In Praise of Beauty

In his novel, Le Temps du Mépris, André Malraux describes a political prisoner who, isolated in the dark of a dungeon, could not help but hear the constant cries of his tortured comrades. To keep from going mad, he remembered musical works or recited poems he had learned in his youth. Many other detainees have done the same, tirelessly repeating poems, songs, rhymes and arias - seeking and finding solace in their distress.