Étiemble
Encyclopedia
Étiemble born 26 January 1909, Mayenne
, died 7 January 2002, Vigny
) was an essayist, scholar, novelist, and promoter of Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Known commonly by his family name alone, Etiemble held the coveted Chair of Comparative Literature, in 1955, at the Institute of General and Comparative Literature in the pre-1968 Sorbonne University and continued in his post as a tenured Professor (and after retirement in September 1978 as an Honorary Professor) at the Sorbonne-Nouvelle University from 1956 to 1978. His doctoral dissertation on the Myth of Rimbaud and his influences world-wide won him fame in 1952. However, Étiemble's derisive tone and and some ill-founded conjectures about Rimbaud's later life undermine the book's credibility today.
During WWII, he taught at the University of Chicago and was attached to the Office of War Information in New York in 1943. After the War, he taught French literature at the University of Alexandria, from 1944 to 1948, and thereafter at the University of Montpéllier, France. He was the author of some sixty works (and edited the celebrated UNESCO Oriental Series for Gallimard publishers) Among his more popular works: Connaissez-vous la Chine? (Do you know China?), Gallimard 1964, and Quarante ans de mon maoïsme (1934-1974) (Forty years of my Maoism) Gallimard 1976 http://www.gallimard.fr/catalog/Html/event/etiem.htm.
He enjoyed a formidable reputation as a literary critic and daring polemicist, recognition for which came late in the guise of an official prize from the French Academy. He had also published three novels, one of which Blason d'un corps. [Paris: Editions Gallimard, 1961] is still remembered and read avidly. He is also remembered for his translations of Lawrence of Arabia's works into French.
In his youth, a militant communist and anti-fascist, he became interested in the Chinese communist movement. Together with the Chinese poet Dai Wangshu
戴望舒 (1905-1950) he produced a number of translations of the works of left-wing Chinese writers and published these in a special issue of Commune (February 1934), organ of the French anti-fascist writers' and artists' association (Association des Écrivains et Artistes Révolutionnaires
).
In his later years, he was a vehement defender of human rights and his book detailing and denouncing the increasing anglicization of the French language, Parlez-vous franglais? (Do you speak Franglais?), Gallimard, (1964, 1991), attracted a wide readership.
In 1988, he was awarded the Balzan Prize
for comparative literature.
Mayenne
Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...
, died 7 January 2002, Vigny
Vigny
Vigny may refer to the following places in France:* Vigny, Moselle, a commune in the Moselle department* Vigny, Val-d'Oise, a commune in the Val-d'Oise departmentVigny may refer to the following people:* Alfred de Vigny...
) was an essayist, scholar, novelist, and promoter of Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Known commonly by his family name alone, Etiemble held the coveted Chair of Comparative Literature, in 1955, at the Institute of General and Comparative Literature in the pre-1968 Sorbonne University and continued in his post as a tenured Professor (and after retirement in September 1978 as an Honorary Professor) at the Sorbonne-Nouvelle University from 1956 to 1978. His doctoral dissertation on the Myth of Rimbaud and his influences world-wide won him fame in 1952. However, Étiemble's derisive tone and and some ill-founded conjectures about Rimbaud's later life undermine the book's credibility today.
During WWII, he taught at the University of Chicago and was attached to the Office of War Information in New York in 1943. After the War, he taught French literature at the University of Alexandria, from 1944 to 1948, and thereafter at the University of Montpéllier, France. He was the author of some sixty works (and edited the celebrated UNESCO Oriental Series for Gallimard publishers) Among his more popular works: Connaissez-vous la Chine? (Do you know China?), Gallimard 1964, and Quarante ans de mon maoïsme (1934-1974) (Forty years of my Maoism) Gallimard 1976 http://www.gallimard.fr/catalog/Html/event/etiem.htm.
He enjoyed a formidable reputation as a literary critic and daring polemicist, recognition for which came late in the guise of an official prize from the French Academy. He had also published three novels, one of which Blason d'un corps. [Paris: Editions Gallimard, 1961] is still remembered and read avidly. He is also remembered for his translations of Lawrence of Arabia's works into French.
In his youth, a militant communist and anti-fascist, he became interested in the Chinese communist movement. Together with the Chinese poet Dai Wangshu
Dai Wangshu
Dai Wangshu was a Chinese poet, essayist and translator active from the late 1920s to the end of the 1940s...
戴望舒 (1905-1950) he produced a number of translations of the works of left-wing Chinese writers and published these in a special issue of Commune (February 1934), organ of the French anti-fascist writers' and artists' association (Association des Écrivains et Artistes Révolutionnaires
Association des Ecrivains et Artistes Révolutionnaires
The Association des Écrivains et Artistes Révolutionnaires was a French association of revolutionary artists and writers which first existed between 1932 and 1939...
).
In his later years, he was a vehement defender of human rights and his book detailing and denouncing the increasing anglicization of the French language, Parlez-vous franglais? (Do you speak Franglais?), Gallimard, (1964, 1991), attracted a wide readership.
In 1988, he was awarded the Balzan Prize
Balzan Prize
The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organisations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the brotherhood of man.-Rewards and assets:Each year the...
for comparative literature.