Tel quel et ses volte-face politiques (1968-1978)

Tel Quel and its political U-turns, (1968-1978), François Hourmant. From 1968-1978, Tel Quel spanned the ideological spectrum. From the FCP to China, from America to dissidence and the CIEL, the telquelian parable, rich in turn-abouts, shows a propensity to react - but late - to the major and gratifying issues in the French political-intellectual lands-cape. Understanding this itinerary supposes coming across a plurality of factors : esthetic principle and shared values (revolution, writing, avant-garde), provocation and a desire for intellectual recognition, and literary prestige. It is in this tension, between an avowed and claimed position, and fights for power, vague ambitions and tactical choices or even premeditated strategies, that the curious political alchemy of a journal whose constrated history is closely linked to that of its director, Philippe Sollers, can be seen.Hourmant François. Tel quel et ses volte-face politiques (1968-1978). In: Vingtième Siècle, revue d'histoire, n°51, juillet-septembre 1996. pp. 112-128