Jean-Marie Apostolidès
Encyclopedia
Jean-Marie Apostolidès is a French novelist, essayist, playwright
, theater director, and university professor
. He was born in Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais
, France
, on November 27, 1943.
, a traditional and bourgeois French town. His autobiographical novel, L’Audience, recounts his upbringing in this provincial city and paints a memorable picture of French life in the 1950s-1960s. This work centers on the author’s life-altering encounter with pope Pius XII, a “minor episode” that led him to abandon religion and devote himself to theater.
Following his “first vocation,” Apostolidès studied theater in Paris with Tania Balachova, then moved on to the study of psychology
and the social sciences, obtaining a master in psychology in Nanterre
, in 1968. He then moved to Canada (Toronto, then Montreal) where he taught psychology. In 1972 his first play "Bobby Boom" was directed by Olivier Reichenbach, set design by Guy Neveu, at the Théâtre du Gèsu in Montreal. In 1972 he returned to France and undertook a doctorate in sociology
with Jean Duvignaud
as director. During this period, while teaching at the university of Tours
, Apostolidès founded a production company and directed short films with Bertrand Renaudineau. He defended his thesis and obtained his doctorat d’état in literature and the social sciences in 1977. From 1981 to 1982, Apostolidès worked with Jean Gascon
, French-Canadian theater director, on adapting Oedipus the King
for the National Arts Centre
in Ottawa.
He has been teaching in the United States since 1979, first at Stanford University
(1979–1981), then at Harvard (1981–1987). In 1987 he returned to Stanford where he is the William H. Bonsall Professor of French. He teaches literature and drama.
Apostolidès is the theorist of iconomy, a new field of study of images and of their effects on people.
, anthropology
, sociology
, and literature
aiming to “tap into what cannot be discerned by social actors.” His first two books – Le Roi-Machine (1981), Le Prince sacrifié (1985) – deal with spectacle and court pageantry under the reign of Louis XIV. Another work in line with Le Roi-Machine is his essay Cyrano. Qui fut tout et qui ne fut rien, a literary and political analysis of Edmond Rostand
’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac
.
Apostolidès has written a number of plays, which have been staged in France, Canada, and the United States. Among his theatrical works are: Bobby Boom (1972), La Nauf des fous (1980 and 1988) and Il faut construire l'hacienda (2006). As a theater director, he has developed the approach of mise-en-tableaux, a method of mise en scène
intended to enhance the spectators’ emotional involvement with the action presented on stage.
He is a well-known expert on Tintin
, a subject on which he has published extensively – from Les Métamorphoses et Tintin in 1984, to L’Archipel Tintin in collaboration with Benoit Peeters
, to Tintin et le mythe du surenfant, to his latest work entitled Dans la peau de Tintin (2010). In this recent essay, he studies Hergé’s psychology, undertaking an in-depth analysis of elements touched upon in his earlier works (Les Métamorphoses et Tintin; Tintin et le mythe du surenfant).
His interest in avant-garde
movements, i.e. the Situationist International and the Lettrist International
, as well as in the personalities who founded them, lead to the publication of the essay Les Tombeaux de Guy Debord and the play Il faut construire l’hacienda. Apostolidès also authored multiple studies and collective editions on the avant-garde: in collaboration with Boris Donné, a biography of Ivan Chtcheglov
, Ivan Chtcheglov, profil perdu; an edition of Chtcheglov texts, Écrits retrouvés; and three books of Patrick Straram – Les bouteilles se couchent, La veuve blanche et noire un peu détournée, Lettre à Guy Debord.
He translated into French the manifestoes of terrorist Theodor Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber: Le Manifeste de 1971 (1996) and L’avenir de la société industrielle (in 2009). Apostolidès also authored an essay on the Unabomber: L’Affaire Unabomber (1996).
Apostolidès considers three of his works particularly important. The first of these is his only novel to date, L’Audience, a family narrative published in 2001 and augmented in 2008. This autobiographical text is the author’s most personal work because in it he shares his sufferings, incomprehensions, hopes, and loves. Through the story of one family, L’Audience covers half a century of life in provincial France. Second, Cyrano. Qui fut tout et qui ne fut rien, an essay on Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac, is an attempt to discover why, a hundred years after its creation, this play still fascinates so many people. Apostolidès sensed that the secret of Rostand’s play was associated with the paternal figure and that the work’s significance extended far beyond its literary qualities. Finally, Héroïsme et victimisation (2003), constitutes, as the subtitle notes, a “history of sensibility” in the West
. In this essay, Apostolidès analyzes the events of May 1968
and their consequences on French society at the beginning of the 21st century. He shows how the longstanding culture of heroism was gradually replaced by a culture of victimization, thus leading to the birth of a new type of society. A new edition of this work appeared in 2011.
Il faut construire l'hacienda (Les Impressions nouvelles, 2006).
