Paris-Bucharest, Bucharest-Paris: Francophone Writers from Romania

282 Pages·2012·3.556 MB·English

by  Anne Quinney

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Paris-Bucharest,
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This collection of essays presents new research on the work of Romanian
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writers who chose French as a literary language. Romanian is itself, of s
course, a Romance language, and there is a long history of close Franco- t
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Romanian ties. But given the complex and often multilingual cultural heritage P
of these writers–whose infl uences included German, Russian, and Ottoman– a
their contribution to French literature represents a unique hybrid form of r
francophonie. And yet unlike the literary production of former French colonies, is
this work has received little scholarly attention as a contribution to French
literature. Th is book aims to rectify this situation. Focusing on the historical,
cultural, and artistic links between France and Romania in the twentieth century
from the standpoint of such fi gures as Tristan Tzara, Anna de Noailles, Panaït EEE
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Istrati, Eugène Ionesco, Isidore Isou, and E.M. Cioran, the essays develop iii
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innovative and insightful perspectives with regard to the work of individual eee
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authors. Th e volume as a whole will thus serve to reshape prevailing conceptions

of Francophone literary production and to expand fundamentally the conceptual bbb
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boundaries of Francophone Studies.
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Edited by Anne Quinney
ISBN 978-90-420-3451-8
9 789042 034518
Paris-Bucharest, Bucharest-Paris
FAUX TITRE
367
Etudes de langue et littérature françaises
publiées sous la direction de
Keith Busby, †M.J. Freeman,
Sjef Houppermans et Paul Pelckmans
Paris-Bucharest, Bucharest-Paris
Francophone writers from Romania
Edited by
Anne Quinney
AMSTERDAM - NEW YORK, NY 2012
Cover illustrations: Dambovita River, Bucharest (1924) and Ile de la Cité,
Paris (1998). © www.pozeleonline.ro and Richard Quinney
Cover design by Inge Baeten
The paper on which this book is printed meets the requirements of
‘ISO 9706: 1994, Information and documentation - Paper for documents -
Requirements for permanence’.
Le papier sur lequel le présent ouvrage est imprimé remplit les prescriptions
de ‘ISO 9706: 1994, Information et documentation - Papier pour documents -
Prescriptions pour la permanence’.
ISBN: 978-90-420-3451-8
E-Book ISBN: 978-94-012-0737-9
© Editions Rodopi B.V., Amsterdam - New York, NY 2012
Printed in The Netherlands
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction 11

1. (cid:179)(cid:37)(cid:88)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:87)-on-the-(cid:54)(cid:72)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:72)(cid:180)(cid:29)(cid:3)
The Anatomy of a National Obsession
Monica Spiridon 23

2. The Orientalism
of Anna de Noailles
Ferdâ Asya 37

3. Before They Were Famous:
Tristan Tzara, Nationhood, and Poetry
Stephen Forcer 71

4. The Surrealist Group of Bucharest:
Collective Works, 1945(cid:177)1947
Monique Yaari 95

5. The Trans-cultural Journey
of Benjamin Fondane
Monique Jutrin 137

6. French as the Language of Libre Échange
in the Works of Panaït Istrati
Catherine Rossi 161

7. Home Is Elsewhere:
Exile in the Theatre of Ionesco
Ingrid Chafee 173
8. Traditionalism and Protochronism
in the European Context
Ashby Crowder 197

9. (cid:44)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:86)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:182)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:83)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:47)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:86)
Jean-Jacques Thomas 225

10. Emile Cioran
and the Politics of Exile
Anne Quinney 253

Notes on Contributors 283
List of Illustrations

Figure 4.1. Gherasim Luca and Trost,
Dialectique de la dialectique. Cover. 107

Figure 4.2. Gherasim Luca and Trost,
Présentation de graphies colorées, de
(cid:70)(cid:88)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:182)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:77)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)Cover. 107

Figure 4.3. Gherasim Luca, Tenter
(cid:79)(cid:182)(cid:76)(cid:80)(cid:83)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:69)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:11)(cid:70)(cid:88)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:12)(cid:17) Présentation
de graphies colorées, de cubomanies et
(cid:71)(cid:182)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:77)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:17) Illustration. 108

