L’un pour l’autre, les écrivains dessinent

What do writers do when their their soul wanders and the page in front of them is white? They undoubtedly draw. And many of them have done it seriously, without having the sketch replace a moment of inspiration. Pierre MacOrlan and Gunther Grass were artists before writing. Cocteau’s father was a painter who had fun combining all genres. Hugo left behind thousands of wash drawings, Apollinaire made color filled water colors (combined with some saucy expressions). The book, that accompanies an exhibition at the abbey of Ardenne, shows what is rarely shown, as it is considered the fruit of a secondary activity: who has already seen the pages of Louis Althusser’s diary with those little, beautifully drawn heads, or Henry Miller’s drawings on the pages of the Tucson Daily? A writer who draws or a painter who writes? The question has been put forward regarding Topor, but it could concern others. Hans Arp considered himself as a writer and said with an amusing note: «I only do sculpture to make a living».

• L’un pour l’autre, les écrivains dessinent, Buchet-Chastel/IMEC, 2008, 176 p., 39,50 €, ISBN : 978-2-283-02316-7