Jean Genet (; ; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Thief's Journal'' and '' Our Lady of the Flowers'' and the plays '' The Balcony'', '' The Maids'' and '' The Screens''.

Biography

Early life

Genet's mother was a prostitute who raised him for the first seven months of his life before placing him for

adoption Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, fro ...

. Thereafter Genet was raised in the provincial town of Alligny-en-Morvan, in the

Nièvre Nièvre () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, central-east France. Named after the river Nièvre, it had a population of 204,452 in 2019.Edmund White's biography, was loving and attentive. While he received excellent grades in school, his childhood involved a series of attempts at running away and incidents of petty theft.

Detention and military service

For this and other misdemeanors, including repeated acts of vagrancy, he was sent at the age of 15 to Mettray Penal Colony where he was detained between 2 September 1926 and 1 March 1929. In '' Miracle of the Rose'' (1946), he gives an account of this period of detention, which ended at the age of 18 when he joined the Foreign Legion. He was eventually given a dishonorable discharge on grounds of indecency (having been caught engaged in a homosexual act) and spent a period as a vagabond, petty thief and

prostitute Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...

across Europe—experiences he recounts in '' The Thief's Journal'' (1949).

Criminal career, prison, and prison writings

After returning to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1937, Genet was in and out of prison through a series of arrests for theft, use of false papers, vagabondage, lewd acts, and other offences. In prison Genet wrote his first poem, "Le condamné à mort", which he had printed at his own cost, and the novel '' Our Lady of the Flowers'' (1944). In Paris, Genet sought out and introduced himself to

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

, who was impressed by his writing. Cocteau used his contacts to get Genet's novel published, and in 1949, when Genet was threatened with a

life sentence Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are c ...

after ten convictions, Cocteau and other prominent figures, including

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...

and

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

, successfully petitioned the French President to have the sentence set aside. Genet would never return to prison.

Writing and activism

By 1949, Genet had completed five novels, three plays, and numerous poems, many controversial for their explicit and often deliberately provocative portrayal of homosexuality and criminality. Sartre wrote a long analysis of Genet's existential development (from vagrant to writer), entitled ''

Saint Genet ''Saint Genet, Actor and Martyr'' () is a book by the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre about the writer Jean Genet, especially on his ''The Thief's Journal''. It was first published in 1952. Sartre described it as an attempt "to prove that gen ...

'' (1952), which was anonymously published as the first volume of Genet's complete works. Genet was strongly affected by Sartre's analysis and did not write for the next five years. Between 1955 and 1961, Genet wrote three more plays as well as an essay called "What Remains of a

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

Torn into Four Equal Pieces and Flushed Down the Toilet", on which hinged

Jacques Derrida Jacques Derrida (; ; born Jackie Élie Derrida;Peeters (2013), pp. 12–13. See also 15 July 1930 – 9 October 2004) was a French Algerian philosopher. He developed the philosophy of deconstruction, which he utilized in a number of his texts, ...

's analysis of Genet in his seminal work '' Glas''. During this time, Genet became emotionally attached to Abdallah Bentaga, a tightrope walker. However, following a number of accidents and Bentaga's

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

in 1964, Genet entered a period of depression, and even attempted suicide himself. From the late 1960s, starting with an homage to Daniel Cohn-Bendit after the events of May 1968, Genet became politically active. He participated in demonstrations drawing attention to the living conditions of immigrants in France. Genet was censored in the United States in 1968 and later expelled when he was refused a visa. In an interview with Edward de Grazia, professor of law and First Amendment lawyer, Genet discusses the time he went through Canada for the Chicago congress. He entered without a visa and left with no issues. In 1970, the Black Panthers invited him to the United States, where he stayed for three months giving lectures, attended the trial of their leader, Huey Newton, and published articles in their journals. Later the same year he spent six months in Palestinian refugee camps, secretly meeting

Yasser Arafat Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...

near

Amman Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...

. Profoundly moved by his experiences in the United States and

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

, Genet wrote a final lengthy memoir about his experiences, '' Prisoner of Love'', which would be published posthumously. Genet also supported Angela Davis and George Jackson, as well as

Michel Foucault Paul-Michel Foucault ( , ; ; 15 October 192625 June 1984) was a French History of ideas, historian of ideas and Philosophy, philosopher who was also an author, Literary criticism, literary critic, Activism, political activist, and teacher. Fo ...

and Daniel Defert's Prison Information Group. He worked with Foucault and Sartre to protest

police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...

against

Algerians Algerians () are the citizens and nationals of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. The majority of the country's population is composed of Arabs who make up 85% of the population, and there is a Berber minority of 15%. The term also ...

in Paris, a problem persisting since the

Algerian War of Independence The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...

