Louis Calaferte
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Louis Calaferte (French pronunciation: wi kalafɛrt; 14 July 1928 - 2 May 1994) was an Italian-born French naturalized novelist. He was born in
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, Italy, but emigrated to France with his parents when he was very young, settling in a
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
suburb where he spent the majority of his childhood and adolescence. In 1947, he set out for Paris to pursue his dream of becoming an actor, where he found a love for writing instead. Over the span of his career, he published a variety of works, including “a fantastic profusion of novels, short stories, essays, plays, poems and erotica of a particularly distinguished vulgarity that created genuine excitement in the most blase connoisseur”. This writing style resulted in a variety of literary prizes, including the Prix de l’
Academie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
for ''Ebauche d’un autoportrait'' in 1983; for a collection of poems, ''Londoniennes'' in 1985; and for a collection of short stories, ''Promenades dans un parc'' in 1987. Calaferte died in
Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
, France on 2 May 1994.


Early life

In his early teens, Calaferte worked as an errand boy in a battery factory and later began work as a general laborer. During this time, he enjoyed reading books; subsequently, in 1947 he moved to Paris, where he got a job at Odéon - Théâtre de l'Europe (formerly the Théâtre de l’Odéon) as a theatre
extra Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * Extra (newspaper), ...
. It was then and there that he wrote his first plays. One of them was performed at a preview performance at Théâtre d'Angers, earning him a standing ovation at the age of twenty.


