Take it away, Google Translator
(...)
Q. Queneau dies in 1976, Perec and Calvino in the early eighties. You got to know three geniuses of world literature closely.
A. I've been lucky. I remember very well the meeting of the Oulipo in which Perec announced that he was working on a book that represented a building to which the façade is removed describing all the formal work of the life instructions for use. That same day Calvino announced that he was working on a book made up of several beginnings of a novel. In one meeting two masterpieces of the twentieth century were presented. None of us would have imagined it: it seemed like work for everyone else.
Q. Queneau was the oldest, and very authoritative I guess: at the time there was Sartre in French culture, and then came Queneau, or something like that.
A. Queneau was the strong man of French literature, worked for Gallimard, was very powerful, and was a bit in rivalry with those of the previous generation, such as Jean Paulan, Marcel Arlan. When I decided to do my thesis on Queneau, in 1969 or so, I wrote to him saying I had seven questions to ask him. I sent the letter to Gallimard and he replied by writing to me "come and see me that day at that time": I was very happy. So I arrive at Gallimard, I find him in a very small office, but immense - Queneau was very imposing, powerful: black suit, black tie, black glasses, had a very severe side, a strange voice and especially a strange laugh. He says to me: "So you want to ask me seven questions: question number one?". I ask the first question, he listens, raises his glasses, sets the tie, puts his glasses back on and says, "Question number two", I say the second question and it goes on in the same way until the end. At the seventh question I think this now kills me, he also listens to the last one and concludes: "These are excellent questions, one will have no trouble finding the answers". This was my first meeting with Queneau.
