Cocteau, Jean

"Au plus loin que je remonte et même à l'âge où l'esprit n'influence pas encore les sens, je trouve des traces de mon amour des garçons. J'ai toujours aimé le sexe fort, que je trouve légitime d'appeler le beau sexe. Mes malheurs sont venus d'une societe qui condamne le rare comme un crime et nous oblige à réformer nos penchants. - [Trans: For as long as I can remember and even at the age when mind does not guide the senses, I can find traces of my love for men. I have always loved the strong sex, which I feel is fair to refer to as the beautiful sex. My troubles are due to a society which condemns that which is rare as a crime, and which forces us to reform our inclinations."

The first edition was published anonymously in 1928. For this edition, Cocteau only signed the illustrations, and does not directly admit he is the author.