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Conversations With Paul Bowles
For the past forty years Paul Bowles has answered questions about the autobiographical references in his novels (The Sheltering Sky, Let It Come Down, The Spider's House, and Up Above the World) and about his work as a composer in New York, all the time insisting, "I don't want anyone to know about me."
Yet in this collection of interviews dating from 1952 to the present, Bowles gives a variety of answers that reveal as much as they conceal. Too gracious to refuse interviews, he regards inquiries with the same clear-eyed detachment that marks his prose, wondering, "Why is it that Americans expect an artist's work to be a reflection of his life? They never seem to want to believe that the two can be independent of each other and go their separate ways."
Despite his reticence, Bowles frankly discusses his "unconscious" writing practice, his views on the "illiterate imagination," existentialism, his various experiments with altered states of consciousness, and nearly fifty years of expatriate life in Morocco.
Included here are three interviews never before published, several that originally appeared in now obscure journals, plus interviews conducted by Jay McInerny for Vanity Fair, Jeffrey Bailey for the Paris Review, and Michael Rogers for the Rolling Stone.
Yet in this collection of interviews dating from 1952 to the present, Bowles gives a variety of answers that reveal as much as they conceal. Too gracious to refuse interviews, he regards inquiries with the same clear-eyed detachment that marks his prose, wondering, "Why is it that Americans expect an artist's work to be a reflection of his life? They never seem to want to believe that the two can be independent of each other and go their separate ways."
Despite his reticence, Bowles frankly discusses his "unconscious" writing practice, his views on the "illiterate imagination," existentialism, his various experiments with altered states of consciousness, and nearly fifty years of expatriate life in Morocco.
Included here are three interviews never before published, several that originally appeared in now obscure journals, plus interviews conducted by Jay McInerny for Vanity Fair, Jeffrey Bailey for the Paris Review, and Michael Rogers for the Rolling Stone.
- GenresNonfiction
254 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1993
About the author
Paul Bowles
254 books880 followersPaul Frederic Bowles grew up in New York, and attended college at the University of Virginia before traveling to Paris, where became a part of Gertrude Stein's literary and artistic circle. Following her advice, he took his first trip to Tangiers in 1931 with his friend, composer Aaron Copeland.
In 1938 he married author and playwright Jane Auer (see: Jane Bowles). He moved to Tangiers permanently in 1947, with Auer following him there in 1948. There they became fixtures of the American and European expatriate scene, their visitors including Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal. Bowles continued to live in Tangiers after the death of his wife in 1973.
Bowles died of heart failure in Tangier on November 18, 1999. His ashes were interred near the graves of his parents and grandparents in Lakemont, New York.
In 1938 he married author and playwright Jane Auer (see: Jane Bowles). He moved to Tangiers permanently in 1947, with Auer following him there in 1948. There they became fixtures of the American and European expatriate scene, their visitors including Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal. Bowles continued to live in Tangiers after the death of his wife in 1973.
Bowles died of heart failure in Tangier on November 18, 1999. His ashes were interred near the graves of his parents and grandparents in Lakemont, New York.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 5, 2022
Excellent interviews with Paul Bowles author of the "Sheltering Sky". After reading a lot about Paul Bowles, I can understand why he was considered a minor writer, and is almost forgotten. Intelligent, well read, well spoken, interesting, and adventerous. Yet, there's no spark of genius. No, greatness. Some wit, but no great humorist. And simply too detached from humanity.
Publically, in his words and writings, Bowles had no passionate hates or loves. He kept his private life, private. He disliked his father and Bougoise society, but that was low key. He loved his lesbian wife, but any passion was kept private. He lived his last 50 years in Morrocco, yet remained a stranger to the country and never learned arabic. He had no religion but wasn't much of an athiest.
He knew little of the USA, just New york city. And only lived there in the 30s and 40s because he had to.
His novels and stories are full of faceless characters. One has trouble remembering any of them. And while I enjoyed his "Conversations" - I had trouble remembering anything he said, after I closed the book. Not dull, just not memorable.
Publically, in his words and writings, Bowles had no passionate hates or loves. He kept his private life, private. He disliked his father and Bougoise society, but that was low key. He loved his lesbian wife, but any passion was kept private. He lived his last 50 years in Morrocco, yet remained a stranger to the country and never learned arabic. He had no religion but wasn't much of an athiest.
He knew little of the USA, just New york city. And only lived there in the 30s and 40s because he had to.
His novels and stories are full of faceless characters. One has trouble remembering any of them. And while I enjoyed his "Conversations" - I had trouble remembering anything he said, after I closed the book. Not dull, just not memorable.
Displaying 1 of 1 review