Antonin Artaud: Selected Writings 0520064437, 9780520064430

Table of contents :
Contents
Illustrations
Artaud by Susan Sontag
I: Five early poems
THE MYSTIC SHIP
VERLAINE DRINKS
BLACK GARDEN
THE POEM OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
LOVE
II: Two early essays
THE DEPARTMENT STORE POISON
PICTORIAL VALUES AND THE LOUVRE
III: Letters from 1921-23
TO MADAME TOULOUSE [Marseilles, late July 1921]
TO MAX JACOB [October 1921]
TO MADAME TOULOUSE [Marseilles, late July 1921]
TO MAX JACOB [October 1921]
TO YVONNE GILLES [October 1921]
TO YVONNE GILLES [June 1922]
TO GENICA ATHANASIOU [Cavalaire, August 17, 1922]
TO YVONNE GILLES [November 1922]
TO GENICA ATHANASIOU [Paris, May 6, 1923]
TO GENICA ATHANASIOU Twenty- FOUR-October 24, 1923
IV: From Bilboquet (1923)
"THERE AREN'T ENOUGH MAGAZINES..."
RIMBAUD & THE MODERNS
A MENTAL PAINTER
V: Correspondence with Jacques Riviere (1923-24)
VI: Two essays from 1924
THE EVOLUTION OF DECOR
PICASSO EXHIBIT
VII: The Umbilicus of Limbo (1925)
"WHERE OTHERS PRESENT THEIR WORKS..."
"A GREAT FERVOR..."
"With me god-the-hound..."
Letter to a Doctor
PAUL THE BIRDS
Letter
DESCRIPTION OF A PHYSICAL STATE
"A SLENDER BELLY..."
DARK POET
LETTER TO THE LEGISLATOR OF THE LAW ON NARCOTICS
"The poets lift up hands..."
"THERE IS AN ACID AND MURKY ANGUISH..."
THE SPURT OF BLOOD
VIII: From The Nerve Meter (1925)
"I REALLY FELT..."
"AN ACTOR IS SEEN..."
"I HAVE ASPIRED NO FURTHER..."
"IN SLEEP..."
"IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD..."
"TO FIND ONESELF AGAIN..."
"TO THINK WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST BREAKING OFF..."
"A KIND OF CONSTANT LEAKAGE..."
"UNDER THIS CRUST OF SKIN AND BONE..."
"A POWERLESSNESS..."
"WHAT IS DIFFICULT..."
"DO YOU KNOW..."
A Letter
"HERE IS SOMEONE..."
"I AM AN IDIOT..."
"IF ONLY ONE COULD..."
"WHAT I LACK..."
"ALL WRITING IS GARBAGE...."
IX: Fragments of a Diary from Hell (1925)
X: More prose texts from 1925
GENERAL SECURITY: THE LIQUIDATION OF OPIUM
Inquiry: IS SUICIDE A SOLUTION?
DINNER IS SERVED
LETTER TO THE BUDDHIST SCHOOLS
THE ACTIVITY OF THE SURREALIST RESEARCH BUREAU
MANIFESTO IN CLEAR LANGUAGE
SITUATION OF THE FLESH
XI: Eighteen Seconds, a screenplay (1925-26)
XII: From Art and Death (1925-27)
"WHO, IN THE DEPTHS..."
LETTER TO THE CLAIRVOYANT
HELOISE AND ABELARD
CLEAR ABELARD
UCCELLO THE HAIR
XIII: "In Total Darkness, orThe Surrealist Bluff" (1927)
XIV: On The Seashell and the Clergyman
CINEMA AND ABSTRACTION
CINEMA AND REALITY
XV: On the Alfred Jarry Theater
THE ALFRED JARRY THEATER
ALFRED JARRY THEATER FIRST SEASON: 1926-27
MANIFESTO FOR A THEATER THAT FAILED
STRINDBERG'S DREAM PLAY
XVI: Letters from 1927-30
TO GENICA ATHANASIOU [Paris, September 16, 1927]
TO ABEL GANCE Paris, November 27, 1927
TO RENE ALLENDY Paris, November 30, 1927
TO YVONNE ALLENDY [Paris, June 7, 1928]
TO YVONNE ALLENDY Nice, March 26, 1929
TO YVONNE ALLENDY June 5, 1930
TO RENE ALLENDY Berlin, July 12 [1930]
XVII: Questions and answerson the cinema
REPLY TO A QUESTIONNAIRE
INTERVIEW FOR CINEMONDE
XVIII: Excerpts from notebooks and private papers (1931-32)
XIX: Letters from 1931
INCOMPLETE DRAFT OF A LETTER, ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN
TO LOUIS JOUVET Paris, April 15, 1931
TO JEAN-RICHARD BLOCH April 23, 1931
TO LOUIS JOUVET Paris, April 27, 1931
DRAFT OF A LETTER TO RENE DAUMAL Paris, July 14, 1931
TO JEAN PAULHAN (unfinished letter) Paris, August 5, 1931
TO JEAN PAULHAN Paris, September 23, 1931
TO LOUIS JOUVET Tuesday evening, October 20, 1931
XX: For The Theater and Its Double (1931-36)
ON THE BALINESE THEATER
MISE EN SCENE AND METAPHYSICS
THE MARX BROTHERS
THE THEATER OF CRUELTY (FIRST MANIFESTO)
AN END TO MASTERPIECES
AN EMOTIONAL ATHLETICISM
ORIENTAL THEATER AND WESTERN THEATER
THE THEATER O F THE SERAPHIM
XXI: Letters from 1932-33
TO JEAN PAULHAN Friday, January 22, 1932
TO JEAN PAULHAN Saturday evening, January 30, 1932
TO GEORGE SOULIE DE MORANT February 17 , 1932
TO GEORGE SOULIE DE MORANT Friday evening, February 19, 1932
TO LOUIS JOUVET Monday evening, March 1, 1932
TO JEAN PAULHAN Wednesday, August 3, 1932
TO ANDRE GIDE Paris, Sunday, August 7, 1932
TO JEAN PAULHAN Tuesday, August 23, 1932
TO JEAN PAULHAN Monday, September 12, 1932
TO JEAN PAULHAN [Paris] November 27, 1932
TO JEAN PAULHAN December 16, 1932
