The Extreme In-Between : Jean Paulhan’s Place in the Twentieth Century

( From Modern Humanities Research Association ( MHRA) website) Frequently referred to as the éminence grise of French literature in the inter-war years, Jean Paulhan (1884-1968) was not just the editor responsible for giving writers as varied as Francis Ponge and Jean-Paul Sartre their first start in the pages of the renowned Nouvelle Revue Française. He also produced a substantial body of work of astonishing eclecticism. From dense, quasi-scientific texts on poetic language, where his critical expertise in contemporary linguistics and psychology is abundantly apparent, to enigmatic récits, which often seem closer to prose poems than anything else, he explored and exploited a vast range of discourses and artistic practices, from the Marquis de Sade's early works to Picasso's still lives. Yet all his explorations were governed by an overwhelming concern to understand what literature has to pay back to society. Anna-Louise Milne reveals the space Jean Paulhan sought to carve out, between art for art's sake and art for political ends, thereby establishing more clearly his place in the twentieth century. Anna-Louise Milne is Lecturer in French and Comparative Studies at the University of London Institute in Paris. Reviews: ‘Lights up the firmament of scholarship on Paulhan with brilliance... With wit, exuberance and theoretical sure-footedness, Milne takes us through a series of close readings. Not only does The Extreme In-Between reveal the astonishing reach and depth of Paulhan’s thinking, but it paves the way for a new conception of the relationship of language to political action and historical event, one that has a remarkably contemporary (twenty-first century?) resonance to it.’ — Michael Syrotinski, French Studies 491-92 ‘Tout bien considéré, l'ouvrage dense et méticuleusement relu de Milne vient ajouter de nouvelles perspectives aux réévaluations actuelles de Paulhan.’ — Stephen Steele, The French Review 81.5, 2008, 1007-08