Recorded during the last 13 years of his life, Cocteaus diary was kept a secret until 1983. this first of six projected volumes reveals Cocteaus life from 1951 to 1953. In it, he makes asides about Picasso, writes Oedipus rex, admires Stalin, travels through Europe, and engages in gross generalizations about Americans. With line drawings from Cocteaus original journal, Past Tense is a literary event -- a window into Cocteaus life and creativity as he wanted them to be remembered.
