Virtuoso of the word and the drawn line, Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) did not reduce art to an aesthetic, but raised living to the level of art. Influenced by forces as diverse as surrealism, psychoanalysis, cubism, Catholicism, and opium, Cocteau made his name in poetry, fiction, film, ballet, painting, theater, and opera. Patrick Mauries gives us an intimate look into the life of this prince of poets, revealing the unique magic that inhabits each of his creations. A wave of the magic wand, and books are written, films are made, plays are acted, and the pen draws.