Figure 4.4. Trost, Mouvement relatif-absolu
(vaporisation). Présentation de graphies
colorées, de cubomanies et (cid:71)(cid:182)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:77)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)Illustration. 108

Figure 4.5. (cid:40)(cid:91)(cid:83)(cid:82)(cid:93)(cid:76)(cid:288)(cid:76)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:51)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:51)(cid:259)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:17) Flier. 111

Figure 4.6. Paul Paon, pen-and-ink drawing,
untitled, 1943, signed PP 43. 112

Figure 4.7. Gherasim Luca, Gellu Naum,
(cid:51)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:51)(cid:259)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:57)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:74)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:55)(cid:72)(cid:82)(cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:55)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:15)
(cid:47)(cid:182)(cid:44)(cid:81)(cid:73)(cid:85)(cid:68)-N(cid:82)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:29)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:85)(cid:112)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:80)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:62)(cid:171)(cid:64). Cover. 113

Figure 4.8. Gherasim Luca, Gellu Naum,
(cid:51)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:51)(cid:259)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:57)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:74)(cid:76)(cid:79) Teodorescou, Trost,
(cid:47)(cid:182)(cid:44)(cid:81)(cid:73)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:49)(cid:82)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:29)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:85)(cid:112)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:80)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:62)(cid:171)(cid:64)(cid:17) Signature page. 113

Figure 9.1. Isou, Les Journaux des Dieux. 230

Figure 9.2. Schwitters, (cid:179)Poème sans titre,(cid:180) 1923. 241

Figure 9.3. Isou, (cid:179)Larmes de jeune fille(cid:177)poème clos(cid:180)
((cid:47)(cid:182)(cid:36)(cid:74)(cid:85)(cid:112)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)). 241
Figure 9.4. Isou, (cid:179)Larmes de jeune fille(cid:177)poème clos(cid:180)
((cid:47)(cid:182)(cid:36)(cid:74)(cid:85)(cid:112)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)). 242

Figure 9.5. Isou, (cid:179)(cid:20)(cid:113)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:92)(cid:80)(cid:83)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:180)
((cid:47)(cid:182)(cid:36)(cid:74)(cid:85)(cid:112)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)). 243

Figure 9.6. Isou, Self-portrait, 1952. 245

Figure 9.7. Isou wandering at Saint-Germain-des-prés
in (cid:55)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:112)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:182)(cid:112)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:112), 1951. 246

Figure 9.8. (cid:179)(cid:39)(cid:112)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:81)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:180)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:92)(cid:3)
(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:41)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:179)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:180)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:70)(cid:78)(cid:3)
in Traité de (cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:182)(cid:112)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:112), 1951. 247

Figure 9.9. French poetic evolution since Baudelaire
according to Isou ((cid:47)(cid:182)(cid:36)(cid:74)(cid:85)(cid:112)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)). 249
Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the Department of Modern Languages and
the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at the University of
Mississippi for supporting this project financially since its inception.
Departmental chair and editor of Balkanistika, Donald Dyer, deserves
special recognition for offering his editorial skills and his expertise in
the area of Romanian scholarship, as well as for suggesting certain
members of this community of scholars now represented together in
this volume. Several individuals were also instrumental in the initial
conception and ultimate completion of this book. Contributor
Monique Yaari offered her vision and insight into the phenomenon of
Romanian Francophonia and helped define this project in numerous
ways as it shifted and changed its ideological, geographical, and his-
torical range over the last decade. Doina Pasca Harsanyi and Nicolae
Harsanyi provided excellent guidance in regard to the subject in gen-
eral and generously shared their first-hand knowledge and apprecia-
tion of Romanian Francophilia on many occasions over the years. I
speak for all the authors of this work in expressing gratitude to our
copy editor, Nicola McCarthy, who painstakingly read and re-read,
corrected, formatted, and proofread this manuscript written by ten dif-
ferent authors in six different countries and in French, English, and
Romanian. Christa Stevens at Rodopi was especially helpful in all
matters related to publishing a multi-authored book. Finally, I am in-
debted to each of the contributors for their excellent work, enthusiasm,
and patience as our collaborative efforts evolved to produce this
unique volume.