POMERAND, Gabriel. Le Testament d’un Acquitté: précédé de ses aveux publics [The Testament of an Acquitted Man: proceeded by his public confessions]. Paris: La Porte Ouverte René Julliard. 1951.
8vo. Soft cream covers lettered in red and black to front cover and spine; pp. 105; [3]; toning to covers and some light spotting, toning to text block; very good.
Service de Presse copy inscribed by the author to the Bruno Romani.
Pomerand, convinced he was going to die, wrote his testament in a style that evokes both François Villon and the subversion of the Lettrists. The text carries a great intensity and is filled with caustic humour. The book begins with Pomerand’s “Public Confessions” which is long love poem without any punctuation. It functions as a tribute to his friend Olivier Gilles who had just committed suicide. This seems particularly pertinent, as twenty years later, Pomerand would also end his life in 1972 at the age of 46. This was after a long decline due to his consumption of LSD and opium. As a co-founder of Lettrism with Isou in 1946, Pomerand stands as an archetype of the poéte maudit.
This copy is inscribed by the author in blue ink to the half title. The message is addressed to the Italian literary critic Bruno Romani. On the back cover, it has been stamped “S. P.” for Service de Presse.
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