Les Métamorphoses de Tintin (Seghers, 1984 ; Exils, 2003 ; Flammarion, 2006)
Le Prince sacrifié. Théâtre et politique au temps de Louis XIV (Minuit, 1985)
L'Affaire Unabomber (Le Rocher, 1996)
Les Tombeaux de Guy Debord, précédé de "Guy-Ernest en jeune libertin" (Exils, 1999 ; Flammarion, 2006)
Héroïsme et victimisation. Une histoire de la sensibilité. (Exils, 2003); Editions du Cerf, 2011. (ISBN 978-2-204-09469-6)
Tintin et le mythe du surenfant (Moulinsart, 2003)
Cyrano. Qui fut tout et qui ne fut rien (Les Impressions nouvelles, 2006)
Dans la peau de Tintin (Les Impressions nouvelles, 2010)
Ivan Chtcheglov, profil perdu, with Boris Donné (Allia, 2006)
Ecrits retrouvés, on Ivan Chtcheglov, with Boris Donné (Allia, 2006)
Lettre à Guy Debord : Précédée d'une Lettre à Ivan Chtcheglov by Patrick Straram (Allia, 2006), with Boris Donné
La veuve blanche et noire un peu détournée, by Patrick Straram, with Boris Donné (Sens & Tonka, 2006)
Little Nemo, 1905-2005, un siècle de rêves, by Apostolidès, Baetens, Ciment, Fresnault-Deruelle, Groensteen, Maresca, Peeters, Samson, Smolderen, Sterckx, Tisseron et Van Lier.
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, theater director, and university professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
. He was born in Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais
Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais
Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais is a commune in the Allier department in central France, within the borders of the national Forest of Tronçais.-Population:-References:*...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, on November 27, 1943.
Biography
Apostolidès grew up in TroyesTroyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, a traditional and bourgeois French town. His autobiographical novel, L’Audience, recounts his upbringing in this provincial city and paints a memorable picture of French life in the 1950s-1960s. This work centers on the author’s life-altering encounter with pope Pius XII, a “minor episode” that led him to abandon religion and devote himself to theater.
Following his “first vocation,” Apostolidès studied theater in Paris with Tania Balachova, then moved on to the study of psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and the social sciences, obtaining a master in psychology in Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
, in 1968. He then moved to Canada (Toronto, then Montreal) where he taught psychology. In 1972 his first play "Bobby Boom" was directed by Olivier Reichenbach, set design by Guy Neveu, at the Théâtre du Gèsu in Montreal. In 1972 he returned to France and undertook a doctorate in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
with Jean Duvignaud
Jean Duvignaud
Jean Duvignaud was a French novelist and sociologist.Duvignaud was a secondary school teacher at Abbeville then at Étampes where he taught Georges Perec. After submitting his doctoral thesis he taught at the University of Tours...
as director. During this period, while teaching at the university of Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, Apostolidès founded a production company and directed short films with Bertrand Renaudineau. He defended his thesis and obtained his doctorat d’état in literature and the social sciences in 1977. From 1981 to 1982, Apostolidès worked with Jean Gascon
Jean Gascon
Jean Gascon, was a Canadian opera director, actor, and administrator.From 1968 to 1974, he was the artistic director of the Stratford Festival of Canada.-Honours:...
, French-Canadian theater director, on adapting Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King , also known by the Latin title Oedipus Rex, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed c. 429 BCE. It was the second of Sophocles's three Theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone...
for the National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
in Ottawa.
He has been teaching in the United States since 1979, first at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(1979–1981), then at Harvard (1981–1987). In 1987 he returned to Stanford where he is the William H. Bonsall Professor of French. He teaches literature and drama.
Apostolidès is the theorist of iconomy, a new field of study of images and of their effects on people.
Oeuvre
Jean-Marie Apostolidès’ oeuvre focuses on theater and social history. The author draws on his knowledge of psychoanalysisPsychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
, anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
aiming to “tap into what cannot be discerned by social actors.” His first two books – Le Roi-Machine (1981), Le Prince sacrifié (1985) – deal with spectacle and court pageantry under the reign of Louis XIV. Another work in line with Le Roi-Machine is his essay Cyrano. Qui fut tout et qui ne fut rien, a literary and political analysis of Edmond Rostand
Edmond Rostand
Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism, and is best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand's romantic plays provided an alternative to the naturalistic theatre popular during the late nineteenth century...
’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac
Hercule-Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French dramatist and duelist. He is now best remembered for the works of fiction which have been woven, often very loosely, around his life story, most notably the 1897 play by Edmond Rostand...
.
Apostolidès has written a number of plays, which have been staged in France, Canada, and the United States. Among his theatrical works are: Bobby Boom (1972), La Nauf des fous (1980 and 1988) and Il faut construire l'hacienda (2006). As a theater director, he has developed the approach of mise-en-tableaux, a method of mise en scène
Mise en scène
Mise-en-scène is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theatre or film production, which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story"—both in visually artful ways through storyboarding, cinematography and stage design, and in poetically artful ways through direction...
intended to enhance the spectators’ emotional involvement with the action presented on stage.
He is a well-known expert on Tintin
Tintin
Tintin, Tin-Tin or Tin Tin may refer to:* The Adventures of Tintin , the series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist Hergé...
