Alfred Perles
Encyclopedia
Alfred Perlès was an Austrian writer (in later life a British citizen), who was most famous for his associations with Henry Miller
, Lawrence Durrell
, and Anaïs Nin
.
Born in Vienna
in 1897, to Czech
Jewish parents, Perlès struggled as a writer in Paris
during his early 30's, where he worked for a while for the Paris office of the Chicago Tribune
. In 1933, American
writer Henry Miller
- not yet known - took an apartment with Perlès in Clichy
. Miller wrote of this experience in his book Quiet Days In Clichy (1956, orig. written 1940), in which the character "Carl" is based on Perlès. Other Miller works about Perlès in Paris include his early What Are You Going To Do About Alf?, and a letter to Perlès in Aller Retour New York
.
By 1936, Perlès was part of a vibrant Parisian literary scene that included Miller, Lawrence Durrell, and Anaïs Nin, as well as Antonin Artaud
, Michael Fraenkel, Hans Reichel and others. Miller and Durrell often referred to Perlès as "Joe" or "Joey". Some of these writers were featured in a magazine called The Booster, which Perlès co-published in 1936, along with Miller, Durrell, and Nin. In 1939, with the start of World War II the group broke apart, as Miller moved on to Greece
and Perlès fled to England (where he applied for, and was granted, British citizenship). A few years later, Perlès wrote a piece about this pre-War circle in Henry Miller at Villa Seurat (featured in The Happy Rock anthology, 1945, and repubished by the Village Press as a chapbook in 1973).
Perlès and Miller maintained a lifelong friendship. Miller visited Perlès in the UK and Perlès visited Miller in Big Sur, California, where he wrote My Friend Henry Miller (written in 1954/55). Miller wrote a tribute to Perlès in the memoir Joey.
Later in life, Perlès lived in a modest house on a redbrick housing estate in the town of Wells, and changed his name to Alfred Barret. He died in 1990.
Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
, Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
, and Anaïs Nin
Anaïs Nin
Anaïs Nin was a French-Cuban author, based at first in France and later in the United States, who published her journals, which span more than 60 years, beginning when she was 11 years old and ending shortly before her death, her erotic literature, and short stories...
.
Born in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1897, to Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Jewish parents, Perlès struggled as a writer in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during his early 30's, where he worked for a while for the Paris office of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
. In 1933, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer Henry Miller
Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
- not yet known - took an apartment with Perlès in Clichy
Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine
-Administration:The canton covers a part of the commune; the other is in the northern part of Levallois-Perret-Twinnings: Heidenheim, Germany, since 1959 Sankt Pölten, Austria, since 1968 Santo Tirso, Portugal, since 1991 Rubí, Spain, since 2005 Southwark, United Kingdom, since 2005Clichy has also...
. Miller wrote of this experience in his book Quiet Days In Clichy (1956, orig. written 1940), in which the character "Carl" is based on Perlès. Other Miller works about Perlès in Paris include his early What Are You Going To Do About Alf?, and a letter to Perlès in Aller Retour New York
Aller Retour New York
Aller Retour New York is a novel by American writer Henry Miller, published in 1935 by Obelisk Press in Paris, France.Published after his breakthrough book Tropic of Cancer, Aller Retour New York takes the form of a long letter from Miller to his friend Alfred Perlès in Paris...
.
By 1936, Perlès was part of a vibrant Parisian literary scene that included Miller, Lawrence Durrell, and Anaïs Nin, as well as Antonin Artaud
Antonin Artaud
Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud, more well-known as Antonin Artaud was a French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director...
, Michael Fraenkel, Hans Reichel and others. Miller and Durrell often referred to Perlès as "Joe" or "Joey". Some of these writers were featured in a magazine called The Booster, which Perlès co-published in 1936, along with Miller, Durrell, and Nin. In 1939, with the start of World War II the group broke apart, as Miller moved on to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Perlès fled to England (where he applied for, and was granted, British citizenship). A few years later, Perlès wrote a piece about this pre-War circle in Henry Miller at Villa Seurat (featured in The Happy Rock anthology, 1945, and repubished by the Village Press as a chapbook in 1973).
Perlès and Miller maintained a lifelong friendship. Miller visited Perlès in the UK and Perlès visited Miller in Big Sur, California, where he wrote My Friend Henry Miller (written in 1954/55). Miller wrote a tribute to Perlès in the memoir Joey.
Later in life, Perlès lived in a modest house on a redbrick housing estate in the town of Wells, and changed his name to Alfred Barret. He died in 1990.
Trivia
Anaïs Nin writes that she first met Alfred Perlès in April, 1932 (ref: Diaries, Volume I, 1931 - 1934, 1966, p. 62.Other works by Perlès
- Sentiments Limitrophes (1935)
- The Renegade (1943)
- Alien Corn (1944)
- Round Trip (1946)
- Rathausplatz no. 16 (by Hedwig Borgner, Trans. Perlès, 1957)
- Art And Outrage (with Lawrence Durrell, 1959)
- Reunion in Big Sur (1959)
- My Friend Lawrence Durrell (1961)
- Scenes From A Floating Life (1968)
- My Friend Alfred Perlès: Coda to an Unfinished Autobiography (1973)
External links
- A Miller chronology, with references to Perlès
- Alfred Perlès fonds at University of Victoria, Special Collections