‎REED (Jeremy), OWEN (Peter).‎
‎Correspondance d’édition.‎

‎26 lettres et cartes postales manuscrites signées adressées à Michel Bulteau, écrites à l’encre violette entre octobre 1994 et avril 1998 sur papiers de couleurs : projets de traductions et publications en France, évocations littéraires, artistiques, pécuniaires, mélancoliques… Quelques extraits, 16-X-94 : « Dear Michel, I think you and I have very similar tastes in music, literature, art, decadence – and life itself. I shall send you some of my books. Is there anyone in French publishing who would be interested in my book about Lou Reed ‘Waiting for the Man’ – which Picador will publish here in November ? » 20-XI-94 : « I want to thank you so very much for the Baron Corvo books, your essay and the marvelously explicit Venetian letters. I feel we are already good friends, and I’m looking forward to the time when we can meet. (…) I don’t know if you could encourage Du Rocher to look at my very individual book about Rimbaud, and perhaps at my homocratic novel ‘Isidore’ which is about another of my heroes : Lautréamont, our legendary Ducasse. And by the way I love Corvo’s exotic style and eccentricities. We share very similar tastes in our pantheon of the stars. I find it so hard to exist from writing. I’m hugely prolific, and I make almost no money. It’s terrible. But we do it for love of the imagination and to proclaim the great, the bizarre, the beautiful. Thank you for being. With love and starlight, Jeremy. » 28-XII-94 : « Here is the gift of my Lou Reed book for you, how I wish we could find a French publisher for it, and that you could be the translator. End of the year blues. I always find Christmas/new year particularly melancholy, so much work done, sadness accumulated – but still there’s a brilliance attached to the moment, and I’m always working on new books, pushing the imagination beyond frontiers. I send you gold stars ». S. d. : « I would be so grateful if you would try Du Rocher with ‘Isidore’. It is an extraordinary beautiful and unusual novel, and I don’t think there are any other novels on Lautréamont. Life would have been so much easier for me if I had been born French, all my heroes are the anarchic French poets. The wild imagination, vibrant with images. » 1-II-95 : « I hope all is well with you. There are little tints of spring in the air, and I have pink hyacinths in my room. Their languid scent Is intoxicating. My book about Lou Reed is handled by agents. If they prove problematic, I would sell the book personally to a French publisher, so that you could translate it. I’m desperate for some money at present. Surely some French publisher would wish a book on Lou Reed. I’m currently writing a book about Marc Almond, called ‘The Last Star’. He’s my favorite torch singer. » 23-I-96 : « I’m working on a novel about Elvis Presley, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, and I’ve also been performing and recording with David J, who used to be in ‘Bauhaus’. I will send you some tapes. Is there any new of ‘Isidore’ ? Peter Owen’s very disappointed not to have heard. Please do let him know. We should do a reading in Paris, you and I, at a venue where we could use our respective musicians. Let’s think about it. Much love and starlight, Jeremy. » 28-I-96 : « How I know that topology of hallucinated madness – it fuels both our works – but the suffering is huge. Buddhist chanting helps me through the intimate hells. I went through a terrible breakdown in 1990. As your work is close to Michaux’s, I imagine you suffer deeply. » 3-III-96 : « Wonderful to receive your letter, and I haven’t forgotten ‘Flowers’ (de Michel Bulteau, un livre consacré à Warhol). I’m going to work at finding a publisher for you here. An independent. We may be able to interest Peter Owen in your work. He likes you a lot, and is coming back to Paris in May. » 15-VI-97 : « I’m busy working on new poems, essays, fiction, etc. The usual galaxy of creative energies. And I’m sure you’re writing too, working the imagination towards apocalypse. » ‘Invention d’Isidore Ducasse’ est finalement paru aux Éditions de la Différence en 1996. On joint 9 lettres tapuscrites signées de l’éditeur anglais Peter Owen sur papiers à entête, contemporaines à ces projets de publications. 5-IV-95 : « Jeremy Reed has advised me of your interest in ‘Isidore’ and that your publishers La Difference want to buy it. I am awfully pleased that you wish to take on this exceptional author. » Puis, 12-IX-96 : « Sorry we missed – I got your message that you could be late but I wonder if you went to the La Nouvelle Agence office ? Anyhow, I am sorry I missed you. La Difference have not paid the advance. Jeremy is upset. Mary and I are very annoyed. They are, of course, illegal if they try to publish without the advance. Could you explain this to them and of course, if they do not pay none of us will ever want to deal with them again. The whole thing is very bad publishing practice and it has gone on so long ! Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Peter Owen. » Bon état.‎

Reference : AWD-796

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