, when beaten bodies were to be found floating in the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

. Genet expresses his solidarity with the Red Army Faction (RAF) of Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof, in the article "Violence et brutalité", published in ''

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

'', 1977. In September 1982, Genet was in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

when the massacres took place in the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Shatila. In response, Genet published "Quatre heures à Chatila" ("Four Hours in Shatila"), an account of his visit to Shatila after the event. In one of his rare public appearances during the later period of his life, at the invitation of Austrian philosopher Hans Köchler, he read from his work during the inauguration of an exhibition on the massacre of Sabra and Shatila organized by the International Progress Organization in Vienna, Austria, on 19 December 1983. In the early summer of 1985, the year before his death, Genet was interviewed by the BBC. He told the interviewer controversial but not surprising details of his life such as he disliked France so much that he supported the Nazis when they invaded Paris. He compared the BBC interview to a police interrogation.

Death

Genet developed throat cancer and was found dead at Jack's Hotel in Paris on 15 April 1986 where his photograph and books remain. Genet may have fallen on the floor and fatally hit his head. He is buried in the Larache Christian Cemetery in Larache, Morocco.

Genet's works

Novels and autobiography

Throughout his five early novels, Genet works to subvert the traditional set of moral values of his assumed readership. He celebrates a beauty in

evil Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...

, emphasizes his singularity, raises violent criminals to

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

s, and enjoys the specificity of homosexual gesture and coding and the depiction of scenes of betrayal. '' Our Lady of the Flowers'' (''Notre Dame des Fleurs'' 1943) is a journey through the prison underworld, featuring a fictionalized alter-ego named Divine, usually referred to in the feminine. Divine is surrounded by ''tantes'' ("aunties" or "queens") with colorful sobriquets such as Mimosa I, Mimosa II, First Communion and the Queen of Rumania. The two auto-fictional novels '' Miracle of the Rose'' (''Miracle de la rose'' 1946) and '' The Thief's Journal'' (''Journal du voleur'' 1949) describe Genet's time in Mettray Penal Colony and his experiences as a vagabond and prostitute across Europe. '' Querelle de Brest'' (1947) is set in the port town of Brest, where sailors and the sea are associated with murder. '' Funeral Rites'' (1949) is a story of love and betrayal across political divides, written for the narrator's lover, Jean Decarnin, killed by the Germans in WWII. ''Prisoner of Love'', published in 1986 after Genet's death, is a memoir of his encounters with Palestinian fighters and Black Panthers. It has a more documentary tone than his fiction.

Art criticism

Genet wrote an essay on the work of the Swiss sculptor and artist

Alberto Giacometti Alberto Giacometti (, , ; 10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, Drafter, draftsman and Printmaking, printmaker, who was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His work was particularly influenced ...

titled ''L'Atelier d'Alberto Giacometti''. It was highly praised by major artists, including Giacometti and Picasso. Genet wrote in an informal style, incorporating excerpts of conversations between himself and Giacometti. Genet's biographer Edmund White said that, rather than write in the style of an art historian, Genet "invented a whole new language for discussing" Giacometti, proposing "that the statues of Giacometti should be offered to the dead, and that they should be buried."

Plays

Genet's plays present highly stylized depictions of ritualistic struggles between outcasts of various kinds and their oppressors. Social identities are parodied and shown to involve complex layering through manipulation of the dramatic fiction and its inherent potential for theatricality and role-play. Maids imitate one another and their mistress in '' The Maids'' (1947); the clients of a brothel simulate roles of political power before, in a dramatic reversal, actually becoming those figures, all surrounded by mirrors that both reflect and conceal, in '' The Balcony'' (1957). Most strikingly, Genet offers a critical dramatisation of what

Aimé Césaire Aimé Fernand David Césaire (; ; 26 June 1913 – 17 April 2008) was a French poet, author, and politician from Martinique. He was "one of the founders of the Négritude movement in Francophone literature" and coined the word in French. He ...

called negritude in '' The Blacks'' (1958), presenting a violent assertion of black identity and anti-white virulence framed in terms of mask-wearing and roles adopted and discarded. His most overtly political play is '' The Screens'' (1964), an epic account of the

. He also wrote another full-length drama, ''Splendid's'', in 1948 and a one-act play, ''Her'' (''Elle''), in 1955, though neither was published or produced during Genet's lifetime. '' The Maids'' was the first of Genet's plays to be staged in New York, produced by Julie Bovasso at Tempo Playhouse in New York City in 1955. '' The Blacks'' was, after '' The Balcony'', the third of Genet's plays to be staged in New York. The production was the longest running

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

non-musical of the decade. Originally premiered in Paris in 1959, this 1961 New York production ran for 1,408 performances. The original cast featured James Earl Jones, Roscoe Lee Browne,

Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (May 27, 1936 – March 29, 2024) was an American actor. He made his stage debut at the age of 17. Shortly thereafter, he successfully auditioned for the Broadway theatre, Broadway play ''Take a Giant Step.'' Gossett co ...

