Lacarrière, Jacques 1925-2005

PERSONAL:

Born December 2, 1925, in Limoges, France; died September 17 (one source says September 24), 2005, in Paris, France. Education:Studied law, Hindi, and classical literature. Hobbies and other interests: Greek culture and history.

CAREER:

Lawyer, educator, journalist, translator, painter, actor, photographer, director, and author; also worked as a literature teacher in France and Greece, and as a journalist for Le Monde, Le Express, andGeo.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Grand Prix de l'Académie Française, 1991, for body of work; Prince Pierre of Monaco Prize, 1995.

WRITINGS:

Le mont Athos, Montagne Sainte, photographs by Carlos Freire, P. Seghers (Paris, France), 1954, reprinted, Impr. Nationale (Paris, France), 2002.

Les hommes ivres de dieu, Arthaud (Paris, France), 1961, translated by Roy Monkcom as The God-Possessed, Allen & Unwin (London, England), 1963.

La vie legendaire d'Alexandre le Grand, Club des Libraires de France (Paris, France), 1962, published as Alexandre le Grand: La vie legendaire,Éditions du Felin (Paris, France), 1993.

Poems, 1933-55 par Georges Seferis, Mercure de France (Paris, France), 1963.

(Translator) Les fables d'Ésope: suivies d'un essai sur le symbolisme des fables, illustré de dix miniatures d'un manuscrit de Vincent de Beauvais, Club des Libraires de France (Paris, France), 1965.

Herodote et la decouverte de la terre, Arthaud (Paris, France), 1968.

Promenades à Moscou et à Leningrad, Balland (Paris, France), 1969.

La cendre et les étoiles, Balland (Paris, France), 1970.

Les gnostiques, Gallimard (Paris, France), 1973.

Chemin Faisant: Mille kilomètres à pied à travers la France, Fayard (Paris, France), 1974.

L'été grec: Une Grèce quotidienne de 4000 ans, Plon (Paris, France), 1976.

L'Aurige: Poème de Jacques Lacarriere, Fata Morgana (Montpellier, France), 1977.

Gens du morvan, photographs by Jean-Marc Tingaud, Chène (Paris, France), 1978.

Les inspirés du bord des routes, Seuil (Paris, France), 1978.

Promenades dans la Grèce antique, Hachette (Paris, France), 1978.

Sophocle: Essai, 2nd revised edition, L'Arche (Paris, France), 1978.

Le pays sous l'écorce: récit, Seuil (Paris, France), 1980.

(Translator and author of commentary) En cheminant avec Herodote, P. Seghers (Paris, France), 1981.

Sourates, Fayard (Paris, France), 1982, revised edition, 2005.

Marie d'Egypte, P. Seghers (Paris, France), 1983.

En suivant les dieux: Le légendaire des hommes, P. Lebaud (Paris, France), 1984.

Lapidaire: suivi de, Lichens, Fata Morgana (Saint-Clement-la-Riviere, France), 1987.

(Translator) Les evangiles des Quenouilles, Éditions Imago (Paris, France), 1987.

Ce bel aujourd'hui, J.C. Lattès (Paris, France), 1989.

Le livre des genesis, P. Lebaud (Paris, France), 1990.

Alain-Fournier: Ses demeures, C. Pirot (Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, France), 1991.

Chemins d'écriture, Plon (Paris, France), 1991.

L'envol d'Icare: Suivi du traite des chutes,P. Seghers (Paris, France), 1993.

Le printemps des genies: Les enfants prodiges, R. Laffont (Paris, France), 1993.

Au coeur des mythologies: En suivant les Dieux,Éditions du Félin (Paris, France), 1994.

(With Albert Jacquard) Science et croyances: Entretiens Albert Jacquard, Jacques Laccarrière,Ecriture (Paris, France), 1994.

(And photographer) Visages Athonites, Le Temps Qu'il Fait (Cognac, France), 1995.

(Compiler and photographer) The Wisdom of Ancient Greece (originally published as Paroles de la Grèce antique), translated by John O'Toole, Abbeville Press (New York, NY), 1996.

La poussiere du monde, Nil Éditions (Paris, France), 1997.

Ce bel et nouvel aujourd'hui: Lectures pour le temps present, Ramsay (Paris, France), 1997.

Un jardin pour mémoire, Nil Éditions (Paris, France), 1999.

(With Sylvie Aubenas) Voyage en Orient, Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Paris, France), 1999.

(With Alain Jouffroy and Charles Juliet) Heloisa Novaes, Hazan (Paris, France), 2000.

(With Laurent Busine and Georges Didi-Huberman)Saint Georges et la dragon: De la légende au mythe, Lettre Voiee (Brussels, Belgium), 2000.

Aristide Caillaud, l'enchanteur, 1902-1990, Musée Bernard-d'Agesci (Niort, France), 2001.

Dictionnaire amoureux de la Grèce, Plon (Paris, France), 2001.

Paul Valet: soleils d'insoumission, J.-M. Place (Paris, France), 2001.

Comme un Bernard-l'hermite: Photographies de Jean-Jacques Moles, Château d'Eau (Paris, France), 2002.

Jacques Lacarrier, Flammarion (Paris, France), 2002.

Dans la forèt des songes (novel), Nil Éditions (Paris, France), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS:

Though he worked in occupations as diverse as the law, acting, painting, and photography, Jacques Lacarrière was best known for his writings, especially his translations of classic Greek literature and his travelogues about Greece. However, he also wrote fiction, poetry, and other works of nonfiction, such as biography and essay collections. Never really settling on one occupation, he studied Hindi in college, as well as the law and the classics. He took his first trip to Greece in 1947, where he hoped to gain inspiration as a poet. When he found he could not earn a living this way, he turned to journalism, working for such French newspapers as L'Express and Le Monde. He also found work as a theater actor.

Lacarrière first gained attention with his L'été grec: Une Grèce quotidienne de 4000 ans ("Greek Summer"), and over the years published many more works. Notable among his more recent works is Dictionnaire amoureux de la Grèce. Before he died, Lacarrière requested that his body be cremated and the ashes sprinkled over the land of Greece.

OBITUARIES:

PERIODICALS

Times (London, England), September 23, 2005, p. 69.