Laura Cappelle reports:
When nonfiction writers face backlash for their depictions of loved ones, the disputes tend to center on how far their indiscretions have stretched. But what happens when someone no longer wants to appear in an ex-partner’s work, period?
The French literary world has been grappling with that question since the release in August of Emmanuel Carrère’s latest novel, “Yoga.” Carrère, 62, is one of France’s most celebrated writers, and “Yoga,” published by Éditions P.O.L., was initially tipped as a contender for the country’s top literary prize, the Goncourt. Then came questions about gaps in the mostly autobiographical narrative, and the revelation by Carrère’s ex-wife, the freelance journalist Hélène Devynck, that Carrère is legally barred from writing about her without her consent — an agreement she alleges he broke in “Yoga.”
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