, Cicely Tyson, Godfrey Cambridge,

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...

and Charles Gordone.

Film

In 1950, Genet directed '' Un Chant d'Amour'', a 26-minute black-and-white film depicting the fantasies of a homosexual male prisoner and his prison warden. Genet is also credited as co-director of the West German television documentary '' Am Anfang war der Dieb'' (In the Beginning was the Thief) (1984), along with his co-stars Hans Neuenfels and François Bondy. Genet's work has been adapted for film and produced by other filmmakers. In 1982, Rainer Werner Fassbinder released '' Querelle'', his final film, based on '' Querelle of Brest''. It starred Brad Davis,

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. Mo ...

and Franco Nero.

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director, producer and screenwriter, whose career spanned five decades. He was identified with the "angry young men" group of British directors and play ...

directed '' Mademoiselle'', which was based on a short story by Genet. It starred

with the screenplay written by

Marguerite Duras Marguerite Germaine Marie Donnadieu (, 4 April 1914 – 3 March 1996), known as Marguerite Duras (), was a French novelist, playwright, screenwriter, essayist, and experimental filmmaker. Her script for the film ''Hiroshima mon amour'' (1959) ea ...

Todd Haynes Todd Haynes (; born January 2, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films span four decades with themes examining the personalities of well-known musicians, dysfunctional and dystopian societies, and blurred gender ...

' ''

Poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

'' was based on the writings of Genet. Several of Genet's plays were adapted into films. '' The Balcony'' (1963), directed by Joseph Strick, starred

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American film actress whose career spanned seven decades. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film), The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ' ...

as Madame Irma,

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo on the NBC/American Broadcasting Company, ABC series ''Columbo'' (196 ...

Lee Grant Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. In a career spanning over seven decades, she won an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Directors Guil ...

and

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...

. ''

The Maids ''The Maids'' ( ) is a 1947 play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It was first performed at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in Paris in a production that opened on 17 April 1947, which Louis Jouvet directed. The play has been revived in Fr ...

'' was filmed in 1974 and starred

Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson (9 May 1936 – 15 June 2023) was an English actress and politician. Over the course of her distinguished career she received List of awards and nominations received by Glenda Jackson, numerous accolades including two Academy ...

, Susannah York and

Vivien Merchant Ada Brand Thomson (22 July 1929 – 3 October 1982), known professionally as Vivien Merchant, was an English actress. She began her career in 1942, and became known for dramatic roles on stage and in films. In 1956 she married the playwright Ha ...

. Italian director Salvatore Samperi in 1986 directed another adaptation for film of the same play, ''La Bonne'' (Eng. ''

Corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

''), starring Florence Guerin and Katrine Michelsen.

In popular culture

Genet made an appearance by proxy in the pop charts when

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

released his 1972 hit single " The Jean Genie". In his 2005 book ''Moonage Daydream'', Bowie confirmed that the title "...was a clumsy pun upon Jean Genet".

& Mick Rock (2005). ''Moonage Daydream'': pp. 140–146 A later promo video combines a version of the song with a fast edit of Genet's 1950 film '' Un Chant d'Amour''. Genet is referenced in the song "Les Boys" from the 1980 Dire Straits album "Making Movies". The 2023 French film ''Little Girl Blue'', starring Marion Cotillard, traces the repercussions of Genet's sexual abuse of 11-year-old Carole Achache, the daughter of his friend Monique Achache. The 1991 film ''

'' directed by Todd Haynes was based on the writings on Jean Genet.

List of works

Novels and autobiography

Entries show: ''English-language translation of title'' (''French-language title'') ear written/ ear first published* '' Our Lady of the Flowers'' (''Notre Dame des Fleurs'') 1942/1943 * '' Miracle of the Rose'' (''Miracle de la Rose'') 1946/1951 * '' Funeral Rites'' (''Pompes Funèbres'') 1947/1953 * '' Querelle of Brest'' (''Querelle de Brest'') 1947/1953 * '' The Thief's Journal'' (''Journal du voleur'') 1949/1949 * '' Prisoner of Love'' (''Un Captif Amoureux'') 1986/1986

