F. Scott Fitzgerald's Unpublished Writings on Jazz, Alcohol, and Writing

A new French translation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's autobiographical fragments, titled "Un livre à soi" (A Book of One's Own), has been published by Éditions Les Belles Lettres, translated by Pierre Guglielmina. The volume collects Fitzgerald's reflections on jazz, alcohol, and the creative process, including a 1917 piece from the Princeton Tiger that lists the stages of staying up all night. Fitzgerald defines jazz as progressing from sex to dance to music, associated with nervous stimulation akin to wartime cities. The book also features his correspondence with editor Maxwell Perkins, revealing the struggle between an irresistible urge to write and circumstances that prevent it. Fitzgerald's early fame at 24 with "This Side of Paradise" (1920) is noted, along with his later works "The Beautiful and Damned," "The Great Gatsby," and "Tender Is the Night." The text includes a 1929 fragment ordering wine in French, and Fitzgerald's radio performance as Othello in his final year.