Jammism

In January 1897, in the grey room of Maison Sarrailh, in Orthez, Francis Jammes wrote his "Jammist manifesto." This manifesto was undoubtedly first and foremost a response to naturism and its founder. A letter to Gide dated January 20, 1897, shows that its impulsive signatory immediately regretted the publicity that this outburst of anger might bring him. Through two different channels, he attempted to prevent the publication of his text. In vain. The director of the Mercure de France did not comply. The text's whimsical nature seemed promising to him for the magazine and for a burgeoning poet, who was moreover already recognized in France (by Gide, Mallarmé, Henri de Régnier, Edmond Jaloux, Henri Ghéon…) and in Belgium (see the Brussels-based review Le Coq Rouge and the article by Georges Rency…). The Jammist manifesto was made public in March.