Michel Beaulieu


Michel Beaulieu was a Quebec writer.

Life

He graduated from Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf and then Université de Montréal.
His archive is held at Bibliothèque et [Archives nationales du Québec].
After his death in 1985, he was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal.

Honors

Works

  • Charmes de la fureur Translated by Arlette Francière, Exile Editions, 1984,
Beaulieu published over twenty books during his short career. His work is characterized by its formal precision and linguistic innovation.

Poetry

Pour chanter dans les chaînes, Montréal: Éditions d'Orphée, 1964.Variables, Montréal: Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 1973. L'Envers du corps, Montréal: l'Hexagone, 1977.Desseins, Montréal: l'Hexagone, 1980.Visages, Montréal: le Noroît, 1981. Kaléidoscope ou les Périls du corps solennel, Montréal: le Noroît, 1984.

Translations into English

Charmes de la fureur. Translated by Arlette Francière, Exile Editions, 1984. Countenances. Translated by Josée Michaud, Exile Editions, 1986. Kaleidoscope: Perils of a Solemn Body. Translated by Arlette Francière, Exile Editions, 1989.

Translations by Beaulieu

Beaulieu was also a prolific translator of English-Canadian literature into French, including works by:

Literary Style and Legacy

Michel Beaulieu is often described as a "poet's poet" and was a pivotal figure in the transition of Quebec poetry from the nationalist themes of the 1960s to a more personal, fragmented, and modern aesthetic. His involvement in publishing—founding the publishing house Éditions Estérel and serving as an editor for Éditions du Jour—allowed him to influence a generation of writers.
His style is noted for its economy of words, rhythmic complexity, and an obsession with the mechanics of memory and the human body.

Honors