Records of the Department of French Literature, Thought and Culture
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Abstract
The Department of French Literature, Thought and Culture at New York University is part of a network grouped within the Center for French Civilization and Culture. The Center exists to promote academic and cultural activity of the University's four significant spheres of French Studies: the Department, the Institute of French Studies, NYU-Paris, and La Maison Française. The extensive range of courses in language, visual arts, history, literature, and French politics permit students to immerse themselves in French intellectual and cultural life. This collection consists of audiovisual recordings created and collected by the department from the 1960s through the early 2000s. Materials include the department's collection of audiovisual recordings of theatre screenings, television segments, interviews, and lectures revolving around French creative arts, politics, literature, and film theory. The collection also includes sound recordings of lectures, readings, symposia, roundtable discussions, and gallery talks on contemporary perspectives of the French and Francophone language, literature, and civilization held at New York University's La Maison Française.
Historical Note
The Department of French Literature, Thought and Culture at New York University is part of a network grouped within the Center for French Civilization and Culture. Professor Tom Bishop founded the Center in 1978 and was its director until 2016. The Center exists to promote academic and cultural activity of the University's four significant spheres of French Studies: the Department, the Institute of French Studies, NYU-Paris, and La Maison Française.
The Department of French Literature, Thought and Culture offers a comprehensive range of courses in French and Francophone language, literature, film, culture, and civilization for undergraduate students of the College of Arts and Science (CAS) and graduate students of the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS). The extensive range of courses in language, visual arts, history, literature, and French politics permit students to immerse themselves in French intellectual and cultural life. Select courses are taught by prominent visiting professors, which have included Jacques Derrida, Gérard Genette, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Philippe Roger, Françoise Gaillard, Lucette Finas, Tahar Ben Jelloun, and Yves Hersant. Undergraduate and graduate students of the department are also encouraged to pursue studies abroad at NYU Paris.
Arrangement
Organized into two series:
Series I. Department of French Literature, Thought and Culture Audiovisual Recordings
Series II. La Maison Française Sound Recordings
Within each series the recordings are arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of audiovisual recordings created and collected by the Department of French Literature, Thought and Culture from the 1960s through the early 2000s. Materials include the department's collection of audiovisual recordings of theatre screenings, television segments, interviews, and lectures revolving around French creative arts, politics, literature, and film theory. These visual and sound recordings display the literary and artistic thought of leading French writers, including Jacques Derrida, Roland Barthes, Jean Cocteau, and Pierre Assouline. Particular emphasis is placed on the theoretical concepts of theatre, visual art, and film, with discussions evaluating the works of playwrights Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco as well as the performance of stage actor Jean-Louis Barrault. The collection also includes sound recordings of lectures, readings, symposia, roundtable discussions, and gallery talks on contemporary perspectives of the French and Francophone language, literature, and civilization held at New York University's La Maison Française. These audio recordings document events featuring literary, artistic, and political figures, including Robert Badinter, Roland Barthes, and Nathalie Sarraute, in addition to other distinguished guests such as, Michel Butor, Hélène Cixous, Maryse Condé, and Amélie Nothomb.
Conditions Governing Access
Administrative records and unpublished reports of New York University are closed for a period of 20 years from the date of their creation. Access to files spanning multiple years will be opened to researchers based on the date of the most recent materials. Board of Trustees records are closed for 35 years from the date of creation. Materials related to personnel, grievances, job and fellowship searches and applications, and all files that fall under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are permanently restricted. Additional restrictions may apply to other materials in this collection. For questions regarding specific restrictions, please contact the University Archives.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the creator are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from New York University Archives, (212) 998-2646, university-archives@nyu.edu.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Records of the Department of French Literature, Thought and Culture; RG 37.13; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred to the University Archives by the Department of French Literature, Thought and Culture in 2017; the accession number associated with this gift is 2017.040.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Access to audiovisual materials in this collection is available through digitized access copies. Researchers may view an item's original container, but the media themselves are not available for playback because of preservation concerns. Materials that have already been digitized are noted in the collection's finding aid and can be requested in our reading room.
Appraisal
In April 2025, 3 U-matic tapes with duplicative content were deaccessioned.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning materials were described on the collection-level with an item-level inventory.