TO ANAIS NIN Saturday morning [April 1933]
XXII: "The Premature Old Age of the Cinema" (1933)
XXIII: From Heliogabalus, orThe Anarchist Crowned (1934)
XXIV: Letters and drafts from 1934-35
TO JEAN PAULHAN June 1, 1934
APPEAL TO YOUTH: INTOXICATION-DISINTOXICATION
TO ANDRE GIDE Paris, February 10, 1935
TO JEAN-LOUIS BARRAULT Paris, June 14, 1935
DRAFT OF A LETTER TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF WRITERS FOR THE DEFENSE OF CULTURE [late June 1935]
DRAFT OF A LETTER TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE Paris, December 14, 1935
XXV: Excerpts from notebooks and private papers (1935)
XXVI: The trip to Mexieo ( 1936)
MAN AGAINST DESTINY
TO JEAN PAULHAN Mexico City, March 26, 1936
FIRST CONTACT WITH THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION
WHAT I CAME TO MEXICO TO DO
TO JEAN·LOUIS BARRAULT Mexico City, July 10, 1936
XXVII: From A Voyage to t he Landof the Tarahuniara
THE MOUNTAIN OF SIGNS
THE PEYOTE DANCE
XXVIII: Letters from 1937
TO CECILE SCHRAMME [Paris, February 7, 1937]
TO CECILE SCHRAMME [Paris, February 19, 1937]
TO CECILE SCHRAMME [Sceaux, April 16, 1937]
TO CECILE SCHRAMME This Friday [April 30, 1937]
TO RENE ALLENDY Paris [June 1937]
TO ANDRE BRETON Friday, July 30, 1937
TO ANNE MANSON [September 8, 1937]
TO ANDRE BRETON September 14, 1937
XXIX: From The New Revelations of Being (1937)
XXX: Letters from 1940 (Ville-Evrard)
TO GENICA ATHANASIOU November 10, 1940
TO GENICA ATHANASIOU November 24, 1940
XXXI: Letters from 1943-45 (Rodez)
TO JACQUES LATRE MOLIERE March 25, 1943
TO GASTON FERDIERE March 29, 1943
TO GASTON FERDIERE October 18, 1943
TO GHYSLAINE MALAUSSENA January 9, 1944
TO GASTON FERDIERE February 5, 1944
TO EUPHRASIE ARTAUD [June 22, 1944]
TO JACQUES LATREMOLIERE January 6, 1945
TO MARIE-ANGE MALAUSSENA January 30, 1945
TO HENRI PARISOT September 7, 1945
TO HENRI PARISOT September 17, 1945
TO HENRI PARISOT (incomplete letter) September 20, 1945
TO HENRI PARISOT September 22, 1945
TO HENRI PARISOT October 6, 1945
TO HENRI PARISOT October 9, 1945
TO HENRI PARISOT Novemher 27, 1945
XXXII: Two letters from 1946
LETTER ABOUT LAUTREAMONT
TO HENRI PARISOT (LETTER KNOWN AS "COLERIDGE THE TRAITOR")
XXXIII: Van Gogh, the Man Suicided by Society (1947)
XXXIV: Letter to Pierre Loeb (April 23, 1947)
XXV: From Artaud le Momo (1947)
THE RETURN OF ARTAUD, LE MOMO
INSANITY AND BLACK MAGIC
XXXVI: Indian Cultureand Here Lies (1947)
INDIAN CULTURE
HERE LIES
XXXVII: To Have Done with the Judgtnentof God, a radio play (1947)
XXXVIII: Last letters
TO FERNAND POUEY Ivry, December 11, 1947
TO FERNAND POUEY [January 16, 1948]
TO WLADIMIR PORCHE February 4, 1948
TO FERNAND POUEY lvry-sur-Seine, February 7 ,1948
TO RENE GUILLY [February 7, 1948]
TO FERNAND POUEY AND RENE GUIGNARD lvry-sur-Seine, February 17, 1948
TO PAULE THEVENIN Tuesday, February 24, 1948
Writings about Artaud
Notes
I. Five early poems
II. Two early essays
III. Letters from 1921-23
IV. From Bilboquet (1923)
V. Correspondence with Jacques Riviere (1923-24)
VI. Two essays from 1924
VII. The Umbilicus of Limbo (1925)
VIII. From The Nerve Meter (1925)
IX. Fragments of a Diary from Hell (1925)
X. More prose texts from 1925
XI. Eighteen Seconds, a screenplay (1925-26)
XII. From Art and Death (1925-27)
XIII. "In Total Darkness, or The Surrealist Bluff" (1927)
XIV. On The Seashell and the Clergyman
XV. On the Alfred Jarry Theater
XVI. Letters from 1927-30
XVII. Questions and answers on the cinema
XVIII. Excerpts from notebooks and private papers( 1931-32)
XIX. Letters from 1931
XX. For The Theater and Its Double (1931-36)
XXI. Letters from 1932-33
XXII. "The Premature Old Age of the Cinema" (1933)
XXIII. From Heliogabalus, or The Anarchist Crowned(1934)
XXIV. Letters and drafts from 1934-35
XXV. Excerpts from notebooks and private papers (1935)
XXVI. The trip to Mexico (1936)
XXVII. From A Voyage to the Land of the Tarahumara
XXVIII. Letters from 1937
XXIX. From The New Revelations of Being (1937)
XXX. Letters from 1940 (Ville-Evrard)
XXXI. Letters from 1943-45 (Rodez)
XXXII. Two letters from 1946
XXXIII. Van Gogh, the Man Suicided by Society (1947)
XXXIV. Letter to Pierre Loeb (April 23 ,1947)
XXXV. From Artaud le Momo (1947)
XXXVl. Indian Culture and Here Lies (1947)
XXXVII. To Have Done with the Judgment of God, a radioplay (1947)
XXXVIII. Last letters

