Jacques Henric on Mireille Havet’s Journal and Tony Duvert’s Silence
In his column for art press, Jacques Henric reviews the fourth volume of Mireille Havet's Journal (1927-1928), published by Éditions Claire Paulhan, and Gilles Sebhan's book on Tony Duvert. Havet's diary, discovered decades after her death in a trunk, chronicles her descent into drug addiction and turbulent lesbian relationships. Henric contrasts her detailed self-documentation with Duvert's choice of total silence before his death in 2008, aged 64, in a village near Tours. The column reflects on historical trauma, literary legacy, and the challenges of publishing controversial works today.
Key facts
- Mireille Havet's Journal 1927-1928 is published by Éditions Claire Paulhan, edited by Pierre Plateau.
- Havet lost many friends in WWI, including Guillaume Apollinaire on the eve of the armistice.
- Her journal was discovered by chance in an attic, buried in a trunk, nearly half a century after her death.
- The volume's title, 'Héroïne, cocaïne ! La nuit s'avance,' comes from her notebooks.
- Tony Duvert died in August 2008 at age 64, his body found decomposed in his home.
- Duvert had lived in seclusion for nearly 20 years in Thoré, near Tours, after leaving Paris.
- Gilles Sebhan wrote a book analyzing Duvert's life and work, focusing on his relationship with his mother.
- Henric calls for reissue of Duvert's novels, citing their importance to 20th-century literature and free expression.
Entities
Artists
- Jacques Henric
- Mireille Havet
- Tony Duvert
- Guillaume Apollinaire
- Jean Cocteau
- Colette
- Patrick Kéchichian
- Gilles Sebhan
- Jacques Lacan
- Roman Polanski
- Pierre Plateau
Institutions
- art press
- Éditions Claire Paulhan
- Minuit
- Éditions Denoël
Locations
- Paris
- Tours
- Thoré
- Algeria
- Europe
- France