Drama

Entries show: ''English-language translation of title'' (''French-language title'') ear written/ ear first published/ ear first performed* ''′adame Miroir'' (ballet) (1944). In ''Fragments et autres textes, 1990'' (''Fragments of the Artwork'', 2003) * '' Deathwatch'' (''Haute surveillance'') 1944/1949/1949 * '' The Maids'' (''Les Bonnes'') 1946/1947/1947 * ''Splendid's'' 1948/1993/ * '' The Balcony'' (''Le Balcon'') 1955/1956/1957. Complementary texts "How to Perform The Balcony" and "Note" published in 1962. * '' The Blacks'' (''Les Nègres'') 1955/1958/1959 (preface first published in ''Theatre Complet'', Gallimard, 2002) * ''Her'' (''Elle'') 1955/1989 * '' The Screens'' (''Les Paravents'') 1956-61/1961/1964 * ''Le Bagne'' rench edition only(1994)Spitzer, Mark, trans. 2010. ''The Genet Translations: Poetry and Posthumous Plays''. Polemic Press. See www.sptzr.net/genet_translations.htm.

Cinema

* '' Un chant d'amour'' (1950) * ''Haute Surveillance'' (1944) was used as the basis for the 1965 American adaptation '' Deathwatch'', directed by Vic Morrow. * ''Les Rêves interdits, ou L'autre versant du rêve'' (''Forbidden Dreams'' or ''The Other Side of Dreams'') (1952) was used as the basis for the script for Tony Richardson's film ''Mademoiselle'', made in 1966. * ''Le Bagne'' (The Penal Colony). Written in the 1950s. Excerpt published in ''The Selected Writings of Jean Genet'', The Ecco Press (1993). * ''La Nuit venue/Le Bleu de L'oeil'' (The Night Has Come/The Blue of the Eye) (1976–78). Excerpts published in ''Les Nègres au port de la lune'', Paris: Editions de la Différence (1988), and in ''The Cinema of Jean Genet'', BFI Publishing (1991). * "Le Langage de la muraille: cent ans jour après jour" (The Language of the Walls: One Hundred Years Day after Day) (1970s). Unpublished. * ''Querelle of Brest'' (Querelle de Brest) 1947/1953 was used as the basis for the 1982 English-language erotic art film '' Querelle'', directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Poetry

; Collected in ''Œuvres complètes'' (French) and ''Treasures of the Night: Collected Poems by Jean Genet'' (English) * "The Man Sentenced to Death" ("Le Condamné à Mort") (written in 1942, first published in 1945) * "Funeral March" ("Marche Funebre") (1945) * "The Galley" ("La Galere") (1945) * "A Song of Love" ("Un Chant d'Amour") (1946) * "The Fisherman of the Suquet" ("Le Pecheur du Suquet") (1948) * "The Parade" ("La Parade") (1948) ; Other * "Poèmes Retrouvés". First published in ''Le condamné à mort et autres poèmes suivi de Le funambule'', Gallimard Spitzer, Mark, trans. 2010. ''The Genet Translations: Poetry and Posthumous Plays''. Polemic Press. See www.sptzr.net/genet_translations.htm ; Note Two of Genet's poems, "The Man Sentenced to Death" and "The Fisherman of the Suquet" were adapted, respectively, as "The Man Condemned to Death" and "The Thief and the Night" and set to music for the album '' Feasting with Panthers'', released in 2011 by

Marc Almond Peter Mark Almond (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop/ new wave duo Soft Cell. He has a distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has had a diverse career as a ...

and Michael Cashmore. Both poems were adapted and translated by Jeremy Reed.

Essays on art

; Collected in ''Fragments et autres textes, 1990'' (''Fragments of the Artwork'', 2003) * "Jean Cocteau", Bruxelles: ''Empreintes'', 1950) * "Fragments" * "The Studio of Alberto Giacometti" ("L'Atelier d'Alberto Giacometti") (1957). * "The Tightrope Walker" ("Le Funambule"). * "Rembrandt's Secret" ("Le Secret de Rembrandt") (1958). First published in ''L'Express'', September 1958. * "What Remains of a Rembrandt Torn into Little Squares All the Same Size and Shot Down the Toilet" ("Ce qui est resté d'un Rembrandt déchiré en petits carrés"). First published in ''Tel Quel'', April 1967. * "That Strange Word..." ("L'etrange Mot D'.").

