Henri Michaux

The Profile

Henri Michaux (1899–1984) was a Belgian-born French poet, writer and painter known for experimental prose, drawings and investigations of altered states.

Michaux conducted systematic self-experiments with mescaline and other drugs; his account of those investigations was published as Connaissance de l'abîme (Knowledge of the Abyss) in 1955. He produced poetry, essays and visual work across the mid-20th century.

CosmicJocker celebrates Michaux's Passaggi for its digressive, fragmentary power and precise language. The review links Michaux to Joyce, Woolf, the surrealists and compares him to Apollinaire, Valéry and Proust. It highlights Michaux's systematic investigations with mescaline and LSD and the resulting work Connaissance de l'abîme. The reviewer rates the book 4/5.