Citation preview

�ntonin Artaud ;ELECTED WRITINGS EDITED, AND WITH AN INTRODUCTION, BY

SUSAN SONTAG

Antonin Artand SE LE C TE D

WRI T ING S

Edited, and with on introduction, by

SU S AN

SO NT AG

Translated from the French by

HELEN

WEAVER

Notes by

SUS AN and

SON T AG

DON ERI C LE V INE

1\nlonin 1\rlaud Antonin Ar1aud SEL EC TE D

WRITINGS

Farrar, Straus and Giroux N

E

W

Y

O

R

K

Translation copyright © 1976 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc.

All rights reserved First printing, 1976 Printed in the United States of A merica Designed b y Loretta Li Translated from the French, Oeuvres completes, ©Editions Gallirnard 1956, 1961. 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974 Introduction©1973, 1976 hy Susan Sontag Acknowledgment is made to The New Yorker, in whose pages Susan Sontag's Introduction originally appeared in somewhat different form "On the Balinese Theater," "ivlise en scene and Metaphysics," "The Marx Brothers," "The Theater of Cruelty," "An End to l\IasterpiecPs." "An Emotional Athleticism," "Oriental Theater and Western Theater," from The Theater and lts Double, by Antonin Artaud, copyright© 1958 by Grove Press. Inc. Reprinted by permission of Grove Press, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Artaud, Antonin, 1896-1948. Selected writings. PQ2601.R677A28

1976.

