French Surrealism is probably best known for its paintings--images of floppy watches or men in bowler hats and topcoats falling from the sky. But just as central to the movement was the poetry produced from the beginning by André Breton, Robert Desnos, Benjamin Péret, Louis Aragon, René Char, and a host of others. We will read samples of that poetry in translation and offer historical asides to provide context for activities that ranged from the mid-twenties to the late sixties.
All Helix Center events are free and open to the public, including this one!
Roundtables are streamed live our website and the recording remains available after the event events.
This is a past event that happened on Saturday, December 6, 2014 2:30-4:00 pm.
Participants
Mary Ann Caws
Distinguished Professor of English, French, and Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York
Mary Ann Caws is Distinguished Professor of English, French, and Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, the recipient of Guggenheim, Rockefeller, and Fulbright fellowships, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, past President of the Modern Language Association, of the American Comparative Literature Association, of... read more! »
Anne-Marie Levine
Poet and Visual Artist
Anne-Marie Levine lives in New York City. A poet and visual artist who began writing while touring as a concert pianist, she’s the author of three books of poetry: Euphorbia, Bus Ride to a Blue Movie, and Oral History; and a forthcoming artists book called Reculer Pour Mieux Sauter. Her work also appears in various... read more! »
Mark Polizzotti
Author & Translator
Director of the Publications Program, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Mark Polizzotti’s books include Revolution of the Mind: The Life of André Breton, Highway 61 Revisited, Sympathy for the Traitor: A Translation Manifesto, Why Surrealism Matters, andJump Cuts: Essays on Surrealism, Film, Music, Culture, and Other Utopian Topics. His writings have appeared in Apollo, Bookforum, The Brooklyn Rail, The Nation, The New Republic, The New York Times, The Paris Review, The... read more! »
Bill Zavatsky
Poet
Bill Zavatsky holds B.A. and M.F.A degrees from Columbia University. He has taught at all levels of education since 1971. For many years he taught in the high school at the Trinity School in Manhattan, and most recently at the Eugene Lang College of the New School. His poetry-writing workshop has been ongoing at the... read more! »