[…] During the same week, decidedly literary, someone sent us a copy of the journal Phantomas, which is idiotic, and the most recent copy of Temps melés came into our hands. This journal is even worse than I had imagined. André Blavier,[2] too. It is almost unbelievable, half-way through the twentieth century, that one could write such things […]
Just as Blavier spreads his ravages through Phantomas, a certain Michel Laclos, who rages away at Temps melés, is also the editor in chief of Bizarre,[3] its big print-run probably intended for the sub-prefectures of the South-East. It is clear that there exists an international of evil fuckery, the ringleaders of which we are beginning to see. Furthermore, all that is identified with [Raymond] Queneau is put up on the wall at the first occasion. The exploitation of [Alfred] Jarry by mediocre pataphysicians is exactly as degrading as the Catholics’ attempts to annex him. In this display of insulting insignificance, moral abjection and moth-eaten thinking, one must say that Blavier clearly distinguishes himself; he is the stupidest. Naturally, he will cease to receive copies of Potlatch. Otherwise, this might lead one to think that we give some credit to the intelligence of a man able to publish such despicable stuff. I am happy that we did not meet during his last trip to Paris: in ten minutes of conversation, this individual would have been unmasked. And he is still annoyed at being obliged to come up with insults, which all resemble each other, just as these people all resemble each other […].
G.-E. Debord[1] Extracts of a letter reproduced in Potlatch #23. [It would appear that a copy of the complete original hasn’t been located.]
[2] Disciple of Raymond Queneau, and one of the founders of the literary circle and the journal Temps melés in October 1952.
[3] Journal published by Eric Losfeld, reprised after two issues by Jean-Jacques Pauvert.
(Published in Guy Debord Correspondance, Vol "0": Septembre 1951 - Juillet 1957: Complete des "lettres retrouvees" et d l'index general des noms cites by Librairie Artheme Fayard, October 2010. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! March 2011. Footnotes by the publisher.)