Solita Solano
Solita Solano was an American writer born in 1888 in New England, known for her unconventional life choices and literary contributions. Instead of pursuing a traditional college education, she traveled to the Philippines as a surveyor. Upon returning to the U.S., she began her journalism career with the Boston Herald-Traveler in 1914, eventually becoming a drama editor. Her literary journey took a significant turn when she moved to Europe in 1921, where she mingled with notable expatriate writers in Paris, including Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. In 1924, she published her debut novel, *The Uncertain Feast*, which was notable for its stark realism and themes of unrequited love. This was followed by *The Happy Failure* in 1925 and *This Way Up* in 1927, both exploring flawed marriages and interpersonal disconnects. Although Solano's writing output slowed down after her third novel, she published a poetry collection titled *Statue in a Field* in 1934. In the mid-1930s, she became involved with mystic George Gurdjieff, where she served as his secretary but eventually distanced herself from writing, deeming it less significant in her life.
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Subject Terms
Solita Solano
Writer
- Born: 1888
- Birthplace: New England
- Died: November 22, 1975
- Place of death: Orgeval, France
Biography
Solita Solano, a native of New England who was born in 1888, enjoyed independence and travel from an early age. Instead of attending college, she went to the Philippines as a surveyor. Returning to the United States, she began writing for the Boston Herald-Traveler in 1914 and was soon promoted to drama editor. In 1919, she took a similar job at the New York Tribune before leaving in 1921 for Europe with her friend and paramour Janet Flanner. They traveled in Greece, Turkey, and Austria before landing in Paris, where they met the expatriate literary community with its many famous writers, including Sylvia Beach, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and Ezra Pound. During this time she also forged a close bond with British poet Nancy Cunard.
In 1924, Solano published her first novel, The Uncertain Feast. The book became known for a ruthless and unflinching realism, all the more notable because such writing was seen as uncommon for women; her reoccurring themes of unrequited love and the failure of human relationships are set down for the first time in this novel. After mixed reviews, she published another novel, The Happy Failure, in 1925, the story of a male writer’s troubled marriage to a woman controlled by a dominant mother. The Happy Failure garnered stronger reviews than her first novel and paved the way for her third novel, This Way Up, published in 1927. Like the earlier two novels, the third is also about a bad marriage, self-obsessed characters, and people’s failure to fully connect.
Solano was not particularly prolific, and This Way Up was the last novel she published. She largely ceased writing, although she would eventually publish a collection of poetry, Statue in a Field, in 1934. In the mid-1930’s, she became involved, along with other friends, with the mystic George Gurdjeff and went to the retreat he created at Fontainebleau- Avon, France. She served as Gurdjeff’s secretary for about five years. After leaving Gurdjeff, she did not resume writing, considering art a not particularly important part of her life.