841'.9'12

79-143303

Contents

Artaud AN ESSAY BY SUSAN SONTAG

I

XVII

Five early p oems "THE MYSTIC SHIP" (1913)

3

"VERLAINE DRINKS" (1921)

3

"BLACK GARDEN" (1921/1922)

4

"THE PoEM oF ST. FRANCIS OF AssisI"

4

(1922) 5

"LovE" ( 1923)

II

Tw o early essays 9

"THE DEPARTMENT STORE POISON" (UNDATED)

10

"PICTORIAL VALUES AND THE LOUVRE" ( 1921)

III

IV

Letters from 1 92 1 -23 T O MADAME TOULOUSE (LATE JULY 1921)

15

TO MAX JACOB (OCTOBER 1921)

15

TO YVONNE GILLES (OCTOBER 1921)

17

TO YVONNE GILLES (JUNE 1922)

18

TO GENICA ATHANASIOU (AUGUST 17, 1922)

18

TO YVONNE GILLES (NOVEMBER 1922)

20

TO GENICA ATHANASIOU (MAY 6, 1923)

20

TO GENICA ATHANASIOU (OCTOBER 24, 1923)

21

From Bilboquet ( 1 92 3) "THERE AREN'T ENOUGH MAGAZINES "RIMBAUD

&

THE MODERNS"

"A MENTAL PAINTER" V

v

Correspondence with Jacques Riviere ( 1 923-24)

"

25 26 27 31

Contents

VI

Tw o essays fr om 1 92 4

53 56

"THE EvoLUTION O F DE:coR" "PICASSO EXHIBIT" VII

The Umbilicus of Limbo ( 1 92 5 )

"WHERE OTHERS PRESENT THEIR WORKS " "A GREAT FERVOR ...

59

"WITH ME GOD-THE·HOUND LETTER TO A DOCTOR

60 61

.

.

59

•

"

" (POEM)

"PAUL THE BIRDS"

61

LETTER "DESCRIPTION OF A PHYSICAL STATE" "A SLENDER BELLY "

6-l 61

.

.

•

"DARK POET" (POEM) "LETTER TO THE LEGISLATOR OF THE

65 67 68

LAW ON NARCOTICS"

"THE POETS LIFT UP HAXDS ..." (POEM) "THERE IS AN ACID AND MURKY ANGUISH " "THE SPURT OF BLOOD" (PLAY) .

VIII

•

71 71

.

72

From The Nerve Meter ( 1 92 5 )

"I REALLY FELT .

.

"

" "AN ACTOR IS SEEN "I HAVE ASPIRED XO FURTHER

"

"IN SLEEP ..." " "IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD "To FIND ONESELF AGAIN ..." "To THINK WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST BREAKING OFF ..." "A KIND OF CONSTANT LEAKAGE . "UNDER THIS CRUST OF SKIN AND BONE ... "A POWERLESSNESS . " " "WHAT IS DIFFICULT . "Do YOU KNOW ..."

79 80 80 80 go

81 81

"

.

vi

82 82 82

C ontents

LETTER

83

"HERE IS SOMEONE . . "I AM AN IDIOT

.

•

•

83 83

"

"IF ONLY ONE COULD "WHAT I LACK .

"

•

"

.

"

"ALL WRITING IS GARBAGE

IX X

"

•

Fragments of a Diary from Hell (1925)

84 84 85 91

M ore pr ose texts fr om 1 9 25 "GENERAL SECURITY: THE LIQUIDATION OF OPIUM" "INQUIRY

.

•

.

99 102

Is SUICIDE A

SOLUTION?" "DINNER Is SERVED" "LETTER TO THE BUDDHIST SCHOOLS" "THE ACTIVITY OF THE SURREALIST

103 104 105

RESEARCH BUR.EAU" "MANIFESTO IN CLEAR LANGUAGE" "SITUATION OF THE FLESH"

XI

Eighteen Seconds, a screenplay (1925-2 6 )

XII

From Art and Death ( 1 9 25 -27 ) "WHO, IN THE DEPTHS

•

.

