Le Bourdeau des neuf pucelles

A vivid tribute to a forgotten 17th‑century poet, this work weaves together lyrical verse, sharp prose, and historical commentary. It revives the audacious spirit of Claude Le Petit, whose libertine verses once rattled the courts of Louis XIV before his life was cut short. The opening pages set a tone of defiant wit, sketching his flamboyant self‑portrait and the perilous world that condemned him.

The narrative follows his forced exile, a daring crossing of La Rochelle, and the bitter irony of a poet whose talent was both celebrated and condemned. Through rich, baroque language the author lets Le Petit’s own voice echo—full of sarcasm, longing, and a fierce love of the Muse—while also exposing the harsh judgments of the era’s religious and royal authorities. Listeners are drawn into the clash between artistic freedom and oppressive power.

Listening feels like stepping into a candle‑lit salon where poetry and history collide, offering a haunting glimpse of a mind that burned brightly yet was extinguished too soon.