Boris Vian Invents Boris Vian

by Boris Vian (Editor), Julia Older (Translator)

Overview

Long for Paris? Here's your chance to romp with the Prince of Saint-Germain and friends (Édith Piaf, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir) in jazz caves and Left Bank hot spots- Title stories from four key collections introduce readers to American GIs, a bike-riding werewolf, a priest in swim trunks, and a man "Falling in Love from the Empire State Building." Vian's essays assume diverse forms and audiences-from a letter to a friend worried about robo-poets and a numerical equation (published by the College of Pataphysic) to a Dr. Mock journal article on "The Dangers of Jazz" and a futuristic plan for Paris in 2000. This Vian Reader comes with a send-off (Foreword) by Vian's son Patrick, major poems, a censored protest ballad, an introduction to the three stages of Vian's life and work, and prefatory details and anecdotal information about each selection. Vian adored America and here he is alive and ready to jive. Yeah! Rap-slam and keep your eye on Uncle Sam.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780985612290
Publisher:	Commonwealth Books, Black Widow
Publication date:	07/07/2015
Pages:	210
Sales rank:	392,703
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

Foreward Patrick Vian 11

Translator's Introduction 13

Raymond Queneau on Boris Vian 19

Envoi to Vian's novel Heartsnatcher (L'arrache-coeur)

Part 1 Standing On a Landmine

Preface 23

Les Fourmis 28

Pins & Needles (story) 29

Le Deserteur 48

The Deserter (song) 49

Un Robo-poet ne nous fait pas peur 54

We're Not Afraid of the Robo-poet (essay) 55

Part 2 Becoming Boris Vian

Preface 65

Memoir concernant le calcul numérique de Dieu 72

Memo Concerning the Mathematical Calculation of Dieu (numerical essay) 73

Cantilènes en gelée: From Verses in Aspic (poems)

À moi-Le fond de mon coeur 78

To Me-From the Bottom of My Heart 79

À mes zenfants-Précisions sur la vie 80

To My Schildren-Facts of Life 81

À Édith-La vie en rouge 82

To Édith (Piaf)-Life in Red 83

À Odette Bost-Les araignées 84

To Odette Bost-The Spiders 85

À Raymond le chêne-La vrai rigolade 86

To Raymond the Oak (Queneau)-Mere Child's Play 87

À Raymond le chien-Instanfataux 88

To Raymond the Dog-Instananities 89

À Jacques Pré-vence-Qu'y a-t-il? 90

To Jacques Provence-What Is There? 91

À Simone de Beauvoir-Les mers de Chine 92

To Simone de Beauvoir-China Seas 93

À Jean-Paul Sartre & Oudin-Les mouches 96

To Jean-Paul (Sartre & Oudin)-Fly-bait 97

À Victorugo-Art poétique 98

To Victorugo-Poetic Art 99

Le ratichon baigneur 100

The Priest in Swim Trunks (story) 101

Le Loup-garou 106

The Werewold 107

Le jazz est dangereux: physiopathologie du jazz 126

Jazz Is Dangerous : The Physiopathology of Jazz (article) 127

Part 3 Murmur of the Heart

Preface 133

Le rappel 138

The Rappel: Falling in love from the Empire State Building (story) 139

Je voudrais pas vrever From I Would Not Like to Die(poems)

Y'en a qui joue des trompinettes 156

Some of Us Have trumpeteeny 157

Je voudrais pas crever 158

I Would Not Like to Die 159

Y'avait une lampe de cuivre 164

There Was a Copper Lamp 165

Qiamd j'aurai le vent dan mon crâne 166

When Wind Passes Through My Skull 167

Y'a due soleil dans la rue 168

It's Sunny in the Street 169

Ils cassent le monde 170

They Break the World 171

Si les poètes étaient moins bête 174

If Poets Weren't Stupid 175

Tout a était dit cent fois 178

Everything's Been Said a Hundred Times 179

Elle serait la lourade 180

She Would Be there, So Heavily Built 181

Un jour 184

One day 185

Greenways of Paris According to Boris Vian (illustrated map) 186

Paris le 15 de décembre, 1999. 188

Paris: The 15th December, 1999. (speculative fiction) 189

Vian's Handwriting 201

Afterword Julia Older 202

Acknowledgments 204

Bibliography 205

About Boris Vian & Julia Older 207