"Learning a First Language" is a complex and beautifully crafted collection of skillfully interwoven poetry and prose that explores the themes of memory, regret, hope and the relationship between art and passion.

It begins with "love," a reactionary "stream of consciousness" poem written in response to an unexpected and unsolicited marriage proposal, and ends with the final chapter of the author's meandering narrative account of a character known only as "The Artist." His story twists and turns its way through the text, shedding light on both the inspirations and contrary emotions that shape Ray's poetry.

Blending elements of fiction and memoir, this collection provides readers not only with a glimpse into the author's personal experiences with love and loss, but also with a universal love story that reminds us of the importance and necessity of loving with abandon.

Originally published in 1958, "The Question" is the book that opened the torture debate in France during Algeria's war of independence and was the first book since the eighteenth century to be banned by the French government for political reasons.

At the time of his arrest by French paratroopers during the Battle of Algiers in June of 1957, Henri Alleg was a French journalist who supported Algerian independence. He was interrogated for one month. During this imprisonment, Alleg was questioned under torture, with unbelievable brutality and sadism. "The Question" is Alleg's profoundly moving account of that month and of his triumph over his torturers. Jean-Paul Sartre's preface remains a relevant commentary on the moral and political effects of torture on both the victim and perpetrator.

This Bison Books edition marks the first time since 1958 that "The Question" has been published in the United States. For this edition Ellen Ray provides a foreword. James D. Le Sueur offers an introduction.