Jean-Luc Steinmetz's 'Les temps sont venus' Examines 20th-Century Poets

Jean-Luc Steinmetz, a poet and critic specializing in Mallarmé and Rimbaud, has published 'Les temps sont venus' with Éditions Cécile Defaut. The book collects his recent essays on 20th-century poets, including Apollinaire, Reverdy, Artaud, Jouffroy, Novarina, and Beck. Steinmetz, founder of the journal TXT with Christian Prigent, adopts a stance as a witness to history and the world, offering a subjective coherence that avoids academic or journalistic compilation. The work is presented as a 'theory'—a series of consequential remarks organized around proper names. It addresses the persistent question of time's demand for inscription, signature, and fabulous disposition. Steinmetz, both classic and modern, transforms from critic to announcer of the 'future phenomenon.' The title echoes his 1990 poetry collection 'Aujourd'hui de nouveau,' suggesting that poetry, though seemingly finished, only has the horizon of recommencement. The book was reviewed by Philippe Forest in artpress.