Occasions

A collection of Valéry’s occasional writings

This selection of Paul Valéry’s occasional pieces—speeches, interviews, and articles—reveals his life as a public figure in constant demand. Included are his speech upon his reception to the French Academy; his address welcoming Marshal Pétain into the same body; memorial addresses honoring Émile Verhaeren and Henri Brémond; an article on the “Future of Literature”; and an incisive piece on the heroine of Racine’s Phèdre. These and the other selections show Valéry as a man for every occasion, with pertinent, telling, and lasting comments to make.

The Collected Works of Paul Valéry, the first collected edition of the writer in English, features new translations, the original French on facing pages for poetic works, and editorial notes.