Author, Eccentric. His play "Ubu Roi" ("King Caca," 1896) is considered a forerunner of the Theatre of the Absurd, and he anticipated such artistic movements as Dada and Surrealism with his novels "Absolute Love" (1899) and "The Supermale" (1902), as well as his famous short story "The Crucifixion Considered as an Uphill Bicycle Race". Bicycles, in fact, played an important role in Jarry's life, which he made into a daily series of zany incidents. He would tool around Paris on his bike, a large bell from a tramcar mounted on its handlebars, firing a revolver into the air to clear his way. Barely five feet tall, Jarry lived in an apartment with six-foot ceilings and decorated with human skulls. His "country estate" was a shack on the River Seine, with holes in the floorboards so he could fish without getting out of bed. He died of tuberculosis aggravated by alcoholism. His last words, to a priest, were, "Bring me a toothpick." Most of his work appeared decades after his death, proving a revelation to many writers.
Author, Eccentric. His play "Ubu Roi" ("King Caca," 1896) is considered a forerunner of the Theatre of the Absurd, and he anticipated such artistic movements as Dada and Surrealism with his novels "Absolute Love" (1899) and "The Supermale" (1902), as well as his famous short story "The Crucifixion Considered as an Uphill Bicycle Race". Bicycles, in fact, played an important role in Jarry's life, which he made into a daily series of zany incidents. He would tool around Paris on his bike, a large bell from a tramcar mounted on its handlebars, firing a revolver into the air to clear his way. Barely five feet tall, Jarry lived in an apartment with six-foot ceilings and decorated with human skulls. His "country estate" was a shack on the River Seine, with holes in the floorboards so he could fish without getting out of bed. He died of tuberculosis aggravated by alcoholism. His last words, to a priest, were, "Bring me a toothpick." Most of his work appeared decades after his death, proving a revelation to many writers.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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