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Interview ('Haiti-journal')

interview conducted by René Bélance

Manuscript

Author

Author André Breton
People cited Maurice Blanchot, Sigmund Freud, Jules Monnerot, Diego Rivera, Paul Valéry

Description

Text of an interview with André Breton conducted by René Bélance and published in Haïti-Journal, 12 and 13 December 1945.

While in Haiti, Breton, as punctilious as ever, agreed to respond to René Bélance's questions in early December 1945. The interview was published in Haïti-Journal dated 12 and 13 December 1945, before being included in Volume II of the Œuvres complètes, in the section Entretiens 1913-1952. The text shows how rigorously the poet worked on it, crossing out many lines in order to make his thoughts as precise as possible. The theme is of some importance, treating both French poetry and its relationship with commitment (to the Resistance, the revolution and so on) as well as surrealism’s position in a literary landscape profoundly reshaped by the war. [Atelier André Breton website, 2005] ]

Handwritten manuscript, sd [12 December 1945].
- 4 pages in-12, text by Breton on yellow paper with numerous erasures and corrections, entitled ‘Answers to the Haiti-journal Interview’:
‘Freud and his disciples asked their patients to use automatic writing so as to obtain from them a relatively uncontrolled or at least a less censored mental product than, for instance, a dream narrative whose accuracy might be compromised.’ [sale catalogue, 2003]

*This entry was translated from the French by Michael Richardson.

Bibliography

- André Breton, (Édition de Marguerite Bonnet avec la collaboration de Philippe Bernier, Marie-Claire Dumas, Étienne-Alain Hubert et José Pierre), « Interview de René Bélance », Entretiens 1913-1952, Œuvres complètes, tome III, Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, Paris, Gallimard, 1999, pages 584 à 587.

Creation date12-déc.-45
Date of publication 1945
LanguagesFrench
Physical descriptionMs - encre bleue
Reference492000
Breton Auction, 2003Lot 2262
Keywords, ,
CategoriesManuscripts, Andre Breton's Manuscripts
Set[Manuscrits d'AB] Entretiens 1913-1952, [AB's Manuscripts] Haïti
Permanent linkhttps://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100691760

See also

1 Work
 
False

Dossier de presse sur Haïti

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André Breton

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Cahier élaboré par André Breton de 58 pages de documents et de coupures de presse datés de Port-au-Prince et de Fort-de-France, 1945-1946.
72 images, une notice descriptive, une collection.

[Albums] Scrapbooks, [AB's Manuscripts] Haïti