Genet jean

1942 · 172551 — Fresnes: September 1942. Presentation copy of Genet's rare debut with his corrections First edition first printing presentation copy inscribed by the author on the title page to his friend Boris Kochno and with several authorial manuscript corrections. Genet wrote the poem while imprisoned in Fresnes for bibliolarceny. The manuscript was smuggled out and privately printed in a tiny edition. The inscription reads thus: "à Boris ces quelques mots mais bien davantage parce qu'il aime déjà Guy plutôt qu'à cause de sa sympathie par mon poème - Jean Genet" "These few words are for Boris but much more because he already likes Guy than because of his appreciation for my poem". Kochno 1904-1990 was celebrated for his work for the Ballets Russes and Les Ballets des Champs-Elysées which helped reinvigorate the art in France. Genet's biographer Edmund White credits a small circle of distinguished gay artists to whom Kochno belonged with inspiring Genet to write about homosexuality with such unprecedented frankness and power. The individual to whom the inscription refers is likely Lucien-Guy Noppé nicknamed Guy Genet's fellow inmate and lover. Noppé was a major inspiration for Miracle de la rose 1946 and Journal du voleur 1949 and was the subject of various poems penned by the author such as "Boxeur endormi" and "À Guy". On 21 July 1943 Genet sent the latter poem in manuscript to both Kochno and Kochno's lover Christian Bérard. The couple later designed the set for Genet's play Les Bonnes 1947. Variants in pink wrappers have been noted without priority. Octavo pp. 16. Original white wrappers printed in black pages loose within as issued. Housed in a custom black solander box. Faint foxing to lightly creased wrappers small burnt hole to front cover internally fresh. A well-preserved copy of this fragile publication. see Edmund White Jean Genet 1993 p. 226. unknown