Rikki Ducornet (; born Erica DeGre; April 19, 1943) is an American writer, poet, and artist. Her work has been described as “linguistically explosive and socially relevant,” and praised for “deploy ngtactics familiar to the historical avant-garde, including an emphasis on gnosticism, cosmology, diablerie, bestiary, eroticism, and revolution, to produce an astounding body of work, cogent and ethical in its beauty and spirit.”

Biography

Rikki Ducornet was born in Canton, New York. Gerard DeGré, Ducornet's father, was a professor of social philosophy, and her mother Muriel hosted community-interest programs on radio and television. Ducornet was raised in a multicultural household as her father was Cuban and her mother was Russian-Jewish. Ducornet's father encouraged her to read books by authors such as

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

and

Lao Tzu Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state of ...

, and to pursue an exploration of knowledge. ''Alice in Wonderland'' was an especially formative book, and inspired her 1993 novel ''The Jade Cabinet'', in which

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...

is a major character. Ducornet's father also taught her

rumba The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba ...

at the age of ten. Ducornet spent part of her childhood in Egypt, the setting for her 2003 novel ''Gazelle'', after her father received an invitation to teach at the University of Cairo. Ducornet also spent two years in Algeria in the mid-1960s after the Algerian war of Independence. Ducornet grew up on the campus of

Bard College Bard College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic ...

in Annandale-on-Hudson, in New York, earning a B.A. in Fine Arts there in 1964. While at Bard she met

Robert Coover Robert Lowell Coover (born February 4, 1932) is an American novelist, short story writer, and T.B. Stowell Professor Emeritus in Literary Arts at Brown University. He is generally considered a writer of fabulation and metafiction. Background C ...

and Robert Kelly, two authors who shared Ducornet's fascination with

metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...

and provided early models of how fiction might express this interest. In 1972 she moved to the Loire Valley in France with her then husband, Guy Ducornet, where she lived for the next eighteen years. As a young girl, Ducornet dreamed of being a visual artist and it wasn't until she moved to France with her husband that she began to seriously think about writing. Being in Europe brought out something new: as Ducornet explained, “I was acutely aware of language”. It was in France too, that she raised her son, Jean-Yves Ducornet, who later became a noted composer/arranger/producer. In 1988 she won a Bunting Institute fellowship at

Radcliffe Radcliffe or Radcliff may refer to: Places * Radcliffe Line, a border between India and Pakistan United Kingdom * Radcliffe, Greater Manchester ** Radcliffe Tower, the remains of a medieval manor house in the town ** Radcliffe tram stop * ...

, and in 1989 accepted a teaching position in the English Department at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...

. In 2007, she replaced retired Dr.

Ernest Gaines Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor *Ernest, M ...

as Writer in Residence at the

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...

. Ducornet currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington. Ducornet claims to be the subject of the

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

song "

Rikki Don't Lose That Number "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is a single released in 1974 by rock/jazz rock group Steely Dan and the opening track of their third album ''Pretzel Logic''. It was the most successful single of the group's career, peaking at number 4 on the ''Bi ...

." Steely Dan singer

Donald Fagen Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician best known as the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his w ...

had met her while both were attending Bard College. Ducornet says they met at a college party, and even though she was married at the time, he gave her his number. Ducornet was intrigued by Fagen and was tempted to call him, but she decided against it. She later told an interviewer, "Philosophically it's an interesting song; I mean I think his 'number' is a cipher for the self."

Writing

Ducornet is known for her writing characterized by motifs of nature,

Eros In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the earli ...

, abusive authority, subversion, and the creative imagination. Ducornet hand writes the drafts of her books with pen and ink and when writing, Ducornet does not begin with a set plot but rather derives her stories from the hearts of her subjects. In Ducornet's first book, ''The Butcher’s Tales'', she dealt with ideas of “conveying moral understanding, a visceral need to confront abusive Authority in its many forms, and to fully engage the beautiful”, all themes that reoccur in her later work. In addition to being known as a writer, Ducornet also works in the mediums of painting and printmaking. Ducornet has illustrated books by

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known bo ...

Forrest Gander Forrest Gander (born 1956) is an American poet, translator, essayist, and novelist. The A.K. Seaver Professor Emeritus of Literary Arts & Comparative Literature at Brown University, Gander won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2019 for ''Be With' ...

Kate Bernheimer Kate Bernheimer is an American fairy-tale writer, scholar and editor. Works Kate Bernheimer's first three novels, a trilogy based on Russian, German, and Yiddish fairy tales, "The Complete Tales of Lucy Gold" (2011), ''The Complete Tales of Me ...

, and

Anne Waldman Anne Waldman (born April 2, 1945) is an American poet. Since the 1960s, Waldman has been an active member of the Outrider experimental poetry community as a writer, performer, collaborator, professor, editor, scholar, and cultural/political activ ...

among others. A collection of Ducornet's papers, including prints and drawings, are in the permanent collection of the Ohio State University Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, with further papers at the University of California San Diego library. In 2017, Ducornet partnered with multimedia artist Margie McDonald in a collaborative installation show at the Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend. The show exhibited a series of 25 foot long painted scrolls hand painted by Ducornet and multimedia wire sculptures by Margie McDonald. These scrolls were painted during a month long residency at the Vermont Studio Center prior to Ducornet and McDonald's collaboration. Her art has also been exhibited in Amnesty International’s travelling exhibit “I Welcome,” in support of the world’s refugees. Ducornet uses themes of nature and magic in many of her works. Ducornet’s Tetralogy of Elements was influenced by the ancient idea of the

four elements Classical elements typically refer to earth, water, air, fire, and (later) aether which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Ancient cultures in Greece, Tibet, and India had simi ...

