Young Joë Bousquet begs to be heard by the Surrealists. 1925.

Joe Bousquet (1897-1950)

Autographed letter signed to Pierre Naville.

One page in-4°.

Carcassonne. April 20 [19]25

"Nevertheless, I remain entirely committed to the surrealist cause."

A superb letter from the young Bousquet, at the dawn of his literary career, to Pierre Naville, director of La Révolution surréaliste . Isolated in his room in Carcassonne, Bousquet insists that his surrealist aspirations and his literary contribution be heard by the Parisian group led by André Breton.

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“ I have just read with great interest issue no. 3 of La Révolution Surréaliste. I see that the fragment I sent you was not included. Upon rereading it these past few days, I realized quite clearly that it was not possible to make use of it. Nevertheless, I remain entirely committed to the Surrealist cause. Though so far from you, I am groping my way through you as best I can. Your letter last month gave me much joy and hope. May I send you a very short Surrealist fragment for the next issue of La Révolution? I hope you will accept it. If you reply quickly, I will send it to you by return mail. You know, Sir, that I am isolated in the provinces. I wish you to include me in your research. I would like to work with you. Please, make use of me; do not let my forced absence condemn me to total oblivion …”

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The journal La Révolution surréaliste, founded in 1924, was initially edited by Naville and Benjamin Péret, then by André Breton. After twelve issues, published between December 1924 and December 1929, the journal was renamed Le Surréalisme au service de la révolution or Surréalisme ASDLR, which, over the course of six issues, was published until May 1933.