Leiris and Dialogue

This chapter focuses on Davis’s literary relationship with Michel Leiris. Davis has translated three of Leiris’s books, including two volumes of his autobiography La Règle du jeu. Davis’s translation strategy in this case is quite unusual and includes the retention of French words in the English text in order to keep chains of alliteration. The translation therefore breaks with convention in many ways. Davis’s work also contains stories that refer to Leiris, but the greatest point of affinity between them is how they both play with the poetic function of language, though through a series of close readings, it is shown that Davis uses this play to open up possibilities for reading while Leiris uses it as part of an autobiographical process.