Harry Crosby, a Massachusetts-born poet, author, and publisher, was born on April 4, 1898, into a wealthy Boston family. He attended Harvard University but left before completing his studies to serve as a volunteer with the American Field Service during World War I. This experience would shape much of his worldview and influence his later work as a writer.
After the war, Crosby found himself drawn to the bohemian lifestyle of Paris, where he would become a central figure in the literary and artistic circles of the 1920s. In 1927, he founded the Black Sun Press, a publishing company that would go on to publish the works of some of the most influential writers of the time, including James Joyce, Kay Boyle, Ezra Pound, and Ernest Hemingway.
Crosby's own literary output was prolific and highly acclaimed. Some of his notable works include "Red Skeletons," "Chariot of the Sun," and "Transit of Venus." His poetry often explored themes of love, death, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.
Despite his success in the literary world, Crosby's personal life was tumultuous. He had an open marriage with Polly Crosby (formerly Mrs. Richard Peabody), with whom he had previously had a high-profile affair. However, his most infamous relationship was with Josephine Noyes Rotch, with whom he had a passionate and ultimately tragic love affair.
In 1929, Crosby and Rotch died in what was believed to be a murder-suicide pact. The circumstances surrounding their deaths remain a source of speculation and mystery to this day.
Harry Crosby was a member of the generation of artists and writers known as "The Lost Generation," a term coined by his friend and contemporary Ernest Hemingway. Crosby's life and work continue to fascinate and inspire readers and scholars alike, as they offer a glimpse into the vibrant and often tumultuous world of 1920s Paris.
Despite his untimely death, Crosby's legacy as a poet, publisher, and cultural icon remains intact. His contributions to the literary world are still celebrated today, and his impact on the writers who came after him is undeniable.