Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Malcolm de Chazal (1902-1981)



There's a bit more here and here, including a few aphorisms from Sens-Plastique. But you get this one for free: 'The butterfly swims with its legs and tail, tries to crawl with its body, and beats its wings - the threefold progress of fish, reptile, and bird all in one. Tripartite kingdom. An isoceles triangle of animal.'

W.H. Auden thought that de Chazal was 'the only really interesting French writer to emerge since the war. A bit dotty, but fascinating.' Which, in regard the dottiness, seems fair enough.

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