Italo Calvino's Oulipian Clinamen

The Oulipo has claimed that foreign member Italo Calvino was a key proponent of the clinamen, a purposeful deviation from the strict constraints in which the group specializes. However, upon closer inspection, Calvino’s Oulipian production during his Paris period does not seem to advance a formalized definition of this tool of constrained writing. This paper elucidates his theorization and subsequent implementation of this fundamental Oulipian principle and argues that it is Calvino’s metaphorical (rather than strict) use of the clinamen that influenced the Oulipo.