Description
Are women's orgasms more intense than men's? What did Andre Breton think of homosexuality? Can love be separated from physical desire?
In 1928 a group of surrealist writers and artists held twelve round table discussions to address these questions. Calling them "researches into sexuality," their bizarre and humorous conversations are now made available in this new edition in all their surreal and salacious detail. Their research spanned the most critical period for surrealism, a time of bitter political disputes, echoed in the intensity of these meetings and in the range of participants, including Andre Breton, Paul Eluard, Yves Tanguy, Benjamin Peret and Pierre Naville.
Well before the so-called sexual revolution, their erotic exchanges broke sexual taboos and encouraged surrealists to openly share the libidinal themes they explored in their writing and art. In doing so, JoAnn Wypijewski writes in the new introduction, they are revealed as "lovers and prigs, fantasists and humanists, adventurers in mind if not always in flesh-flawed, foolish, brilliant, clangingly sexual human beings."
"The surrealist's approach to sexuality was original and important . I feel this book will amaze us all." -George Melly
About the Author
Jose Pierre was a playwright, novelist and art historian. He belonged to the postwar Paris surrealist group that formed around Andre Breton. He was a member of Actual, an archive for the dissemination of the secret history of surrealism. JoAnn Wypijewski is a writer and editor based in New York. From 1982 to 2000, she was an editor at the Nation magazine. She has written for the magazine, as well as for Harper's, CounterPunch, the New York Times Magazine, the Guardian, and other publications. She is on the editorial committee of the New Left Review. She was the co-editor with Kevin Alexander Gray and Jeffrey St. Clair, of Killing Trayvons: An Anthology of American Violence. Jose Pierre was a playwright, novelist and art historian. He belonged to the postwar Paris surrealist group that formed around Andre Breton. He was a member of Actual, an archive for the dissemination of the secret history of surrealism.
Reviews
These discussions are absolutely fascinating. -- Kathy Acker, author of Blood and Guts in High School
... readers are in for a treat: a cascade of opinion, at times insightful, frequently infuriating, often comedic. -- Zoe Strimpel * The Observer *
Book Information
ISBN 9781844677122
Author Jose Pierre
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Verso Books
Publisher Verso Books
Weight(grams) 249g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 132mm * 20mm
In 1928 a group of surrealist writers and artists held twelve round table discussions to address these questions. Calling them "researches into sexuality," their bizarre and humorous conversations are now made available in this new edition in all their surreal and salacious detail. Their research spanned the most critical period for surrealism, a time of bitter political disputes, echoed in the intensity of these meetings and in the range of participants, including Andre Breton, Paul Eluard, Yves Tanguy, Benjamin Peret and Pierre Naville.
Well before the so-called sexual revolution, their erotic exchanges broke sexual taboos and encouraged surrealists to openly share the libidinal themes they explored in their writing and art. In doing so, JoAnn Wypijewski writes in the new introduction, they are revealed as "lovers and prigs, fantasists and humanists, adventurers in mind if not always in flesh-flawed, foolish, brilliant, clangingly sexual human beings."
"The surrealist's approach to sexuality was original and important . I feel this book will amaze us all." -George Melly
About the Author
Jose Pierre was a playwright, novelist and art historian. He belonged to the postwar Paris surrealist group that formed around Andre Breton. He was a member of Actual, an archive for the dissemination of the secret history of surrealism. JoAnn Wypijewski is a writer and editor based in New York. From 1982 to 2000, she was an editor at the Nation magazine. She has written for the magazine, as well as for Harper's, CounterPunch, the New York Times Magazine, the Guardian, and other publications. She is on the editorial committee of the New Left Review. She was the co-editor with Kevin Alexander Gray and Jeffrey St. Clair, of Killing Trayvons: An Anthology of American Violence. Jose Pierre was a playwright, novelist and art historian. He belonged to the postwar Paris surrealist group that formed around Andre Breton. He was a member of Actual, an archive for the dissemination of the secret history of surrealism.
Reviews
These discussions are absolutely fascinating. -- Kathy Acker, author of Blood and Guts in High School
... readers are in for a treat: a cascade of opinion, at times insightful, frequently infuriating, often comedic. -- Zoe Strimpel * The Observer *
Book Information
ISBN 9781844677122
Author Jose Pierre
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Verso Books
Publisher Verso Books
Weight(grams) 249g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 132mm * 20mm
