunier

      PART I

      TITANS OF THE MUSES

      PREFACE

      For more than two decades, ever since famed international film director Jean Renoir chose beautiful young actress Noreen Nash to play a coveted role in his second (and considered best) American film The Southerners, Renoir and his wife Dido Freiere were the cherished, intimate friends of Noreen and her husband, well known Hollywood Physician to the Stars Lee E. Siegel, M.D.

      Fortunately for me, I was among Dr. Siegel’s patients, and through him, I met the rest of the Siegel family, including Dr. Siegel’s charming and accomplished wife, Noreen Nash, and two talented teenage sons. Soon I was extended a standing invitation to the Siegels’ always stimulating, informal Sunday afternoon gatherings, attended by a fascinating coterie of rotating guests, invariably always graced by the presence of infamous Tropic of Cancer author Henry Miller. My experiences at the Siegels’ Sunday salons are chronicled in my book MY SUNDAYS WITH HENRY MILLER.

      Although Jean Renoir’s name was often mentioned, due to Renoir and his wife’s health having declined, they had both become housebound and were no longer attending the Siegels’ Sunday gatherings as before. Nevertheless, the Siegels’ friendship with the Renoirs endured throughout their illnesses and up to their deaths.

      Over the years, due to my moving back to the east coast, Noreen and I lost touch, Surprisingly, a Spanish man neither of us had ever met, Jorge Moreno del Valle, who heads an entertainment museum in Barcelona, found us both on the internet, put two and two together, realized we knew one another, and reconnected us after many years.

      When Noreen mentioned having written a piece about introducing the two titans, Henry and Jean, I was immediately intrigued. Due to its historical importance, characterizations, element of gossip and wealth of detail, I knew this work would make an interesting book.

      Jean Renoir, one of the foremost film directors of all time, and Henry Miller, one of the most controversial figures in American literature, both great friends of the Siegels, had never met. It might have been a foregone conclusion that these two giants of an era should become acquainted. Or should they? The two were quite different, as Noreen explains. Would they take to one another? Would they find common ground or not? After much debate, the Siegels ultimately decided affirmatively to connect the two.

      And so, TITANS OF THE MUSES tells what happened when Henry met Jean.

      Jeanne Rejaunier

      February, 2015

      INTRODUCTION

      Jean Renoir and Henry Miller were born over a hundred years ago but when these two titans died in their eighties they left a legacy that will be long remembered. Jean Renoir, one of the foremost film directors of all time, laid the foundation for French cinema; Henry Miller transformed American literature.

      Since they were both great friends of my husband’s and mine, we had spent many happy, rewarding times with both of them, however, not at the same time. They had never met, probably because they were as different as two men could be living at the same time on the same planet. We decided that we owed it to them, to us, and the world to introduce them.

      This story is about remembered events, and the joy of the experience.

      TITANS OF THE MUSES

      1

      The infamous Henry Miller gave a generation in the thirties shock by using obscenities with purpose and freedom in his epic works Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, written during his expatriate days in Paris of the thirties. When World War II broke out, Americans living in Europe were ordered to return to American shores. Henry spent some time in New York City before embarking on a tour of the United States, ending up in Northern California, where for the next few years he embraced idyllic living in Big Sur, on California’s scenic Monterrey coast. However, realizing in time that the contemplative life was not as energizing as he had imagined and feeling the need for more stimulating social intercourse, he opted for a move to Southern California, where he bought a house in Pacific Palisades. For the first time in his life, Henry had ample money coming in from his writing, and now he aimed to have a fully

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1