Jean WAHL

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, two pages written in blue ink on a single bifolium. Original envelope enclosed. Horizontal folds from mailing.
Jean Wahl had been Marc Barbezat’s examiner in philosophy for the baccalauréat, at which point the two men struck up a friendship. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the review L'Arbalète, to which the philosopher contributed by entrusting his young protégé with his earliest poems. This review would later become a publishing house that issued, among others, the first and scandalous texts of Jean Genet.
"Il y a beaucoup de points sur lesquels je suis d'accord avec vous ; d'autres non. Montherlant [...] serait sans doute encore plus près de vous que je ne le suis. Et a d'ailleurs résolu de très peu écrire, ces temps-ci, se distinguant par là, heureusement d'autres hommes de lettres, Giraudoux, Duhamel, Romains et tutti quanti. Oui, aimez Stendhal, voilà une admiration que je comprends complètement." He closes his letter with remarks on paintings by Velázquez and El Greco seen in Geneva.

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, one and a half pages written in black ink on one sheet. Envelope included. Transverse fold inherent to the mailing.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy baccalaureate examination, and it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after this letter was written, Barbezat would found the review L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This review would later become a publishing house that would notably publish Jean Genet's first and scandalous texts.
Interesting letter full of bitterness, written on the eve of World War II: "J'avais l'impression qu'il n'y aurait pas de guerre. J'aurais voulu que ce fût par une reculade d'Hitler qu'elle n'eût pas lieu. Le destin ou la faiblesse des hommes en a décidé autrement. Nous avons manqué - et l'Angleterre aussi - d'hommes qui fussent à la hauteur des circonstances. C'est bien triste." ["I had the impression that there would be no war. I would have wished that it were through Hitler's retreat that it would not take place. Fate or the weakness of men decided otherwise. We lacked - and England too - men who were equal to the circumstances. It is very sad."] Wahl relates his meeting with the poet Lucien Jacques, also translator of Moby Dick: "Sans le roman traduit de Melville, les Cahiers du Contadour me paraissent de second ordre. [...] Lucien Jacques est très sympathique." ["Without Melville's translated novel, the Cahiers du Contadour seem second-rate to me. [...] Lucien Jacques is very likeable."] He ends his letter: "J'admire beaucoup le talent du conteur Panaït Istrati. Conteur qui fait surgir les émotions comme celles que fait naître la musique." ["I greatly admire the talent of the storyteller Panaït Istrati. A storyteller who brings forth emotions like those that music creates."]

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, two and a quarter pages written in black ink on two sheets. Envelope included. Transverse fold inherent to the mailing.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy baccalaureate examination, and it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after this letter was written, Barbezat would found the review L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This review would later become a publishing house that would notably publish Jean Genet's first and scandalous texts.
Long letter notably discussing the sculptor Agustín Cárdenas: "J'ai lu avec plaisir ce que vous disiez du témoignage de Cardenas. (Croyez-vous cependant que les animaliers d'aujourd'hui soient si méprisables ?)" ["I read with pleasure what you said about Cardenas's testimony. (Do you really think that today's animal sculptors are so contemptible?)"] He then lists some "auteurs lyonnais" ["authors from Lyon"] of his acquaintance: "Albert Marie Schmidt [...] qui vient de faire paraîtreune thèse sur la poésie scientifique au 16ème siècle. Il y parle de Maurice Scève. [...] 2° Un jeune russe Balacheff [...] 3° Boas, professeur à l'université de Glasgow, Scotland [...] 4° Marcel Raymond, l'auteur de Baudelaire au Surréalisme [...] 5° Joseph Rouault, spécialiste de Du Bellay [...] Peut-être pourriez-vous écrire à [Georges] Blin [...]" ["Albert Marie Schmidt [...] who has just published a thesis on scientific poetry in the 16th century. He speaks of Maurice Scève there. [...] 2° A young Russian Balacheff [...] 3° Boas, professor at the University of Glasgow, Scotland [...] 4° Marcel Raymond, the author of Baudelaire to Surrealism [...] 5° Joseph Rouault, specialist in Du Bellay [...] Perhaps you could write to [Georges] Blin [...]"]

Signed autograph letter from Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, one page written in black ink on a sheet. Envelope included. Transverse fold inherent to the mailing.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy baccalaureate examination, and it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the journal L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This journal would later become a publishing house that would notably publish the first and scandalous texts of Jean Genet.
Letter in response to a request from Marc Barbezat who had undoubtedly asked Wahl for a text: "I definitely cannot send you anything of mine." He mentions Marcel Raymond and gives Balacheff's address.

Signed autograph letter from Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, one page written in black ink on a sheet. Envelope included. Transverse fold inherent to the mailing.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy baccalaureate examination, and it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the journal L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This journal would later become a publishing house that would notably publish the first and scandalous texts of Jean Genet.
Wahl quotes Maurice Scève, Jacques Peletier du Mans and Ozanam in this letter.

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, one and a half pages written in black ink on a sheet. On the attached envelope, one can see that the mail was redirected to another address, as Marc Barbezat had just been mobilized. Transverse folds inherent to mailing and two corner folds.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy baccalaureate exam, and it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the magazine L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This magazine would later become a publishing house that would notably publish Jean Genet's first and scandalous texts.
"J'ai conservé de la soirée passée avec votre amie et vous un souvenir délicieux en redonnant à ce mot un peu usé sa valeur. Ce qui prouve que, même de cette horrible époque, on peut conserver d'excellents souvenirs. [...] Et cette note pour la NRF dont vous m'aviez parlé ?" ["I have kept a delicious memory of the evening spent with your friend and you, giving this somewhat worn word back its value. Which proves that even from this horrible period, one can retain excellent memories. [...] And what about that note for the NRF you had mentioned?"]
Attached is a press clipping, evidently extracted from the Nouvelle Revue Française of December 1939.

