French. .. So to Speak

Abstract

There is a Whip in My Valise; Scream, My Darling, Scream; Bondage Trash; Some Have Too Muchthese are just some of the many incendiary titles published by the notorious Olympia Press in Paris during its hey-day. Its owner, Maurice Girodias (king of the Boston Globe called him), took me on as his full-time senior editor in 1962 and set me to work on Rape of the Statue by Marjorie Cartwright-nom de plume of a barrel-chested U.S. Air Force lieutenant who once, to complain about nonpayment, visited the office in uniform. I'd previously worked freelance for Maurice-the translation of the Bedroom Odyssey by Anonymous (Georges Bataille?)-so I knew the ropes: payday was more illusive than actual. I was in my early 20s then. I was glad to work there. It's frequently overlooked that Maurice, who made millions from porn, often used his profits to publish risky literary ventures such as Nabokov's Lolita, Burroughs' Naked Lunch trilogy, and Beckett's first novels. Sometimes, too, they even paid off. With money made from Lolita, he opened four dinner clubs (La Grande Severine, Chez Vodka, Batucada, and the Blues Bar) next door to the editorial offices, one on top of the other. Shortly after I'd been hired, I overheard a brown and bumptious Cuban songbird, who'd gigged at the Batucada, whisper while leaving the office, But why did you hire a black editor? Momentarily nonplussed, Maurice shrugged: Why not?