, a subject on which he has published extensively – from Les Métamorphoses et Tintin in 1984, to L’Archipel Tintin in collaboration with Benoit Peeters
Benoît Peeters
Benoît Peeters is a comics writer, novelist, and critic. He has lived in Belgium since 1978.His best-known work is Les Cités Obscures, an imaginary world which mingles a Borgesian metaphysical surrealism with the detailed architectural vistas of the series' artist, François Schuiten...
, to Tintin et le mythe du surenfant, to his latest work entitled Dans la peau de Tintin (2010). In this recent essay, he studies Hergé’s psychology, undertaking an in-depth analysis of elements touched upon in his earlier works (Les Métamorphoses et Tintin; Tintin et le mythe du surenfant).
His interest in avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
movements, i.e. the Situationist International and the Lettrist International
Lettrist International
The Letterist International was a Paris-based collective of radical artists and theorists between 1952 and 1957. It was created by Guy Debord as a schism from Isidore Isou's Letterist group...
, as well as in the personalities who founded them, lead to the publication of the essay Les Tombeaux de Guy Debord and the play Il faut construire l’hacienda. Apostolidès also authored multiple studies and collective editions on the avant-garde: in collaboration with Boris Donné, a biography of Ivan Chtcheglov
Ivan Chtcheglov
Ivan Vladimirovitch Chtcheglov, was a French political theorist, activist and poet, born in Paris to Ukrainian father and French mother.-Family background:...
, Ivan Chtcheglov, profil perdu; an edition of Chtcheglov texts, Écrits retrouvés; and three books of Patrick Straram – Les bouteilles se couchent, La veuve blanche et noire un peu détournée, Lettre à Guy Debord.
He translated into French the manifestoes of terrorist Theodor Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber: Le Manifeste de 1971 (1996) and L’avenir de la société industrielle (in 2009). Apostolidès also authored an essay on the Unabomber: L’Affaire Unabomber (1996).
Apostolidès considers three of his works particularly important. The first of these is his only novel to date, L’Audience, a family narrative published in 2001 and augmented in 2008. This autobiographical text is the author’s most personal work because in it he shares his sufferings, incomprehensions, hopes, and loves. Through the story of one family, L’Audience covers half a century of life in provincial France. Second, Cyrano. Qui fut tout et qui ne fut rien, an essay on Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac, is an attempt to discover why, a hundred years after its creation, this play still fascinates so many people. Apostolidès sensed that the secret of Rostand’s play was associated with the paternal figure and that the work’s significance extended far beyond its literary qualities. Finally, Héroïsme et victimisation (2003), constitutes, as the subtitle notes, a “history of sensibility” in the West
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
. In this essay, Apostolidès analyzes the events of May 1968
May 1968
The May 1968 protest refers to a particular period in French history. It was historically significant for being the first wildcat general strike ever, and for being the largest general strike ever, bringing the economy of an advanced industrial country to a virtual standstill. It commenced with a...
and their consequences on French society at the beginning of the 21st century. He shows how the longstanding culture of heroism was gradually replaced by a culture of victimization, thus leading to the birth of a new type of society. A new edition of this work appeared in 2011.
Novel
L'audience (Exils, 2001), édition revue et complétée (Les Impressions Nouvelles, 2008.)Theater
La Nauf des fous (Albin Michel, 1982)Il faut construire l'hacienda (Les Impressions nouvelles, 2006).
Essays
Le Roi-machine. Spectacle et politique au temps de Louis XIV (Minuit, 1981)Les Métamorphoses de Tintin (Seghers, 1984 ; Exils, 2003 ; Flammarion, 2006)
Le Prince sacrifié. Théâtre et politique au temps de Louis XIV (Minuit, 1985)
L'Affaire Unabomber (Le Rocher, 1996)
Les Tombeaux de Guy Debord, précédé de "Guy-Ernest en jeune libertin" (Exils, 1999 ; Flammarion, 2006)
Héroïsme et victimisation. Une histoire de la sensibilité. (Exils, 2003); Editions du Cerf, 2011. (ISBN 978-2-204-09469-6)
Tintin et le mythe du surenfant (Moulinsart, 2003)
Cyrano. Qui fut tout et qui ne fut rien (Les Impressions nouvelles, 2006)
Dans la peau de Tintin (Les Impressions nouvelles, 2010)
Collective editions
L'Archipel Tintin, with Albert Algoud, Benoît Peeters, Pierre Sterckx et Dominique Cerbelaud (Les Impressions nouvelles, 2004)Ivan Chtcheglov, profil perdu, with Boris Donné (Allia, 2006)
Ecrits retrouvés, on Ivan Chtcheglov, with Boris Donné (Allia, 2006)
Lettre à Guy Debord : Précédée d'une Lettre à Ivan Chtcheglov by Patrick Straram (Allia, 2006), with Boris Donné
La veuve blanche et noire un peu détournée, by Patrick Straram, with Boris Donné (Sens & Tonka, 2006)
Little Nemo, 1905-2005, un siècle de rêves, by Apostolidès, Baetens, Ciment, Fresnault-Deruelle, Groensteen, Maresca, Peeters, Samson, Smolderen, Sterckx, Tisseron et Van Lier.