Raymond Roussel

Raymond Roussel (1877-1933) was a French poet, novelist, playwright, and musician. His novels, poems, and plays exerted a profound influence on the Surrealists and the authors of the nouveau roman, such as Alain Robbe-Grillet.

In 1963, Michel Foucault published a study of Roussel's work, Raymond Roussel (Paris: Gallimard, 1963), which was translated into English as Death and the Labyrinth:The World of Raymond Roussel, trans. Charles Ruas (New York: Doubleday, 1986). Deleuze frequently refers to Foucault's book throughout his writings.