Essays on politics

; Collected in ''L'Ennemi déclaré: textes et entretiens'' (1991) – ''The Declared Enemy'' (2004) ''1960s'' * "Interview with Madeleine Gobeil for ''Playboy''", April 1964, pp. 45–55. * "Lenin's Mistresses" ("Les maîtresses de Lénine"), in ''Le Nouvel Observateur'', n° 185, 30 May 1968. * "The members of the Assembly" ("Les membres de l'Assemblée nationale"), in ''Esquire'', n° 70, November 1968. * "A Salute to a Hundred Thousand Stars" ("Un salut aux cent milles étoiles"), in ''Evergreen Review'', December 1968. * "The Shepherds of Disorder" ("Les Pâtres du désordre"), in ''Pas à Pas'', March 1969, pp. vi–vii. ''1970s'' * "Yet Another Effort, Frenchman!" ("Français encore un effort"), in ''L'Idiot international'', n° 4, 1970, p. 44. * "It seems Indecent for Me to Speak of Myself" ("Il me paraît indécent de parler de moi"), Conference, Cambridge, 10 March 1970. * "Letter to American Intellectuals" ("Lettres aux intellectuels américains"), talk given at the University of Connecticut, 18 March 1970. first published as "Bobby Seale, the Black Panthers and Us White People", in ''Black Panther Newspaper'', 28 March 1970. * Introduction to George Jackson's book, '' Soledad Brother'', Coward-McCann, New York, 1970. * May Day Speech, speech at New Haven, 1 mai 1970. San Francisco: City Light Books. Excerpts published as "J'Accuse" in ''Jeune Afrique'', November 1970, and ''Les Nègres au port de la lune'', Paris: Editions de la Différence, 1988. * "Jean Genet chez les Panthères noires", interview with Michèle Manceau, in ''Le Nouvel Observateur'', n° 289, 25 May 1970. * "Angela and Her Brothers" ("Angela et ses frères"), in ''Le Nouvel Observateur'', n° 303, 31 août 1970. * "Angela Davis is in your Clutches" ("Angela Davis est entre vos pattes"), text read 7 October 1970, broadcast on TV in the program ''L'Invité'', 8 November 1970. * "Pour Georges Jackson", manifesto sent to French artists and intellectuals, July 1971. * "After the Assassination" ("Après l'assassinat"), written in 1971, published for the first time in 1991 in ''L'Ennemi déclaré: textes et entretiens''. * "America is Afraid" ("L'Amérique a peur"), in ''Le Nouvel Observateur'', n° 355, 1971. Later published as "The Americans kill off Blacks", in ''Black Panther Newspaper'', 4 September 1971. * "The Palestinians" ("Les Palestiniens"), Commentary accompanying photographs by Bruno Barbey, published in ''Zoom'', n° 4, 1971. * "The Black and the Red", in ''Black Panther Newspaper'', 11 September 1971. * Preface to ''L'Assassinat de Georges Jackson'', published in ''L'Intolérable'', booklet by GIP, Paris, Gallimard, 10 November 1971. * "Meeting the Guaraní" ("Faites connaissance avec les Guaranis"), in ''Le Démocrate véronais'', 2 juin 1972. * "On Two or Three books No One Has Ever Talked About" (), text read on 2 May 1974, for a radio program on ''France Culture''. Published in ''L'Humanité'' as "Jean Genet et la condition des immigrés", 3 May 1974. * "When 'the worst is certain'" ("Quand 'le pire est toujours sûr'"), written in 1974, published for the first time in 1991 in ''L'Ennemi déclaré: textes et entretiens''. * "Dying Under Giscard d'Estaing" ("Mourir sous Giscard d'Estaing"), in ''L'Humanité'', 13 May 1974. * "And Why Not a Fool in Suspenders?" ("Et pourquoi pas la sottise en bretelle?"), in ''L'Humanité'', 25 May 1974. * "The Women of Jebel Hussein" ("Les Femmes de Djebel Hussein"), in ''Le Monde diplomatique'', 1 July 1974. * Interview with Hubert Fichte for ''Die Zeit'', n° 8 13 February 1976. * "The Tenacity of American Blacks" ("La Ténacité des Noirs américains"), in ''L'Humanité'', 16 April 1977. * "Chartres Cathedral" ("Cathédrale de Chartres, vue cavalière"), in ''L'Humanité'', 30 June 1977. * "Violence and Britality" ("Violence et brutalité"), in ''Le Monde'', 2 September 1977. Also published as preface to ''Textes des prisonniers de la Fraction Armée rouge et dernières lettres d'Ulrike Meinhof'', Maspero, Cahiers libres, Paris, 1977. * "Near Ajloun" ("Près d'Ajloun") in ''Per un Palestine'', in a collection of writing in memory of Wael Zouateir, Mazzota, Milan, 1979. * "Interview with Tahar Ben Jelloun", ''Le Monde'', November 1979. ''1980s'' * Interview with Antoine Bourseiller (1981) and with Bertrand Poirot-Delpech (1982), distributed as a videocassettes in the series ''Témoin''. Extracts published in ''Le Monde'' (1982) and ''Le Nouvel Observateur'' (1986). * "Four Hours in Shatila" ("Quatre heures à Chatila"), in ''Revue d'études palestiniennes'', 1 January 1983. * Registration No. 1155 (N° Matricule 1155), text written for the catalogue of the exhibition ''La Rupture'', Le Creusot, 1 March 1983. * Interview with Rudiger Wischenbart and Layla Shahid Barrada for Austrian Radio and the German daily ''Die Zeit''. Published as "Une rencontre avec Jean Genet" in ''Revue d'études palestiniennes'', Autome 1985. * Interview with Nigel Williams for

