Jacques Rigaut (; 30 December 1898 – 9 November 1929) was a French poet associated with dada and surrealism.
Life Born in Paris, he was part of the Dadaist movement. His works frequently talked about suicide and he came to regard its successful completion as his occupation. In 1929, at Châtenay-Malabry, aged 30, as he had announced, Rigaut shot himself, using a ruler to be sure the bullet would pass through his heart.Terry Hale, "Jacques Rigaut," in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995), pp. 91–5.
He is buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre.
Legacy His suicide inspired the book Le Feu Follet by Pierre Drieu la Rochelle. The movie The Fire Within from Louis Malle is based on this book. The movie Oslo, August 31st directed by Joachim Trier, released in 2011, is also largely based on Le Feu Follet although the narrative takes place in contemporary Norway.
The Granada-based Spanish indie pop band Lori Meyers has a song entitled "La Vida de Jacques Rigaut" ("The Life of Jacques Rigaut") with its lyrics relating to his life.
Publications "Propos Amorphes," Action, no. 4 (1920).Complete text, Wikisource. "Je serai sérieux comme le plaisir," Littérature, no. 17 (1920);Complete text, Wikisource. "Jacques Rigaut," tr. Terry Hale in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995)."Jacques Rigaut," tr. Terry Hale, in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995), pp. 120–3. "Roman d'un jeune homme pauvre," Littérature, no. 18 (1921);Complete text, Wikisource. "Story of a Poor Young Man," tr. Terry Hale in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995)."Story of a Poor Young Man," tr. Terry Hale, in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995), pp. 117–9. "Fable," Salon Dada (June 1921).Complete text, Wikisource. "L'Affaire Barrès," Littérature, no. 20 (1921).Complete text, Wikisource. "Mae Murray," Littérature, new series, no. 1 (1922).Complete text, Wikisource. "Un brillant sujet," Littérature, new series, no. 2 (1922);Complete text, Wikisource. "A Brilliant Individual," tr. Terry Hale in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995)."A Brilliant Individual," tr. Terry Hale, in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995), pp. 114–6. "Lignes," Little Review, vol. 9 (1923).Complete text, Wikisource.
Posthumous publications "Lord Patchogue," Nouvelle Revue Française, no. 203 (1 August 1930);Complete text, Wikisource. "Lord Patchogue," tr. Samuel Putnam, in European Caravan, vol. 1 (New York: Brewer, Warren and Putnam, 1931);"Lord Patchogue," tr. Samuel Putnam, in European Caravan, vol. 1 (New York: Brewer, Warren and Putnam, 1931), pp. 274–82. "Lord Patchogue," tr. Terry Hale in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995)."Lord Patchogue," tr. Terry Hale, in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995), pp. 99–113. "Agence Générale du Suicide," Voix d'encre (2015);Complete text, Wikisource. "The General Suicide Agency," tr. Terry Hale in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995)."The General Suicide Agency," tr. Terry Hale, in Four Dada Suicides (London: Atlas Press, 1995), pp. 97–8. Et puis merde! with Paul Chadourne and Pierre Drieu La Rochelle (Paris: Libraires entre les lignes, 1998).
Collected works Écrits, ed. Martin Kay (Paris: Gallimard, 1970).
References
Further reading Four Dada Suicides: Selected Texts of Arthur Cravan, Jacques Rigaut, Julien Torma and Jacques Vaché (Anti-Classics of Dada), tr. Terry Hale, Paul Lenti, Iain White et al. (London: Atlas Press, 1995). Laurent Cirelli, Jacques Rigaut, portrait tiré (Dilettante publishers, 1998). (French language)