The World of Lawrence
Another passionate appreciation of a writer Miller treated as a living example.
Read our take
Joseph Delteil
by Henry Miller
Miller joins a compact international tribute to Joseph Delteil, celebrating the French writer’s appetite, independence, and stubborn singularity.
- 1962
- 40
About Henry Miller
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeJoseph Delteil: Essays in Tribute is a 1962 multi-author chapbook from St Albert’s Press, reprinting material associated with The Aylesford Review. Contributors include Henry Miller, Eugène Louis Julien, Jacques Madaule, Henry de Montherlant, Brocard Sewell, and F.-J. Temple, with material by Delteil and Caroline Delteil. Miller contributes tribute essays on Delteil; he is one voice in the volume, not its sole author. A special-paper issue of 150 copies was signed by Delteil and Miller.
The story, in more detail
The contributors approach Delteil as writer, personality, and model of independence. Their short pieces accumulate rather than forming a single critical argument.
Miller’s contribution fits his lifelong attraction to writers who convert appetite and refusal into a complete style of life. The limited signed issue makes the physical book part of that fellowship.
Themes and analysis
Miller’s two contributions
The Montpellier library’s contents record identifies two Miller pieces: Joseph Delteil and Joseph Delteil (1956). The date attached to the second distinguishes it from the other contribution. Miller is one participant in a tribute, not the sole author of the volume.
Delteil also contributes his own writing, including a preface to his collected works and La Langue révolutionnaire. This makes the object more varied than a group of friends speaking about an entirely silent subject. Delteil’s voice appears beside their assessments.
Several approaches to one writer
Brocard Sewell discusses Jesus II, while Jacques Madaule writes about Delteil’s Francis of Assisi. Other contributions include an open letter, F.-J. Temple’s La Tuilerie de Massane, and Henry de Montherlant’s comparison between Delteil and the literary establishment. Caroline Delteil also contributes.
The contents move among literary criticism, personal address, and tribute. They need not agree on a single explanation of Delteil’s work. The collection’s interest lies in the different grounds on which writers and companions value him.
From a review to a signed book
St Albert’s Press published the volume in 1962 from material associated with volume IV, number 7 of The Aylesford Review. The special-paper issue comprised 150 copies for signature by Delteil and Miller. The signature arrangement should not obscure the other authors whose work the book contains.
In Miller’s bibliography, this is a contribution volume rather than another stand-alone critical monograph. It belongs beside his other appreciations of writers, but its multi-author structure gives readers access to perspectives beyond his own. Individual contributions should be attributed to their named authors when discussing the book’s arguments.
Why we recommend it
A chorus around Delteil
Different witnesses preserve the writer’s singularity without forcing a single verdict.
Miller as contributor
His praise gains context beside French and English critical voices.
What this book explores
The people in its pages
Joseph Delteil
The French novelist and poet celebrated by the book’s international group of contributors.
Timeline
1962
St Albert’s Press publishes the multi-author tribute in standard and signed special-paper issues.
Book editions
Paperback
- Paperback
- St Albert’s Press
- 1962
Hardcover
- Hardcover
- St Albert’s Press
- 1962
Reader reviews
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The Time of the Assassins
His sustained study of a French writer whose life became part of the reading.
Read our takeJoseph Delteil: frequently asked questions
Did Henry Miller write the whole book?
No. It is a multi-author tribute containing Miller essays among contributions by several writers.
Who is the subject?
French writer Joseph Delteil.
Was there a signed issue?
Yes. St Albert’s Press issued 150 special-paper copies signed by Delteil and Miller.
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References
References
The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document Joseph Delteil, its publication, and its place in literary history.
1Joseph Delteil
NonfictionHenry Miller, 1962Used forThe primary text represented by this page, used for descriptions of the work’s contents and for any quoted passages shown here.
2Joseph Delteil: Essays in Tribute — digitized catalogue record
Official recordMontpellier Méditerranée Métropole MémonumUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
3Joseph Delteil: Essays in Tribute — printed-book record
Official recordThe Morgan Library & MuseumUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
4The Happiest Man Alive: A Biography of Henry Miller
BiographySimon & Schuster, 1991Used forBiographical evidence used to verify chronology, relationships, and historical context connected to Joseph Delteil.
5Henry Miller: A Life
BiographyW. W. Norton, 1991Used forBiographical evidence used to verify chronology, relationships, and historical context connected to Joseph Delteil.
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Why these sources are here
The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.
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