Five Autograph Letters and Notes, signed (“Roland Barthes” or “RB”), to New York scholar and professor Tom Bishop.
Paris: 1978-1979.
Ink on paper. 8vo and smaller. Minor wrinkles, corners of two letters defective, signature on letter dated 5 May 1978 slightly torn, others generally fine Item #366064
The renowned French author and critic Roland Barthes writes to his New York University colleague Tom Bishop a series of notes and letters, the earliest a note on an engraved calling card dated 17 February 1978, regretting an invitation but hoping to see Bishop while he is in Paris, and recommending a candidate for a position; the second, dated 5 May 1978, “cher ami, je suis très heureux que vous ayez pu choisir Philippe Roger, c’est un très bon choix: süreté de l’intelligence, culture, aventure, et amicalité … je serai content de vous voir, de bavarder avec vous.”
In a long autograph letter on airmail paper (wrinkled at edges and with loss of lower left corner), Barthes accepts a proposal to give a talk at NYU, “Pour le suject, je vous le preciserai la prochaine fois: ce sera ou mon rapport à la langue (ou langage) ou le rapport novueau de la biographie de de l’oeuvre … Je ne pourrai malheureusement parler qu’’en français, mais peut être pourras tu prévoir en plus une interview très brève que je lirai moi-même dans mon mauvais anglais, à voir.” He proposes available dates, noting that a window from mid-December to early January works best as he has an invitation to attend a round table on Sexuality and Text in late December. A typed letter, signed, thanking Bishop for welcoming him to New York and acknowledging receeipt of the cheque in reimbursement of travel expenses. A card dated 6 June 1979 says that Bishop’s letter caught him just as he is leaving for two weeks in Greece, “tentation de vacance”.
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