Career

With the support of his “literary hero”
Joseph Kessel Joseph Kessel (10 February 1898 – 23 July 1979), also known as "Jef", was a French journalist and novelist. He was a member of the Académie française and Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour. Biography Kessel was born to a Jewish family in ...
, he had ''Requiem des innocents'' published by
Éditions Julliard Éditions Julliard is a French publishing house. It was founded in 1942 by René Julliard. Julliard was known as a discoverer and publisher of talents, in particular Françoise Sagan and Jean d'Ormesson. After Julliard's death in July 1962, the ...
in 1952. This work was a culmination of childhood memories in which Calaferte’s rebellious writing style began to emerge. This first book had great success and was soon followed by the publication of ''Partage des vivants'' (''The Lot of the Living'') in 1953. These two youthful works would be severely criticized by the author twenty five years later.''Le spectateur immobile'', 1 November 1978, Carnets 1978-1979, published in 1990, p. 147 He is quoted as saying : “If I had to name two of my books that I loathe, it would be the first two; I would gladly see them disappear”. In 1956, he moved to
Mornant Mornant () is a commune in the Rhône department southwest of Lyon in central-eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This li ...
in the Monts du Lyonnais, where he wrote ''Septentrion'', a work accused of being pornographic, and which was consequently censored and banned from being sold. It was reprinted only twenty years later, on the initiative of Gérard Bourgadier at
Éditions Denoël Éditions Denoël is a French publishing house founded in 1930. Acquired by Éditions Gallimard in 1951, it publishes collections spanning fiction, non-fiction and comic books. It published some of the most important French authors of the interwa ...
, a French publishing house. In this largely autobiographical and erotic novel, Calaferte uses
first-person narrative A first-person narrative (also known as a first-person perspective, voice, point of view, etc.) is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from that storyteller's own personal point of view, using first-person grammar su ...
to recount the wanderings of a novice writer, his time spent secretly reading while working as a laborer (as a child, the protagonist would hide in public toilets, reading there very happily), and his encounters with women. The most important female figure in the novel is without a doubt Nora, a Dutch woman who represents female emancipation and social success. Calaferte continued to regularly publish collections of poems and stories of an intimate and sensual nature; some of these were dreamlike and strange, and they were often linked to childhood. His plays explored the theme of family relations, using both a humorous and troubling tone. According to director Patrick Pelloquet, “ Louis Calaferte’s characters are more of a stereotype for certain behavior than characters in the strictest sense of the word”. Until 1974, Calaferte worked for a Lyon radio station and at ORTF (Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française). He spent the last years of his life near Dijon, in the village of Blaisy-Bas with his wife. Among his friends, he was closest to writer
Georges Piroué Georges Piroué (5 August 1920, La Chaux-de-Fonds – 7 January 2005, Dampierre-sur-Loire near Saumur age 84) was a Swiss writer. Biography After studying literature and a doctorate at the University of Neuchâtel, Georges Piroué left for Paris ...
and
theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
Jean-Pierre Miquel Jean-Pierre Miquel (22 January 1937 – 22 February 2003) was a French actor and theatre director, as well as an administrator of the Comédie française. Biography Artistic director at the Théâtre de l'Odéon from 1971 to 1977, he be ...
. Miquel described Calaferte’s work as “honest, harsh and capable of crazy rhetoric,
hile Hile () is a hill town located in the Province of Nepal, 13 km north of the regional center of Dhankuta Bazar. At an elevation of 1948 meters, it is the main route to other hilly districts like Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabha. The shops and re ...
never straying away from the psychological reality of its characters.” He added that it was “a well-rounded work - perfect, precise, deeply moving and amusing.” Miquel said his friend Calaferte was a private and friendly person, someone who always spoke his mind and whose work was distinguished by its harshness. Calaferte’s notebooks also present his audience with another aspect of the author’s artistic personality, demonstrating his passion for painting and his literary inspiration, which derives from the works of numerous established thinkers, including
Paul Léautaud Paul Léautaud (18 January 1872 – 22 February 1956) was a French writer and theater critic for ''Mercure de France'', signing his often caustic reviews with the pseudonym Maurice Boissard. Life He was born in Paris. Abandoned by his mother, ...
and
Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a novelist and writer from Prague who was Jewish, Austrian, and Czech and wrote in German. He is widely regarded as a major figure of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of Litera ...
. Despite being often overlooked by his peers, Louis Calaferte produced powerful and personal works. Among them was
The Way It Works with Women
' (1992) (La méchanique des femmes), an unclassifiable short novel he published two years before his death, which was adapted for the screen in 2000 by Jérôme de Missolz ; however, it did not experience great success. Calaferte reflected on his life as an author, saying:
“For having written so much between the ages of thirteen and twenty, having presented two plays in Paris, and having my first book published at age of twenty-two, I deem myself to be talented beyond my years...The development of my thoughts and my ability to understand only flourished as I gradually matured over the years.”
Over the course of his career, Calaferte produced hundreds of works, mainly poetry and short story collections, as well as plays and notebooks. Louis Calaferte died on 2 May 1994 in Dijon, France. His wife, Guillemette, has proposed to the municipality her willingness to donate Calaferte’s work to the city, provided that there is a place dedicated to him. She has continued to publish the previously unseen volumes of his notebooks.


Works


Novels

''Requiem des innocents'', 1952, publisher: Collection Folio (No 3388) (2000), Gallimard, ()
''Partage des vivants'', 1953
''Septentrion'', 1963, publisher: Collection Folio (No 2142) (1990), Gallimard, ()
''No man's land'', 1963, publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, ()
''Satori'', 1968, publisher: Collection Folio (No 2990) (1997), Gallimard, ()
''Rosa mystica'', 1968, publisher : Collection Folio (No 2822) (1996), Gallimard, ()
''Portrait de l'enfant'', 1969, publisher: Collection Romans français (1981), Denoël, ()
''Hinterland'', 1971, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Limitrophe'', 1972, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''La vie parallèle'', 1974, publisher: Collection Documents actualité, Denoël, ()
''Épisodes de la vie des mantes religieuses'', 1976, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Voyage stellaire'', 1977
''Campagnes'', 1979, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Ébauche d'un autoportrait'', 1983, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Un riche, trois pauvres'', 1986, publisher: éditions Hesse - ()
''L'Incarnation'', 1987, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Promenade dans un parc'', 1987, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Memento mori'', 1988, publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, ()
''Maître Faust'', 1992, publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, ()
''La Mécanique des femmes'', 1992, publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, ()
''C'est la guerre'', 1993, publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, ()
''Le Monologue'', 1996, publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, ()
''Droguerie du ciel'', 1996, publisher: Hesse éditions, ()
''Le sang violet de l'améthyste'', 1998, publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, ()
''Suite villageoise'', 2000, publisher: Hesse éditions, ()


