Buy book one, Traitor Comet! An idea occurred to me that I long resisted but find very attractive… Why don’t we publish, instead of your poems, our correspondence? I have reread it, and your January 29 letter is particularly remarkable. Perhaps we should include a bit of your poetry, or your essay on Uccello? TheContinue reading “From Book 1: Correspondence with Jacque Riviere”
Category Archives: Book 1 – Traitor Comet
From Book 1: Hurl his Soul
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! Finally Genica and Artaud emerged, carelessly dressed and uncombed and dragging their bags, though I noticed Artaud had taken the time to shave. He was always impeccably clean-shaven, every day, even when he wandered homeless around Paris. He trudged up to Desnos. “Can we go,” he snapped, “so IContinue reading “From Book 1: Hurl his Soul”
From Book 1: Drowning a Mouse
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! Justine laid Artaud’s head in her lap and as his arms slipped around her, her fingers stole into his long hair, stroking it longingly. “Tell me that you won’t cut it,” she pleaded. “I must,” he groaned. “I am going back to my parents’ house this week forContinue reading “From Book 1: Drowning a Mouse”
From Book 1: Poems into Plowshares
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! Finally he finished, rolled up his rug and stood up, his face collapsing into brown wrinkles as he smiled. He nodded to me, and reached out to playfully slap Artaud’s cheek, again startling the young man. “Peace be with you both!” the Muslim cried, and slipped into the crowd.Continue reading “From Book 1: Poems into Plowshares”
From Book 1: Skip Blithely
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! As soon as everyone had dressed and swallowed some coffee we went for a walk along the road. It skirted the forest, which was cool and dark with a thick undergrowth and massive trunks, and eventually it wound around among rolling hills, where we looked out at seemingly endless fieldsContinue reading “From Book 1: Skip Blithely”
From Book 1: Rrose Selavy
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! Over supper Desnos was enough entertainment for all of us, making up outrageous stories on the spot, encouraging us to drink more wine and then making us laugh until it was painful. However, some of his tales horrified my family as the poet related his involvement in the highContinue reading “From Book 1: Rrose Selavy”
From Book 1: Artaud Disturbs People Sometimes
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! “Bless her,” Justine whispered when Catherine had gone, “she’s so sweet.” She rubbed her eyes. “The cats will have shredded my curtains by tomorrow. That was your brother, wasn’t it? I thought I would faint. Excuse me!” We watched her snatch the nightgown and flee the room after theseContinue reading “From Book 1: Artaud Disturbs People Sometimes”
From Book 1: Roulette
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! That night, the women declared their own revolution. “No!” Justine proclaimed with relish as she sat in the dining room drinking coffee with Genica. She and Genica talked over each other as a rumpled Louis stared at them from the doorway. “We’re not going to cook supper forContinue reading “From Book 1: Roulette”
From Book 1: Men versus Women, Part One
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! “You’re all right,” Desnos said. “You need something in your stomach, that’s all.” He turned and raised a finger to signal a waiter while I shriveled in embarrassment. When the plate of bread and cheese was set before me I picked up a hunk of bread and held itContinue reading “From Book 1: Men versus Women, Part One”
From Book 1: What’s Your Idea of Adventure?
Buy book one, Traitor Comet! Long after I heard Desnos’s heavy breathing in sleep I lay awake, listening to the rain turn the city into layers of chatter like so many synchronized timepieces: the blunt drumming of the houseboat, the slaps on stone, the hollow tinging of a metal roof somewhere. That odd sleepiness, whenContinue reading “From Book 1: What’s Your Idea of Adventure?”