A blend of theory and stories from an extraordinary life by a leading cultural figure.

Tom Bishop has, for over sixty years, helped shape the literary, philosophical, cultural, artistic, and political conversation between Paris and New York. As professor and director of the Center for French Civilization and Culture at New York University, he made the Washington Square institution one of the great bridges between French innovation and a New York scene in full transformation. Bishop was close to Beckett, championed Robbe-Grillet in the United States, befriended Marguerite Duras and Hélène Cixous, and organized historic public encounters—such as the one between James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. He was also a scholar, a recognized specialist in the avant-garde, notably the Nouveau Roman and the Nouveau Théâtre.
 
In 2012, Bishop invited Donatien Grau to give a talk at NYU. This invitation led to conversations—many of which are presented in this book—and a friendship. Literature Is a Voyage of Discovery gathers their dialogues, retracing Bishop’s career, his own history, his departure from Vienna, his studies, his meetings, his choices, his conception of literature and life, his relationship to the political and economic world, and the way he helped define the profession of “curator” as it is practiced today, offering a thought-provoking look into one of the leading minds of our time.

Tom Bishop has been a leading scholar and impresario in Paris and New York for the last sixty years. He was the Florence Gould Professor of French Culture and Civilization at New York University, where he served as director of the Center of French Civilization and Culture. Donatien Grau is a scholar and author. He currently serves as head of contemporary programs at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and as chair of the Association Pierre Guyotat. Peter Behrman de Sinéty teaches English at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. His translations have been published by Harper’s Magazine, The Cahier Series, and the New York Review Books.