Jean Cocteau delighted in shocking the world. In pubic, at least, the image he presented was one of great daring -- a man eager to defy, willing to experiment, ready to challenge. Cocteau's achievements in almost every artistic medium -- including poetry, film, illustration, criticism, and ballet -- rightfully earned him a reputation for radical versatility. He assumed Oscar Wilde's role as "world's most dazzling talker" and Thomas DeQuincey's as "world's most conspicuous opium addict"; he drew depictions of his bouts in the all-male brothels of Toulon; he created the actor Jean Marais and the chanteuse Edith Piaf. But among Cocteau's many accomplishments was one composition protected by the private man: his diary. Recorded during the last 13 years of his life, Cocteau's diary was kept a secret until 1983. this first of six projected volumes reveals Cocteau's life from 1951 to 1953. In it, he makes asides about Picasso, writes Oedipus rex, admires Stalin, travels through Europe, and engages in gross generalizations about Americans. With line drawings from Cocteau's original journal, Past Tense is a literary event -- a window into Cocteau's life and creativity as he wanted them to be remembered.

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Bookseller: Dunaway Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 83104
Title: Past Tense: The Cocteau Diaries Volume Two
Author: Jean Cocteau
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Acceptable
Quantity Available: 1
ISBN 10: 0151712913
ISBN 13: 9780151712915
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P
Place of Publication: San Diego
Date Published: October 1988

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Dunaway Books is an absolutely necessary stop for the bibliophile on the Grand South Grand strip. Housed within an airy, spacious former gallery, we carry an unparalleled selection of fine used, out of print and rare volumes. Upon stepping into our store, you will find aisle after aisle of scrupulously collected books treating a broad variety of subjects in depth. We keep new small-press titles by local authors or about local subjects, children's books and shelves of CDs for music lovers. There is something here for everyone. Whether you have a few hours or just a few minutes to while away, Dunaway Books is designed to be an intellectually and creatively stimulating place for the scholar, the collector, and the good old-fashioned voracious reader.

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Acceptable: A non-traditional book condition description that generally refers to a book in readable condition, although no standard exists...