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, 12 November 1985. * "The Brothers Karamazov" ("Les Frères Karamazov"), in ''La Nouvelle Revue Française'', October 1986. ; Other collected essays * "Th
Criminal Child
("L'Enfant criminel"). Written in 1949, this text was commissioned by RTF (French radio) but was not broadcast due to its controversial nature. It was published in a limited edition in 1949 and later integrated into Volume 5 of ''Oeuvres Completes''. ; Uncollected * "What I like about the English is that They Are such Liars…", in ''Sunday Times'', 1963, p. 11. * "Jean Genet chez les Panthères noires", interview with F.-M. Banier, in ''Le Monde'', 23 October 1970. * "Un appel de M. Jean Genet en faveur des Noirs américains", in ''Le Monde'', 15 October 1970. * "Jean Genet témoigne pour les Soledad Brothers", in ''La Nouvelle Critique'', June 1971. * "The Palestinians" (Les Palestiniens), first published as "Shoun Palestine", Beyrouth, 1973. First English version published in ''Journal of Palestine Studies'' (Autumn, 1973). First French version ("Genet à Chatila") published by Actes Sud, Arles, 1994. * "Un héros littéraire: le défunt volubile", in ''La Nouvelle Critique'', juin-juillet 1974 and ''Europe-Revue littéraire Mensuelle'', Numéro spécial Jean Genet, n° 808–809 (1996). * "Entretien avec Angela Davis", in ''L'Unité'', 23 mai 1975. * "Des esprits moins charitables que le mien pourraient croire déceler une piètre opération politique", in ''L'Humanité'', 13 août 1975. * "L'art est le refuge", in ''Les Nègres au Port de la Lune'', Paris: Editions de la Différence, 1988, pp. 99–103. * "Sainte Hosmose", in ''Magazine littéraire'', Numéro spécial Jean Genet (n° 313), September 1993. * "Conférence de Stockholm", in ''L'Infini'', n° 51 (1995). * "La trahison est une aventure spirituelle", in ''Le Monde'', 12 July 1996, p. IV. * "Ouverture-éclair sur l´Amérique", in ''Europe-Revue littéraire Mensuelle'', Numéro spécial Jean Genet, n° 808–809 (1996). * "Réponse à un questionnaire", in ''Europe-Revue littéraire Mensuelle'', Numéro spécial Jean Genet, n° 808–809 (1996).

Correspondence

; Collected in volume * ''Lettre à Léonor Fini'' ean Genet's letter, 8 illustrations by Leonor Fini(1950). Also collected in ''Fragments et autres textes, 1990'' (''Fragments of the Artwork'', 2003) * ''Letters to Roger Blin'' ("Lettres à Roger Blin", 1966) * ''Lettres à Olga et Marc Barbezat'' (1988) * ''Chère Madame, 6 Brife aus Brünn'' rench and German bilingual edition(1988). Excerpts reprinted in ''Genet'', by Edmund White. * ''Lettres au petit Franz'' (2000) * ''Lettres à Ibis'' (2010) ; Collected in ''Théâtre Complet'' (Editions Gallimard, 2002) * "Lettre a Jean-Jacques Pauvert", first published as preface to 1954 edition of ''Les Bonnes''. Also in "Fragments et autres textes", 1990 (''Fragments of the Artwork'', 2003) * "Lettres à Jean-Louis Barrault" * "Lettres à Roger Blin" * "Lettres à Antoine Bourseiller". In ''Du théâtre'' no1, July 1993 * "Lettres à Bernard Frechtman" * "Lettres à Patrice Chéreau" ; Collected in ''Portrait d'Un Marginal Exemplaire'' * "Une lettre de Jean Genet" (to Jacques Derrida), in ''Les Lettres Françaises'', 29 March 1972 * "Lettre à Maurice Toesca", in ''Cinq Ans de patience'', Emile Paul Editeur, 1975. * "Lettre au professeur Abdelkebir Khatibi", published in ''Figures de l'etranger'', by Abdelkebir Khatibi, 1987. * "Letter à André Gide", in ''Essai de Chronologie 1910–1944'' by A.Dichy and B.Fouche (1988) * "Letter to Sartre", in ''Genet'' (by Edmund White) (1993) * "Lettre à Laurent Boyer", in ''La Nouvelle Revue Francaise'', 1996 * "Brouillon de lettre a Vincent Auriel" (first published in ''Portrait d'Un Marginal Exemplaire'' ; Uncollected * "To a Would Be Producer", in ''Tulane Drama Review'', n° 7, 1963, p. 80–81. * "Lettres à Roger Blin" and "Lettre a Jean-Kouis Barrault et Billets aux comediens", in ''La Bataille des Paravents'', IMEC Editions, 1966 * "Chere Ensemble", published in ''Les nègres au port de la lune'', Paris : Editions de la Différence, 1988. * "Je ne peux pas le dire", letter to Bernard Frechtman (1960), excerpts published in Libération, 7 April 1988. * "Letter to Java, Letter to Allen Ginsberg", in ''Genet'' (by Edmund White) (1993) * "Lettre à Carole", in ''L'Infini'', n° 51 (1995) * "Lettre à Costas Taktsis", published in ''Europe-Revue littéraire Mensuelle'', Numéro spécial Jean Genet, n° 808–809 (1996)

