Boris Vian (1920-1959) went to the École Centrale and became an engineer in 1942. He was passionate about jazz and became known as a trumpet player in the clubs of Saint-Germain-des-Près. He wrote hundreds of successful songs, articles about music, and a famously shocking novel called "I Shall Spit on Your Graves" (J'irai cracher sur vos tombes"). Vian was influenced by the existentialist movement, contributing to Sartre's journal "Modern Times" (Les Temps Modernes), and also, through his acquaintance with Alfred Jarry, in 'pataphysics. Boris Vian died of heart disease after having published numerous successful songs, poems, screenplays, short stories and novels, such as, "Froth on the Daydream" (L'Ecume des Jours) and "Heartsnatcher" (L'Arrache-Cœur).