•

" ( PROBABLY

108 109 us

121

1927)

"CLEAR ABELARD'" (1927)

125 129 132

"UCCELLO THE HAIR" (1926)

135

"LETTER TO THE CLAIRVOYANT" (1926) "Hfaoi'sE AND ABELARD" (1925)

XIII

XIV

vii

"In T otal Darkness, or The Surrealist Bluff" (192 7 )

139

On The Seashell and the Clergyman "CINEMA AND ABSTRACTION" (1927)

149

"CINEMA AND REALITY" (1927)

150

Contents

XV

On the Alfred Jarry Theater

"THE ALFRED JARRY THEATER" (1926) "ALFRED JARRY THEATER. FIRST SEASON: 1926-27" (1926) "MANIFESTO FOR A THEATER THAT FAILED" ( 1926/1927) "STRINDBERG'S DREAM PLAY" (1928) XVI

XIX

viii

163

167 167 168 171 172 174 175

Questi ons and answers on the cinema

"REPLY TO A QUESTIONNAIRE" (UNDATED) INTERVIEW FOR CINEMONDE (1929) XVIil

159

Letters fr om 1 92 7 -30

TO GENICA ATHANASIOU (SEPTEMBER 16, 1927) TO ABEL GANCE (NOVEMBER 27, 1927) TO RENE ALLENDY (NOVEMBER 30, 1927) TO YVONNE ALLENDY (JUNE 7, 1928) TO YVONNE ALLENDY (MARCH 26, 1929) TO YVONNE ALLENDY (JUNE 5, 1930) TO RENE ALLENDY (JULY 12, 1930) XVII

155 157

Excerpts fr om n oteb o oks and private papers ( 1 93 1 -32 )

181 182 189

Letters fr om 1 93 1

INCOMPLETE DRAFT OF A LETTER, ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN

199

TO LOUIS JOUVET (APRIL 15, 1931) TO JEAN-RICHARD BLOCH (APRIL 23, 1931) TO LOUIS JOUVET (APRIL 27, 1931) DRAFT OF A LETTER TO RENE DAUMAL (JULY 14, 1931) TO JEAN PAULHAN (AUGUST 5, 1931)

200 202 203 205 208

Contents

XX

XXI

XXII

ix

TO JEAN PAULHAN (SEPTEMBER 23,

209

1931) TO LOUIS JOUVET (OCTOBER 20, 1931)

210

F or The Theater and Its Double (1 93 1 -36)

"ON THE BALINESE THEATER" (1931) "MISE EN ScENE AND METAPHYSICS" (1932) "THE MARX BROTHERS" (1932)

215

"THE THEATER OF CRUELTY : FIRST MANIFESTO" (1932) "AN END TO MASTERPIECES" ( 1933) "AN EMOTIONAL ATHLETICISM" (1935) "ORIENTAL THEATER AND WESTERN THEATER" (1935) "THE THEATER OF THE SERAPHIM" (1936)

242

227 240

252 259 267 271

Letters fr om 1 932-33

TO JEAN PAULHAN (J ANUARY 22, 1932) TO JEAN PAULHAN (JANUARY 30, 1932) TO GEORGE SOULIE DE MORANT (FEBRUARY 17, 1932) TO GEORGE SOULIE DE MORANT (FEBRUARY 19, 1932) TO LOUIS JOUVET (MARCH 1, 1932) TO JEAN PAULHAN (AUGUST 3, 1932) TO ANDRE GIDE (AUGUST 7, 1932) TO JEAN PAULHAN (AUGUST 23, 1932) TO JEAN PAULHAN (SEPTEMBER 12, 1932) TO JEAN PAULHAN (NOVEMBER 27, 1932)

279 2ll4 286

TO JEAN PAULHAN (DECEMBER 16, 1932) TO ANAIS NIN (APRIL 1933)

307 308

"The PrematureOld Age of the Cinema" ( 1 933)

311

291 296 297 298 302 303 304

Contents

XXIII

Fr om Heliogabalus, or The Anarchist Crowned ( 1 93 4 )

XXIV

Letters and drafts fr om 1 934-35

JEAN PAULHAN (JUNE 1, 1934) "APPEAL TO YoUTH: INTOXICATIONDISINTOXICATION" (LATE 1934) TO

TO ANDRE GIDE (FEBRUARY 10, 1935) TO JEAN-LOUIS BARRAULT (JUNE 14, 1935) DRAFT OF A LETTER TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF WRITERS FOR THE DEFENSE OF CULTURE (LATE JUNE 1935) DRAFT OF A LETTER TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE ALLIANCE FRAN