Luc Dietrich was a French writer.

Dietrich was born in Dijon

Dijon

Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....

. His father died when he was very young, and his mother was ill and addicted to drugs. She was frequently incapable of taking care of her son; several times he was sent asylums and similar establishments. Shortly after Dietrich's release from one at the age of 18, his mother died.

In 1932 Dietrich met philosopher and poet Lanza del Vasto

Lanza del Vasto

Lanza del Vasto, , was a philosopher, poet, artist, catholic and nonviolent activist.He was born in San Vito dei Normanni, Italy and died in Elche de la Sierra, Spain....

 at the Parc Monceau

Parc Monceau

Parc Monceau is a semi-public park situated in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, at the junction of Boulevard de Courcelles, Rue de Prony and Rue Georges Berger. At the main entrance is a rotunda. The park covers an area of 8.2 hectares ....

 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...

. The first thing del Vasto said to Dietrich was "Are you as good as this bread?" The two became inseparable friends for the rest of Dietrich's short life. Lanza helped and mentored Dietrich in writing, although he always refused to be credited as a co-author. Another of Dietrich's famous friends was poet René Daumal

René Daumal

René Daumal was a French spiritual para-surrealist writer and poet. He was born in Boulzicourt, Ardennes, France....

. After becoming lightly wounded during a bombardment in 1944, Dietrich developed hemiplegia

Hemiplegia

Hemiplegia /he.mə.pliː.dʒiə/ is total paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk on the same side of the body. Hemiplegia is more severe than hemiparesis, wherein one half of the body has less marked weakness....

 and then gangrene

Gangrene

Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...

, and died the same year.

He is best known today for his semi-autobiographical novel, Le Bonheur des tristes ("The Happiness of Sad People").

Works

• Huttes à la lisière, 1930
• The Happiness of Sad People (Le Bonheur des tristes), 1935
• Earth (Terre), 1936
• Apprenticeship of the City (L’Apprentissage de la ville), 1942
• Talk of Friendship (Le Dialogue de l’Amitié), with Lanza del Vasto
  Lanza del Vasto
  Lanza del Vasto, , was a philosopher, poet, artist, catholic and nonviolent activist.He was born in San Vito dei Normanni, Italy and died in Elche de la Sierra, Spain....
  
  , 1942
• L'Injuste Grandeur, 1943
• Emblèmes végétaux, 1993
• Demain, c’est le possible, 1996
• Poésies, 1996
• L'École des conquérants, 1997

External links

• Works by Luc Dietrich (public domain in Canada)