Oulipo - (French Literature) by Warren Motte & Warren F Motte Jr (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A remarkable collection of writings by members of the group known as the Oulipo (Ouvroir de litterature potentiale), this anthology includes, among others, Italo Calvino, Harry Mathews, Georges Perec, Jacques Roubaud, and Raymond Queneau. Founded in Paris in 1960, the Oulipo views imaginative writing as an exercise dominated by the method of "constraints." While a major contribution to literary theory, and also great fun, Oulipo: A Primer of Potential Literature is perhaps most distinguished as an indispensable guide to writers.

Review Quotes

"Oulipo: A Primer of Potential Literature is an important
collection of Oulipian writing.... It offers a good deal of insight into
the methods behind what is too often considered their madness, as well
as showing much of the personal side of those involved with the Oulipo,
especially in its early years. The material should be of interest to
anyone involved in writing or, indeed, in reading, as Oulipian thought
is applicable to almost all written material..." -- The Complete Review

About the Author

Warren F. Motte, Jr. is chair of the Department of French and Italian at
the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he specializes in
contemporary writing and focuses particularly on experimental works that
challenge conventional notions of literary form. He has written several
studies of contemporary French Literature, including Fables of the
Novel: French Fiction Since 1990, available from Dalkey Archive Press.
Translator and editor of Oulipo: A Primer of Potential Literature, he
also edited an issue of the journal SubStance dedicated to the work of
Jacques Jouet, and is a contributing editor to Context magazine.