Natalia Danesi Murray (December 14, 1901 – June 9, 1994) was an American publishing executive and book editor. She was a key figure in promoting American writers to Italian readers. She was the longtime partner of American writer

Janet Flanner Janet Flanner (March 13, 1892 – November 7, 1978) was an American writer and pioneering narrative journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1925 until she retired in 1975.Yagoda, Ben ''About T ...

Early life

Natalia Danesi was born in Rome in December 14, 1901. Her mother, Ester Danesi, was the editor of a women's magazine, ''La Donna''. Her son wrote that, as a young woman, Natalia Danesi was seduced by the soldier and writer Gabriele D'Annunzio. In 1924, she emigrated to the United States.

Career

In the 1930s, she was an actress on Broadway. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, from 1938 to 1944, she worked for an NBC radio program to broadcast short-wave news to Italy. In 1944, she was director of the press bureau of the Office of War Information in Rome. In 1945, she was head of the Special Projects Division of the

United States Information Service The United States Information Agency (USIA), which operated from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, prior to the reorganization of intelligence agencies by President George W. Bush, President Bill C ...

in Rome. In 1946, she was a freelance correspondent in Italy. In 1951, she became the head of the New York headquarters of Arnoldo

Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 1 ...

, the Italian publishing house. In 1966, she accepted the position of vice-president of the New York office of another Italian publisher, Rizzoli Editore, a position she covered until the 1970s. She was a key figure in promoting American writers to Italian readers. In 1972, she was decorated with the Order of Cavaliere al Merito by the Italian Republic. In 1979, she was the main stakeholder in the publishing of ''Janet Flanner's World: Uncollected Writings, 1932–1975'', edited by Irving Drutman. In 1985, she edited and commented the book ''Darlinghissima: Letters to a Friend'', by

. The book is a collection of letters between the two women. Danesi Murray called their relationship a "passionate friendship" which lasted from 1940 until Flanner's death 1978.

Personal life

In 1924, she married William Murray (died 1949), head of

William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent a ...

in New York. They divorced in 1936. From 1940 to 1978, she had a relationship with

, from 1940 to 1944, living together in New York City, and then long-distance, Danesi Murray living in New York, Flanner in Paris. Flanner had also other relationships, and when Danesi Murray complained about that, Flanner replied: "You complain that I have three wives and the truth is, as you know, that I also have a husband, ''The New Yorker''." In 1975, Flanner returned to New York City, permanently, to be cared for by Murray. She died on June 9, 1994, aged 92, at

Del Mar, California Del Mar (; Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach town in San Diego County, California, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1885 as a seaside resort, the city incorporated in 1959. The Del Mar Horse Races are hosted on the De ...

. She was cremated and her ashes, mingled with those of Flanner, were scattered over Cherry Grove in

Fire Island Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York. Occasionally, the name is used to refer collectively to not only the central island, but also Long ...

,Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Location 15405). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition. where the two had met, in 1940.

Legacy

Natalia Danesi Murray's son, William Murray, wrote a book about growing up with her mother and the latter partner, Janet Flanner — ''Janet, My Mother, and Me'' (

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...

, 2000). The ''Janet Flanner and Natalia Danesi Murray papers, 1940–1984'' are hosted at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Natalia Danesi 1901 births 1994 deaths American publishers (people) Italian emigrants to the United States American book editors