: earth, fire, water, and air. Each of the four elements are featured in '' The Stain'' (1984), ''Entering Fire'' (1986), ''The Fountains of Neptune'' (1989), and ''The Jade Cabinet'' (1993), respectively. Ducornet’s book ''Phosphor In Dreamland'', is sometimes included alongside the original tetralogy as presenting a fifth element, being light or dream. Ducornet was influenced by

surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

and has written about the movement. She wrote the foreword to Penelope Rosemont’s ''Surrealist Experiences: 1001 Dawns, 221 Midnights'' (Black Swan Press, 2000). In addition, Ducornet is a contributor to (on “Imagination”) and the subject of an entry in the three-volume ''International Encyclopedia of Surrealism''; for her entry in the latter, Ducornet told critic Michelle Ryan-Sautour that she did not know “what it means to ‘do’ surrealism. I do know, however, that my process is informed by, energized by, sparked . . . by memory, dreams, reflection AND HAZARD and intuition, EROS above all. . . . Surrealism has been an embodiment of some kind, a luminous . . . haunting. It is the name of the country where I was born.”

Awards

* Arts and Letters Award in Literature,

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

(2008) *

Lannan Literary Award The Lannan Literary Awards are a series of awards and literary fellowships given out in various fields by the Lannan Foundation. Established in 1989, the awards are meant "to honor both established and emerging writers whose work is of exceptional ...

for Fiction (2004) * Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters (1998) * Critics Choice Award (1995) * Lannan Literary Award for Fiction (1993)

Bibliography

;Novels * The ''Elements'' tetralogy: ** '' The Stain'',

Chatto & Windus Chatto & Windus is an imprint of Penguin Random House that was formerly an independent book publishing company founded in London in 1855 by John Camden Hotten. Following Hotten's death, the firm would reorganize under the names of his business ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

(1984);

Grove Press Grove Press is an United States of America, American Imprint (trade name), publishing imprint that was founded in 1947. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, and Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it in ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

(1984); revised edition

Dalkey Archive Press Dalkey Archive Press is an American publisher of fiction, poetry, foreign translations and literary criticism specializing in the publication or republication of lesser-known, often avant-garde works. The company has offices in Funks Grove, Il ...

, Normal IL (1995) ** '' Entering Fire'',

, London (1986);

City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

(1986) **'' The Fountains of Neptune'', McClelland & Steward,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

(1989); Dalkey Archive Press, Normal, Illinois (1992) ** ''

The Jade Cabinet ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', Dalkey Archive Press, Normal, Illinois (1993) * '' Phosphor in Dreamland'', Dalkey Archive Press, Normal, Illinois (1995) * '' The Fan-Maker's Inquisition'', Henry Holt, New York (1999) * ''Gazelle'',

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

, New York (2003) * ''Netsuke: a novel'',

Coffee House Press Coffee House Press is a nonprofit independent press based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The press’s goal is to "produce books that celebrate imagination, innovation in the craft of writing, and the many authentic voices of the American experience ...

, Minneapolis (2011) * ''Brightfellow: a novel'',

, Minneapolis (2016) * ''Trafik: A Novel in Warp Drive'',

, Minneapolis (2021) ;Short fiction collections * ''The Butcher's Tales'' (1980) * ''The Complete Butcher's Tales'' (1994) * ''The Word 'Desire (1997) * ''The One Marvelous Thing'' (2008) ;Poetry * '' From The Star Chamber'' (as "Rikki") Fiddlehead Poetry Books, Fredericton NB (1974) * '' Wild Geraniums'' Actual Size Press, London (1975) * ''

Bouche a Bouche Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon ...

'' by Guy Ducornet & Rikki, Soror,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

(1975) * ''Weird Sisters'' (as "Rikki") Intermedia,

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

(1976) * '' Knife Notebook'' (as "Rikki") Fiddlehead Poetry Books, Vancouver (1977) * ''

The Illustrated Universe ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (as "Rikki") Aya Press, Toronto (1979) * '' The Cult of Seizure'' The Porcupine's Quill,

Erin, Ontario Erin is a town in Wellington County, approximately northwest of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Erin is bordered by the Town of Caledon, Ontario to the east, the Town of Halton Hills to the south, the Township of Guelph/Eramosa to the west and the Tow ...

(1989) ;Essays * '' The Monstrous and the Marvelous'' City Lights, San Francisco (1999) * ''The Deep Zoo''

, Minneapolis (2015) ;Anthologies edited * '' Shoes & Shit: Stories for Pedestrians'' edited by Geoff Hancock & Rikki Ducornet, Aya Press, Toronto (1984) ;Children's books * ''The Blue Bird'' Adaptation of Mme. D'Aulnoy's old French fairy tale, Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1970) * ''Shazira Shazam and the Devil'' by Erica and Guy Ducornet,

Prentice-Hall Prentice Hall was an American major educational publisher owned by Savvas Learning Company. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6–12 and higher-education market, and distributes its technical titles through the Safari B ...

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Englewood Cliffs is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, whose population at the 2010 United States census was 5,281.Robert Coover Robert Lowell Coover (born February 4, 1932) is an American novelist, short story writer, and T.B. Stowell Professor Emeritus in Literary Arts at Brown University. He is generally considered a writer of fabulation and metafiction. Background C ...

(1981) * ''

Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" is a short story by the 20th-century Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges. The story was first published in the Argentinian journal '' Sur'', May 1940. The "postscript" dated 1947 is intended to be anachronistic, se ...

'' by

(1983) * ''Torn Wings and Faux Pas'' by Karen Elizabeth Gordon (1997) * ''Horse, Flower, Bird'' by

(2010)

References

External links