Speaking East: The Strange and Enchanted Life of Isidore Isou

Isidore Isou was a Jew who founded the Lettrism movement in postwar Paris. He was a charismatic figure who gathered a group of disciples around him, including hooligan disciples who argued, drank, and had sex with the Parisian intellectual elite. This is a vibrant account of the life and times of a pivotal figure in the history of modern art.

Format: Hardback
Length: 324 pages
Publication date: 13 September 2021
Publisher: Reaktion Books

Isidore Isou, a young Jew who narrowly escaped the horrors of the Romanian Holocaust during World War II, found refuge in Paris. In 1945, he established the avant-garde movement Lettrism, which is often considered the missing link between Dada, Surrealism, Situationism, and May 68. In his book, Speaking East, Andrew Hussey offers a captivating portrayal of the postwar Left Bank, where Lettrist fists flew in avant-garde punch-ups in Jazz clubs and cafes, and where Isou, as charismatic as the young Elvis, attracted a group of hooligan disciples who engaged in heated arguments, indulged in alcohol, and had intimate relationships with the Parisian intellectual elite. This is a lively and detailed account of the life and contributions of a significant figure in the history of modern art.

Isidore Isou, a young Jew who narrowly escaped the horrors of the Romanian Holocaust during World War II, found refuge in Paris. In 1945, he established the avant-garde movement Lettrism, which is often considered the missing link between Dada, Surrealism, Situationism, and May 68. In his book, Speaking East, Andrew Hussey offers a captivating portrayal of the postwar Left Bank, where Lettrist fists flew in avant-garde punch-ups in Jazz clubs and cafes, and where Isou, as charismatic as the young Elvis, attracted a group of hooligan disciples who engaged in heated arguments, indulged in alcohol, and had intimate relationships with the Parisian intellectual elite. This is a lively and detailed account of the life and contributions of a significant figure in the history of modern art.

Weight: 680g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789144925