Guillaume Apollinaire

Born Wilhelm Albert Vladimir Apollinaris de Kostrowitzy/Kostrowicki, Apollinaire is an Italian born French poet, short story writer, novelist and playwright. He was born on August 25, 1880 and died on November 9, 1918 in France. He is one of the fathers of surrealism and one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. He invented the word surrealism or art that is strange and unusual or has the quality of a dream. Almost unbelievable. Apollinaire joined with Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein and Max Jacob. He was friends with Marc Chagall and Marcel Duchamp. He became romantically involved with Marie Laurencin who is considered his inspiration.
In 1911 Apollinaire was arrested and jailed on suspicion of aiding the theft of the Mona Lisa and number of statuettes from the Louvre. He was released but implicated Pablo Picasso in the theft. Apollinaire called for the Louvre to be burnt. He fought in WWI and received a shrapnel wound to the temple. He would never fully recover from this wound. He penned Les mamelles de Tiresias while recovering. Throughout this phase he laid claim to surrealism as a term for strange and wonderful art. He published an artistic declaration L'Espirit nouveau et les poetes. He critiqued Marquis de Sade and his status as a critic became high.
Mirely, ou le petit trou pas cher in 1900 was his first pornographic novel and his first poetry assortment was L'enchanteur pourrissant in 1909. Alcools in 1913 gave him his reputation. In 1907 Apollinaire wrote The Eleven Thousand Rods which was erotic and banned in France until 1970. He also wrote The Exploits of a Young Don Juan. The book was made into a movie in 1987. His book Calligrammes was published after his death and lists his experience in WWI.