Screams

by Joyce Mansour, Serge Gavronsky (Introduction, Translator)

Joyce Mansour's "Screams" was first published in France in 1953. In a time when feminism was in its nascent stage, and explicit sexuality was taboo, Mansour's violent eroticism, and poetic mastery were shocking. In "Screams" Mansour breaks open the female wound--and women's rage, ecstacy, and pain came forth in sharp piercing cries. Until now, American readers have not had access to this powerful erotic text. Translated by Serge Gavronsky, "Screams" is a must for anyone interested in the feminist dimension of the Surrealist movement.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Egypt

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Joyce Mansour was born Joyce Patricia Adès in Bowden, England to Jewish-Egyptian parents. After a month in Cheshire her parents returned with her to Cairo where she lived until she was twenty. Moving to Paris in 1953 she became one of the best known Surrealist poets, authoring sixteen books of poetry, as well as a number of important prose and theater pieces.

Reviews

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

" Men's vices
are my domain
Their wounds my sweet desserts
I love to chew on their vile thoughts
For their ugliness makes my beauty"


" You were comfortably seated
On a black bear.
You were tearing out pieces of skin
With your brilliant fingers against a bloody sky
And while you were creating a new world
It snowed"

[laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I like to play with little things
Pink unborn things beneath my eyes' madness
I scratch I sting I kill I laugh
Dead things no longer move
And I regret my feverish madness
I pity my degenerate parents
I'd like to erase the blood from my dreams
By annihilating maternity"

[aaamaaaliaaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

for very evil women better than le fleur de mal not a minor French surrealist but a major pussy boss 😻

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poetry in this book is incredible! Unfortunately, the introduction doesn't do the author justice and at times left me scratching my head.

[حسن · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erotisme violence morbide choquant hallucinations délire macabre incandescence blasphème mort horreur mutilation obscénité folie .. voilà quelques mots clés de l'univers poétique surréaliste de Joyce Mansour.

"Lèvres acides et luxurieuses
Lèvres aux fadeurs de cire
Lobes boudeurs moiteurs sulfureuses
Rongeurs rimeurs plaies coussins rires
Je rince mon épiderme dans ces puits capitonnés
Je prête mes échancrures aux morsures et aux mimes
La mort se découvre quand tombent les mâchoires
La minuterie de l’amour est en dérangement
Seul un baiser peut m’empêcher de vivre
Seul ton pénis peut empêcher mon départ
Loin des fentes closes et des fermetures à glissière
Loin des frémissements de l’ovaire
La mort parle un tout autre langage
..
Oublie-moi
Que mes entrailles respirent l’air frais de ton absence
Que mes jambes puissent marcher sans chercher ton ombre
Que ma vue devienne vision
Que ma vie reprenne haleine
Oublie-moi mon Dieu que je souvienne."
Cris