Profile uncertain

Well, since Genet has been looking over Long Sunday of late (by which I mean the picture, fleetingly taking the place of the banner graphic above), here is the the short text eventually published as the first piece in Genet’s L’Ennemi Déclaré: Textes et Entretiens:

J.G. seeks, or is searching for, or would like to discover, never to uncover him, the delicious enemy, quite disarmed, whose equilibrium is unstable, profile uncertain, face inadmissible, the enemy broken by a breath of air, the already humiliated slave, ready to throw himself out the window at the least sign, the defeated enemy: blind, deaf, mute. With no arms, no legs, no stomach, no heart, no sex, no head, all told a complete enemy, already bearing all the marks of my bestiality that now need never be used (too lazy anyway). I want the total enemy, with immeasurable and spontaneous hatred for me, but also the subjugated enemy, defeated by me before he even knows me. Not to be reconciled with me, in any case. No friends. Above all, no friends: a declared enemy, but not a tortured one. Clean, faultless. What are his colors? From a green as tender as a cherry to an effervescent violet. His size? Between the two of us, he presents himself to me man to man. No friends. I seek an inadequate enemy, one who comes to capitulate. I will come at him with all that I can muster: whacks, slaps, kicks, I will feed him to starving foxes, make him eat English food, attend the House of Lords, be received at Buckingham Palace, fuck Prince Phillip, and be fucked by him, live for a month in London, dress like me, sleep in place of me, live in place of me: I seek the declared enemy.

The piece was prompted by the banning of an English underground newspaper, The International Times, for carrying ads for ’special friendships’. Hearing of this, Genet responded: ‘Why friends? Personally, I am looking for a suitable enemy.’ And he proceeded to write the text, which was published in 1991, according to his wishes, as the first page of the posthumous collection of his political writings.

For those inclined to wander around with Genet for a while, some extracts from Steven Miller’s “Open Letter to the Enemy - Jean Genet’s Holy War", Elizabeth Povinelli’s “Notes on Gridlock: Genealogy, Intimacy, Sexuality” (both of which I would recommend) and traces of my own meanderings (parts one and two).  (Or, of course, one could also consider Genet's 'personal ad' as an aside to the porn symposium elsewhere.)

[ps, I had a feeling this piece of Genet's had already been posted on LS - but couldn't find it, if indeed it has.  If so, apologies for the doubling up.]