The Stroller of Paris

Léon-Paul Fargue (1876-1947) was a French poet, essayist, and legendary flâneur. A key figure in the literary and artistic avant-garde of early 20th-century Paris, he was closely associated with Marcel Proust, Erik Satie, and Paul Valéry. Known for his elliptical, atmospheric prose and vivid evocations of Parisian life, Fargue contributed to La Revue Blanche and other major journals, and was admired by writers from James Joyce to Walter Benjamin. His work bridges symbolist reverie and modernist sensibility--dreamlike, urbane, and inimitably French.