Boris Vian

Boris Vian 10 March 1920 23 June 1959 was a French polymath writer poet musician singer translator critic actor inventor and engineer He is best remembered today for his novels Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction highly controversial at the time of their release Vians other fiction published under his real name featured a highly individual writing style with numerous madeup words subtle wordplay and surrealistic plots LÉcume des jours Froth on the Daydream is the best known of these works and one of the few translated into English Vian was also an important influence on the French jazz scene He served as liaison for Hoagy Carmichael Duke Ellington and Miles Davis in Paris wrote for several French jazzreviews Le Jazz Hot Paris Jazz and published numerous articles dealing with jazz both in the United States and in France His own music and songs enjoyed popularity during his lifetime particularly the antiwar song Le Déserteur The Deserter