Michel Leiris

Leiris met Ravel and Satie at a cousin’s, Metzinger at school. Apollinaire, Duchamp, Picabia and he all helped at a production of his family friend Roussel’s ‘Impressions of Africa.’ Picasso, Masson and Jacob were among his circle of friends in Paris. Bataille became close after Leiris distanced himself from Breton; they founded the Collège de Sociologie with Caillois. Queneau and he had to be repatriated from Spain. Duras was a neighbour, Griaule led an ethnographic expedition. He founded one magazine with Diop and Césaire, and another with Sartre. An evening with Miller, Penrose and Merleau-Ponty ended with his attempted suicide.