The Continual Pilgrimage: American Writers in Paris, 1944-60: American Writers in Paris, 1944-1960 - Softcover

Sawyer-Lauçanno, Christopher

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0872863344 ISBN 13: 9780872863347

Publisher: City Lights Publishers, 1997

Synopsis

Between 1944 and 1960, a second wave of expatriate American writers took up residence in Paris, some seeking the exiting ambiance of art and the bohemian life that Paris has offered earlier generations, some escaping from racist and materialistic aspects of the United States. While much has been written about the Lost Generation between the wars, little has been said about their postwar successors. And yet, what dazzling talent was present in Paris during this later period. Richard Wright, James Baldwin, James Jones, William Styron, Chester Himes, George Plimpton, John Ashbery, Harry Matthews, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Alexander Trocchi, Gregory Corso, Brion Gysin, and William S. Burroughs are among those who flocked to Paris and produced important and enduring poetry and fiction. Christopher Sawyer Laucanno, sees through the Paris of glamorous legend to the sometimes starker reality of those times in this entertaining, anecdotal account of the friendships and associations the writers formed, the cross-cultural influences they experienced, what they discovered, and what they brought back.

An impressive mosaic of the Parisan American literary scene.”—Publishers Weekly

A well-written, substantial and fascinating piece of literary sociology.”—Choice

"Continual Pilgrimage is a beautifully written and informative exploration of the (often inexplicable) effects that Paris exerts on those who journey here. As its title implies, this exploration is an enduring one: 'In the accounts of almost all of the writers profiled in this book, Paris was equated with artistic freedom, with the ability to experiment, to succeed, even to fail without feeling oneself to be a social deviant.'"—Rob Couteau, The Paris Free Voice

"Intelligently done. Lively capsule histories lend zest to each writer's empowering Paris years."—Kirkus Review

Christopher Sawyer Luccano is the author of An Invisible Spectator, a biography of Paul Bowles, and the translator of Concerning the Angels, poems by Rafael Alberti. He lives in Massachusetts, where he teaches in the Program of Writing and Humanistic Studies at MIT.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Between 1944 and 1960 a second great wave of American writers took up residence in Paris, seeking the artistically charged atmosphere so pervasive during the Jazz Age. While much has been written about the Lost Generation between the wars, little attention has been paid to their postwar successors as a group. And yet, what a dazzling array of talent was present in Paris during this period! Richard Wright, James Baldwin, William Styron, James Jones, Chester Himes, George Plimpton, John Ashbery, Harry Mathews, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Alexander Trocchi, and William Burroughs are among those who flocked to Paris and who flourished through the experience. Indeed, many of these literary wanderers and expatriates produced some of their most important and enduring poetry and fiction during these years, their collective efforts inspiring new creative directions for the second half of the century. The Continual Pilgrimage is a biographical/historical portrait of the friendships and associations they formed, the cross-cultural influences they occasioned, what they discovered, and what they brought back. Christopher Sawyer-Laucanno merges the Paris of glamorous legend with the sometimes starker reality they encountered into a highly entertaining and anecdotal account of writers following a dream and finding a vision.

About this edition

• Publisher: City Lights Publishers
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0872863344
• ISBN 13: 9780872863347
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336