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The critical impact of politics on literature and art will be explored through the personal lives, political struggles and literary works of renowned French author Louis Aragon and his Russian-born wife and literary counterpart, Elsa Triolet, during a colloquium entitled, "Aragon, Elsa Triolet: Love and Politics in the Time of the Cold War," to be presented by Columbia University'sMaison Francaise on October 13th and 14th. This comprehensive review of two figures central to the literary, cultural and political scene of the French Intelligentsia-the first American conference of its kind dedicated to the study of Aragon--has drawn fifteen literary critics, historians and art historians from Europe and America.
The impact of their loyalty to the Communist Party, the influence of their marriage on their writing, Triolet's struggles between communism and Judaism, the couple's relationship with contemporaries Picasso and Matisse, and Aragon's relations with American writers will also be explored. The two-day colloquium will be held in Buell Hall (enter campus at Broadway and 116th St.) Friday, October 13, and Saturday, October 14, and is free and open to the public. Lectures, roundtables are held from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Online registration is available at: http://columbia.edu.cu/french/masion/.
Labeled "The Couple" by the press in the 50's and 60's, Aragon (1897-1982) and Triolet (1896-1970) were at the center of the French Intellectual movement for almost 30 years, during which time France was grappling with the most charged issues of the 20th Century--World War, de-Stalinization and the Cold War. The dramatic changes in their writing reflects the political upheaval that marked their time and their own sense of involvement and responsibility.
A prolific writer in a variety of literary styles, Aragon was a novelist, poet, art critic, journalist and a politically-active member of the French Resistance and the Parti Communiste Francais. In the 20's he wrote surrealist novels and poetry, for which he is most well known in this country. In the 30's, partly under the influence of his wife, he converted to communism and produced a massive cycle of socialist realist novels and poésie engagée. Late in his life he turned to writing difficult, self-conscious and post-modern fiction.
Aragon was a friend of some of the greatest artists of his century. He knew Matisse well and wrote about him, both in his fiction (book entitled, Henri Matisse, Roman) and in his art criticism. He was very close to Picasso and was particularly involved with the artist's political radicalization.
Russian-born Triolet's fiction deals with modern feminist issues, including women's roles in politics and history. A Fine of 200 Francs, a collection of wartime stories, was recently published in English.
Triolet's work is historically, thematically and formally inseparable from Aragon's. Their work reflects the bond that united them. From 1964 on, they published joint editions of their complete fiction, Oeuvres Romanesques Croisées (produced from 1964 on), illustrated by Matisse and many other artists. This was meant to show the extent to which their works alternate and respond both thematically and structurally to one another's. By focusing not on a single creative genius but on the links between creativity and intimate partnership, their innovative approach challenges the individualistic notion of the author today.
The conference provides an opportunity for American scholars and the educated public to explore a fascinatingly complex period through the example of Triolet and Aragon's writings and lives. For both, the post-war years were particularly critical and the political crisis that ensued was inseparable from their emotional and artistic crises. Aragon and Triolet were led by their unconditional loyalty to the Communist Party to deny, misrepresent or even justify the repressive nature of the totalitarian regimes of the Eastern bloc. As the crimes of the Stalin era were revealed, the interplay of doubt, guilt, confession and denial became a characteristic feature of Aragon and Triolet's fiction, poetry and writing.
This colloquium is made possible with support from the Sterling Currier Fund and the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and is organized by Columbia Professor Dominique Jullien.
Founded in 1913, la Maison Française of Columbia University is the oldest French House established on an American university campus. It is a meeting place for academics, students, business leaders, policy-makers and all persons seeking a better understanding of the French-speaking world.
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