Djuna Barnes (June 12, 1892 – June 18, 1982) was an American poet, playwright, journalist, visual artist and short-story writer whose work continues to “beguile, excite and inspire readers”. She is best known for her novel Nightwood (1936, England; 1937 United States), which is a masterpiece of high modernism.In 1913, Barnes began her career as a freelance journalist and illustrator for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.