His autobiographical texts that chronicle his psychedelic experiments with LSD and mescaline include Miserable Miracle and The Major Ordeals of the Mind and the Countless Minor Ones.

Michaux is also known for his stories about Plume – "a peaceable man"[3] – perhaps the most unenterprising hero in the history of literature, a character subject to many misfortunes.

He became a friend of Romanian pessimist philosopher Emil Cioran around the same time, along with other literary luminaries in France.

[5] In 1965 he won the grand prix national des Lettres, which he refused to accept, as he did every honor he was accorded in his life.

His work often makes use of dense, suggestively gestural strokes that incorporate elements of calligraphy, asemic writing, and abstract expressionism.