References

Notes

Sources

Primary sources

; In English * Bartlett, Neil, trans. 1995. ''Splendid's''. London: Faber. . * Bray, Barbara, trans. 1992. ''Prisoner of Love''. By Jean Genet. Hanover: Wesleyan University Press. * Frechtman, Bernard, trans. 1960. ''The Blacks: A Clown Show''. By Jean Genet. New York: Grove P. . * ---. 1963a. ''Our Lady of the Flowers'' by Jean Genet. London: Paladin, 1998. * ---. 1963b. ''The Screens'' by Jean Genet. London: Faber, 1987. . * ---. 1965a. ''Miracle of the Rose'' by Jean Genet. London: Blond. * ---. 1965b. ''The Thief's Journal'' by Jean Genet. London: Blond. * ---. 1966. ''The Balcony'' by Jean Genet. Revised edition. London: Faber. . * ---. 1969. ''Funeral Rites'' by Jean Genet. London: Blond. Reprinted in London: Faber and Faber, 1990. * ---. 1989. ''The Maids and Deathwatch: Two Plays'' by Jean Genet. London: Faber. . * Genet, Jean. 1960. "Note." In Wright and Hands (1991, xiv). * ---. 1962. "How To Perform ''The Balcony''." In Wright and Hands (1991, xi–xiii). * ---. 1966. ''Letters to Roger Blin''. In Seaver (1972, 7–60). * ---. 1967. "What Remained of a Rembrandt Torn Up into Very Even Little Pieces and Chucked into The Crapper." In Seaver (1972, 75–91). * ---. 1969. "The Strange Word ''Urb''..." In Seaver (1972, 61–74). * Seaver, Richard, trans. 1972. ''Reflections on the Theatre and Other Writings'' by Jean Genet. London: Faber. . * Spitzer, Mark, trans. 2010. ''The Genet Translations: Poetry and Posthumous Plays.'' Polemic Press. See www.sptzr.net/genet_translations.htm * Streatham, Gregory, trans. 1966. ''Querelle of Brest'' by Jean Genet. London: Blond. Reprinted in London: Faber, 2000. * Wright, Barbara and Terry Hands, trans. 1991. ''The Balcony'' by Jean Genet. London and Boston: Faber. . ; In French ; Individual editions * Genet, Jean. 1948. ''Notre Dame des Fleurs''. Lyon: Barbezat-L'Arbalète. * ---. 1949. ''Journal du voleur''. Paris: Gallimard. * ---. 1951. ''Miracle de la Rose''. Paris: Gallimard. * ---. 1953a. ''Pompes Funèbres''. Paris: Gallimard. * ---. 1953b. ''Querelle de Brest''. Paris: Gallimard. * ---. 1986. ''Un Captif Amoureux''. Paris: Gallimard. ; Complete works * Genet, Jean. 1952–. ''Œuvres completes''. Paris: Gallimard. * Volume 1: ''Saint Genet: comédien et martyr'' (by J.-P. Sartre) * Volume 2: ''Notre-Dame des fleurs – Le condamné à mort – Miracle de la rose – Un chant d'amour'' * Volume 3: ''Pompes funèbres – Le pêcheur du Suquet – Querelle de Brest'' * Volume 4: ''L'étrange mot d' ... – Ce qui est resté d'un Rembrandt déchiré en petits carrés – Le balcon – Les bonnes – Haute surveillance -Lettres à Roger Blin – Comment jouer 'Les bonnes' – Comment jouer 'Le balcon * Volume 5: ''Le funambule – Le secret de Rembrandt – L'atelier d'Alberto Giacometti – Les nègres – Les paravents – L'enfant criminel'' * Volume 6: ''L'ennemi déclaré: textes et entretiens'' * ---. 2002. ''Théâtre Complet''. Paris: Bibliothèque de la Pléiade. * ---. 2021. ''Romans et poèmes''. Paris: Bibliothèque de la Pléiade.