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, two pages written in blue ink on one leaf. Envelope included. Transverse fold inherent to mailing.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy baccalaureate examination, and it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the review L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This review would later become a publishing house that would notably publish the first and scandalous texts of Jean Genet.
Beautiful and very poetic letter: "Merci de tout coeur de cette lettre où le coeur se meurt - et la mer - et la solitude, l'étrangeté ; l'au-delà de ce paysage que vous me décrivez." ["Thank you with all my heart for this letter where the heart dies - and the sea - and solitude, strangeness; the beyond of this landscape that you describe to me."] Wahl laments: "C'est dommage que lorsque je suis en face de vous vous, notre intimité que je sens dans vos lettres et dans les miennes s'évanouisse. [...] Nous sommes tous bien emprisonnés en nous-mêmes." ["It's a shame that when I am face to face with you, our intimacy that I feel in your letters and in mine vanishes. [...] We are all quite imprisoned within ourselves."]

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, two pages written in black ink on a sheet. Envelope enclosed. Transverse fold inherent to the mailing.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy examination at the baccalaureate, it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the review L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would collaborate by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This review would subsequently become a publishing house that would notably publish the first and sulfurous texts of Jean Genet.
The letter mentions another philosopher: "I spoke about your previous letter to Gabriel Marcel [...] - And he told me that he knows your father. How curious." Wahl also speaks of the essayist Marcel Brion and other of his illustrious acquaintances: "I do not entirely share your opinion on Marcel Brion (perhaps I know him poorly) but I greatly appreciate [Pierre Jean] Jouve, whom I see often, moreover. [...] I have also seen recently Gide and Bergson [...] Gide is going to leave for Africa. He seems to have risen above politics." The philosopher gives an account of his reading of André Malraux's L'Espoir published the previous month: "I tried in vain to read the Malraux, which must nevertheless contain beautiful pages. (I even saw or glimpsed a few)" He concludes his letter with a consideration concerning the Marx Brothers: "I do not much like the Marx Brothers."

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, two pages written in blue ink on a sheet. Envelope included. Transverse fold inherent to the mailing.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy examination at the baccalauréat; it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the journal L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This journal would later become a publishing house that would notably publish Jean Genet's first and scandalous texts.
Beautiful letter imbued with poetry: "J'ai aimé ce que vous dites sur vos journées passées avec la nature, - avec Dame Nature, Femme nature." ["I loved what you said about your days spent with nature, - with Lady Nature, Woman nature."] Wahl comments: "J'ai reçu un volume de vers de [René] Tavernier dont vous m'avez parlé, et qu'un de mes étudiants connaît. C'est difficile, mais non sans intérêt." ["I received a volume of verse by [René] Tavernier whom you told me about, and whom one of my students knows. It is difficult, but not without interest."]

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, one and a half pages written in black ink on a sheet. Envelope included. Transversal fold inherent to the mailing.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy examination at the baccalauréat, it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the magazine L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This magazine would later become a publishing house that would notably publish the first and scandalous texts of Jean Genet.
The philosopher, having had no news from his former student, wonders: "Je n'ai plus de vos nouvelles. Que devenez-vous ? Quitterez-vous Lyon à Pâques ? Je le pense. [...] Avez-vous découvert de nouvelles choses ? Avez-vous lu ?" ["I have no more news from you. What are you becoming? Will you leave Lyon at Easter? I think so. [...] Have you discovered new things? Have you been reading?"] He concludes his letter sententiously: "Il vaut mieux ne pas penser à l'état du monde." ["It is better not to think about the state of the world."]

Autograph letter signed by Jean Wahl addressed to Marc Barbezat, one and a half pages written in black ink on a sheet with Victoria Palace Hotel (Paris) letterhead. Envelope included. Transverse fold inherent to posting.
Jean Wahl was Marc Barbezat's examiner for the philosophy examination at the baccalauréat, and it was then that the two men became friends. In 1940, shortly after writing this letter, Barbezat would found the review L'Arbalète to which the philosopher would contribute by entrusting his very first poems to his young protégé. This review would subsequently become a publishing house that would notably publish Jean Genet's first and scandalous texts.
Jean Wahl is overwhelmed by "marking papers". He mentions an unknown person: "I shall try to get details about this Varlanesco you mention to me."

First edition, one of 22 numbered copies on vélin supérieur paper, the only large paper copies.
Spine sunned, internally good.

First edition, one of 250 numbered copies on vélin paper, the only printing after 25 on Hollande paper.
Spine and covers marginally sunned, otherwise a good copy.

First edition.
Two small stains in the margins of upper cover.

Edition of wich no leading copies exists.
Signed autograph of Jean Wahl Professor Georges Blin.
spine and slightly insolated minor boards.

Edition for which he was not drawn large paper, review copy.
Signed autograph of Jean Wahl Professor Georges Blin.
spine and slightly shaded flat minor.

Edition for which he was not drawn large paper, review copy.
Signed autograph of Jean Wahl Professor Georges Blin.
spine and slightly insolated boards.