De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period
Encyclopedia
"De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period" is a short story
that is part of the Nine Stories
collection by J. D. Salinger
. It was published in 1952.
It is the story of a talented young man who moves to Montreal
to become an instructor for a correspondence art academy. He had recently moved to New York with his stepfather because his mother had died. There he learns of the art academy Les Amis Des Vieux Maîtres and decides to apply as a staff instructor. To do so, he feels compelled to embellish his credentials with extravagant accomplishments and an overly-chummy relationship with Picasso. While sneering at the childish attempts of his talentless mail-order pupils, he falls in love with the artistic beauty of a religious painting submitted to him by his sole pupil of promise: an ageless, faceless nun
. De Daumier-Smith has an epiphany that reveals the nature of beauty, allowing him to reinvent himself and transform his life.
after at least one editor determined the piece was both "too dark and too weird." At the time, although Salinger had published in the magazine previously, the piece was still not considered for publication beyond the first round of meetings among editors. Thus, the piece was submitted to the World Review and accepted. Salinger considered the story a significant piece in his canon, and thus later decided to include it in his short story collection.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
that is part of the Nine Stories
Nine Stories (Salinger)
Nine Stories is a collection of short stories by American fiction writer J. D. Salinger released in May 1953. It includes two of his most famous short stories, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" and "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor". Nine Stories (1953) is a collection of short stories by American...
collection by J. D. Salinger
J. D. Salinger
Jerome David Salinger was an American author, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature. His last original published work was in 1965; he gave his last interview in 1980....
. It was published in 1952.
It is the story of a talented young man who moves to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to become an instructor for a correspondence art academy. He had recently moved to New York with his stepfather because his mother had died. There he learns of the art academy Les Amis Des Vieux Maîtres and decides to apply as a staff instructor. To do so, he feels compelled to embellish his credentials with extravagant accomplishments and an overly-chummy relationship with Picasso. While sneering at the childish attempts of his talentless mail-order pupils, he falls in love with the artistic beauty of a religious painting submitted to him by his sole pupil of promise: an ageless, faceless nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. De Daumier-Smith has an epiphany that reveals the nature of beauty, allowing him to reinvent himself and transform his life.
History
The story was rejected by the The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
after at least one editor determined the piece was both "too dark and too weird." At the time, although Salinger had published in the magazine previously, the piece was still not considered for publication beyond the first round of meetings among editors. Thus, the piece was submitted to the World Review and accepted. Salinger considered the story a significant piece in his canon, and thus later decided to include it in his short story collection.
External links
- De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period study guide, themes, quotes, multimedia, teacher resources