Secondary sources

; In English * Barber, Stephen. 2004. ''Jean Genet''. London: Reaktion. . * Choukri, Mohamed. ''Jean Genet in Tangier.'' New York: Ecco Press, 1974. SBN 912-94608-3 * Coe, Richard N. 1968. ''The Vision of Genet''. New York: Grove Press. * Driver, Tom Faw. 1966. ''Jean Genet''. New York: Columbia University Press. * Frieda Ekotto. 2011. "Race and Sex across the French Atlantic: The Color of Black in Literary, Philosophical, and Theater Discourse." New York: Lexington Press. * Knapp, Bettina Liebowitz. 1968. ''Jean Genet''. New York: Twayne. * McMahon, Joseph H. 1963. ''The Imagination of Jean Genet'' New Haven: Yale UP. * Oswald, Laura. 1989. ''Jean Genet and the Semiotics of Performance.'' Advances in Semiotics ser. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. . * Savona, Jeannette L. 1983. ''Jean Genet''. Grove Press Modern Dramatists ser. New York: Grove Press. . * Stephens, Elisabeth. 2009. ''Queer Writing: Homoeroticism in Jean Genet's Fiction.'' London: Palgrave MacMillan. * Styan, J. L. 1981. ''Symbolism, Surrealism and the Absurd.'' Vol. 2 of ''Modern Drama in Theory and Practice.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . * Webb, Richard C. 1992. ''File on Genet''. London: Methuen. . * White, Edmund. 1993. ''Genet.'' Corrected edition. London: Picador, 1994. . * Laroche, Hadrien. 2010 ''The Last Genet: a writer in revolt''. Trans David Homel. Arsenal Pulp Press. . * Magedera, Ian H. 2014 ''Outsider Biographies; Savage, de Sade, Wainewright, Ned Kelly, Billy the Kid, Rimbaud and Genet: Base Crime and High Art in Biography and Bio-Fiction, 1744-2000''. Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi. ; In French * Corrado, Jean-Christophe. ''Dans les choses plus que les choses. L'imaginaire de Jean Genet'', Chêne-Bourg: La Baconnière, 2024. * Derrida, Jacques.''Glas''. Galilée, Paris, 1974. * Ekotto, Frieda. 2001. "L'Ecriture carcérale et le discours juridique: Jean Genet" Paris: L'Harmattan., * El Maleh, Edmond Amran. 1988. ''Jean Genet, Le captif amoureux: et autres essais''. Grenoble: Pensée sauvage. . * Eribon, Didier. 2001. ''Une morale du minoritaire: Variations sur un thème de Jean Genet''. Paris: Librairie Artème Fayard. . * Bougon, Patrice. 1995. ''Jean Genet, Littérature et politique'',

L'Esprit Créateur ''L'Esprit Créateur'' is a quarterly academic journal established in 1961 and published by the Johns Hopkins University Press. The journal is dedicated to the study of French literature, French and Francophone literature, and the literary theory, ...

, Spring 1995, Vol. XXXV, N°1 * Hubert, Marie-Claude. 1996. ''L'esthétique de Jean Genet''. Paris: SEDES. . * Jablonka, Ivan. 2004. ''Les vérités inavouables de Jean Genet''. Paris: Éditions du Seuil. . * Sartre, Jean-Paul. 1952. ''Saint Genet, comédien et martyr.'' In Jean genet, ''Oeuvres Complétes de Jean Genet'' I. Paris: Éditions Gallimard. * Laroche, Hadrien. 2010. "Le Dernier Genet. Histoire des hommes infâmes". Paris: Champs Flammarion; nouvelle édition, revue et corrigée. * Vannouvong, Agnès. 2010. ''Jean Genet. Les revers du genre.'' Paris: Les Presses du réel

External links

*
"Genet, Jean (1910–1986)"
From ''glbtq: Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Culture''

* ttps://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.genetjean "Jean Genet papers"at the Beinecke Library, Yale University {{DEFAULTSORT:Genet, Jean 1910 births 1986 deaths 20th-century French criminals 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights 20th-century French poets 20th-century French essayists 20th-century French screenwriters 20th-century French novelists Absurdist writers Writers from Paris Counterculture of the 1940s Counterculture of the 1950s Counterculture of the 1960s Counterculture of the 1970s Counterculture of the 1980s Deaths from esophageal cancer in France French adoptees French gay writers French LGBTQ novelists French LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights French LGBTQ screenwriters French LGBTQ poets French LGBTQ film directors Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion French male prostitutes French prostitutes Gay male prostitutes Pederasty People prosecuted under anti-homosexuality laws Gay novelists Gay dramatists and playwrights Gay screenwriters Gay poets