Robert Desnos: Surrealism in the Twenty-First Century (Modern French Identities)

« Ce n’est pas la poésie qui doit être libre, c’est le poète. » A legendary figure within the Surrealist movement, Robert Desnos (1900-1945) has left a unique legacy as a poet of distinction, as a ‘dormeur éveillé’ revered by his fellow Surrealists, and as a free spirit par excellence. In celebrating Desnos’s unique creative voice, this book re-evaluates his prominence within and beyond the Surrealist movement, reappraises his status as a poet, and sheds new light on his contribution to the literary and cultural life of his age. The essays in the volume reflect the ongoing vitality and relevance of Desnos’s poetry and the originality of his contribution to the various other forms of expression in which he excelled: journalism, short stories, script-writing and song-writing. Desnos’s extensive writings on art and artists, his active involvement in avant-garde film and his close associations with a number of renowned painters are also addressed. This fresh look at Desnos’s activities and contexts includes an interview with the artist Georges Malkine’s daughter, Fern Malkine-Falvey, and a study of the memoirs of Desnos’s wife, Youki. The volume closes with a rare collection of journalistic writings by Desnos which appeared in Le Soir in the late 1920s and have never appeared in print since their original publication. Contents 6 Acknowledgements 9 10 Introduction 11 12 Part One: Desnos and the Surrealist Movement 20 The Diary of an Apparition 21 22 Pureté de l’impur. Robert Desnos et Le Grand Jeu 43 44 « SÉLAVY (Rrose) ou c’est la viscérose » : Desnos selon Leiris, ou la voie/x de son maître ? 57 58 ‘Robert Desnos parle surréaliste à volonté’ 69 70 Part Two: The Poetics / Politics of Time and Space 110 Éros, Hypnos et Thanatos : The Night of Loveless Nights (1927–1930) 111 112 The Destiny of Robert Desnos 127 128 Against the Grain: tracing Desnos’s Contrée in Pétain’s France 135 136 Belle Angleterre de légendes 149 150 Part Three: Writing the Everyday 168 Robert Desnos’s ‘Gymnastics’ 169 170 On Murder, Considered as one of the Surrealist Arts: Robert Desnos in the shadow of Jack the Ripper 187 188 Les Voix de la sirène: bavardage, tatouage, et décalcomanie 203 204 Part Four: Desnos and the Visual Arts 230 Robert Desnos rhabillé par ses illustrateurs, même 231 232 Desnos’s Writings on Art. Beyond the Exotic? 247 248 Automatism and the Moving Image: from verbal to visual metaphor in L’Étoile de mer 263 264 Robert Desnos and Georges Malkine: some recollections 285 286 Appendix: Robert Desnos, journalist 296 Préface 297 298 Articles from Le Soir (1927–1928) 303 304 Bibliography 355 356 Notes on Contributors 367 368 Index 373 374 List of Figures 377 378 Figures 379 380 Ce n'est pas la poesie qui doit etre libre, c'est le poete. A legendary figure within the Surrealist movement, Robert Desnos (1900-1945) has left a unique legacy as a poet of distinction, as a 'dormeur eveille' revered by his fellow Surrealists, and as a free spirit par excellence. In celebrating Desnos's unique creative voice, this book re-evaluates his prominence within and beyond the Surrealist movement, reappraises his status as a poet, and sheds new light on his contribution to the literary and cultural life of his age. The essays in the volume reflect the ongoing vitality and relevance Marie-claire Barnet, Eric Robertson And Nigel Saint (eds). 10 English, 5 French Contributions. Includes Bibliographic References (p. [355]-366) And Index. Text In English And French. Content: pt. 1. Desnos and the surrealist movement -- pt. 2. The poetics/politics of time and space -- pt. 3. Writing the everyday -- pt. 4. Desnos and the visual arts.