Essays

''Les sables du temps'', Éditions Le tout pour le tout, Paris, 1998
''Droit de cité'', 1992, Éditions Manya, Folio Gallimard (no 2670), 1995, ()
''L'homme vivant'', Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 1994, ()
''Perspectives, illustrations de l'auteur'', Éditions Hesse, 1995, ()
''Art-Signal'', Éditions Hesse, 1996, ()
''Les fontaines silencieuses'', publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, 2005, ()


Notebooks

''Le chemin de Sion'' (1956-1967), Carnets, Denoël, 1980, ()
''L'or et le plomb'' (1968-1973), Carnets II, Denoël, 1981, ()
''Lignes intérieures'' (1974-1977), Carnets III, Denoël, 1985, ()
''Le Spectateur immobile'' (1978-1979), Carnets IV, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 1990 ()
''Miroir de Janus'' (1980-1981), Carnets V, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 1993, ()
''Rapports'' (1982), Carnets VI, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 1996 ()
''Étapes'' (1983), Carnets VII, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 1997, ()
''Trajectoires'' (1984), Carnets VIII, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 1999, (.)
''Écriture'' (1985-1986), Carnets IX, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 2001, ()
''Bilan'' (1987-1988), Carnets X, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 2003, ()
''Circonstances'' (1989), Carnets XI, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 2005, ()
''Traversée'' (1990), Carnets XII, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 2006, ()
''Situation'' (1991), Carnets XIII, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 2007, ()
''Direction'' (1992), Carnets XIV, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 2008, ()
''Dimensions'' (1993), Carnets XV, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 2009, ()
''Le jardin fermé'' (1994), Carnets XVI, Gallimard, L'arpenteur, 2010


Plays

''Aux armes, citoyens !, Baroquerie en un acte avec couplets'' 1986, Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Théâtre complet'', Éditions Hesse, 4 volumes (Pièces intimistes, 1993 et Pièces Baroques I, II et III, 1994, 1996 pour le dernier (23 pièces au total)


Poems

''Rag-Time'', 1972, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Paraphe'', 1974, publisher: Collection Romans français, Denoël, ()
''Londoniennes'', 1985
''Décalcomanies'', 1987
''A.B.C.D., Enfantines, avec les illustrations de Jacques Truphémus'', Éditions Belle-fontaine, 1987
''Haïkaï du jardin'', 1991, publisher: Collection L'Arpenteur, Gallimard, ()
''Les métamorphoses du révolver'', 1993
''Ouroboros'', 1995
''Non-lieu'', 1996
''Pile ou face'', 1996
''Terre céleste'', 1999
''Imagerie, magie'', 2000


Other works

''Une vie, une déflagration (entretiens avec Patrick Amine)'', Denoël, 1985
''L’Aventure intérieure, (entretiens avec Jean-Pierre Pauty)'', Éditions Julliard, 1994
''Choses dites, Entretiens et choix de textes, le Cherche Midi'', 1997
''Correspondance 1969-1994, avec Georges Piroué'', éditions Hesse, 2001


Awards

Prix Ibsen for the play ''"Les Miettes"'' (1978)
Prix Lugné Poe (1979)
Grand Prix de la littérature Dramatique de la Ville de Paris for his entire theatrical work (1984)
Grand Prix national des lettres (1992)


References


External links

* * (fr
Excerpts from ''Le Sang violet de l’améthyste'' / ''The Violet Blood of the Amethyst'' in the 3rd issue of ''The Black Herald'', 2012, translated from the French by John Taylor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calaferte, Louis 1928 births 1994 deaths 20th-century French male writers 20th-century French diarists 20th-century French novelists French male novelists