from Guy Debord

To Floriana Lebovici
31 December 1988
Dear Floriana:

A month ago, you informed me that it would be necessary to dissolve the Strategic-Historical Games Company,[1] due to its perfect uselessness, which indeed can only take minutes; and that Editions G[erard] L[ebovici] no longer has money, which doesn't surprise me too much.

Thus, it will be necessary for me to draw from my next great work in several volumes[2] -- thanks to some kind of general contract -- the means to pursue my care-free existence, and naturally to reimburse you for what I owe. The hand seems playable to me, given the circumstances. Faced with the truly spectacular collapse of language, and also ideas, that one sees on the ground in Armenia,[3] which are phenomena that begin to terrify truly well-known "communicators," the language of the qualitative no doubt will be a little better used by the market or, to speak more exactly, by its ad hoc emergency sector. We have seen worse.

I hope that, by telling me about these apparently sad outcomes (which I want to believe are provisional), you are not implicitly suggesting to me that I seek out another publisher, if one should still exist? In such a case, I would be very sorrowful. To say it with the simplicity of the slogans of the current era: my look[4] is faithful.

Several months ago, you broached the idea or the intention to reach a kind of agreement or partial collaboration with some other publishers who are concerned with quality. The time for regrouping appears to have come, it is true, one speaks of it almost everywhere. It is here that the means are found, notably of distribution. So, would this not be precisely the instant to strike -- so as to overtly approach such negotiations -- and lead them to good ends, if possible, by having the appearance of strength and longevity? You can find here an opportune occasion to formulate the needs and projects of the publishing house, as I suppose that the funds that constituted its previous activity are known and estimated. It will also be necessary that we speak [in person] about all this.

From now on, you can consider this letter to be fully historic. That is to say, it is not confidential and you can take it into account anywhere it seems useful for you to do so.

By addressing to you my most sincere [best] wishes for this new year, I embrace you.

Guy

[1] Company founded by Guy Debord and Gerard Lebovici in 1977.

[2] The first volume of Panegyrique appeared in 1989 (reprinted by Gallimard in 1993); the second in 1997 through Editions Artheme Fayard; and the third [in manuscript] was destroyed [November 1994] by Alice Debord.

[3] An earthquake on 7 December 1988 killed more than 50,000 people and left 500,000 more homeless.

[4] Translator's note: English in original.


(Published in Guy Debord Correspondance, Vol 7: Janvier 1988-Novembre 1994 by Librairie Artheme Fayard, 2008. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! November 2008. Footnotes by the publisher, except where noted.)




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