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53 GENET, Jean. Notre-Dame-des-Fleurs. Monte-Carlo: aux dépens d’un amateur [Paul Morihien], [1943] “to the one who is almost Notre-Dame des Fleurs” First edition, limited issue, number 118 of 350 copies, this copy amorously inscribed by the author to the American composer David Diamond (or, specifically, to Diamond’s penis) on the half-title, with a portrait of the author trimmed from a magazine pasted onto the title page, finely bound with Diamond’s initials on the spine and with his blind-stamp to the head of the title page. While Genet’s hand is occasionally difficult to decipher, the inscription reads thus, incorporating the title: “A mon pompom rouge / à sa gorge de colombe / à son col bleu / à sa rose etruffée dans la laine / à sa tendre reponse a mes doigts / à celui qui presque / “notre-dame-des-fleurs” / et que j’aime encore / ton / Jean Genet” (“To my red pompom / to your dove throat / to your blue collar / to your rose smothered in wool / and your tender response to my fingers / to the one who is almost / “notre-dame- des-fleurs” / and who I love still / your / Jean Genet”).
Diamond was openly gay long before it was socially acceptable, and was consequently much admired in the gay community. He and Genet moved in similar circles, and it is evident from this inscription that they were lovers. Notre-Dame- des-Fleurs , a semi-autobiographical account of Genet’s escapades, narrates the lives of homosexual characters living on the fringes of society. Described admiringly by Sartre as “the epic of masturbation”, the novel had a tremendous influence on the Beats, David Bowie, and the drag queen Divine, whose stage name was taken from the titular character. This first edition was circulated as private erotica. Genet later excised some of the more graphic passages, and the first trade edition was published by Marc Barbezat of the literary journal L’Arbalete in 1944. Quarto (250 x 195 mm). Finely bound in near-contemporary green morocco-backed vellum, spine and front cover lettered in gilt, recipient’s initials “D.D.” gilt on foot of spine, metallic green and red endpapers, original wrappers bound in. Photographic portrait of author by Roderick Macarthur, trimmed from magazine and pasted to title page. A handsome, firm copy, a little rubbing to spine and lower edges, trivial foxing to a few pages, else internally clean and bright. A near-fine copy. £6,750 [153143]
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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