Delve into the worldview of Pascal Bruckner, a luminary who defies categorization. Bruckner is a prolific philosopher, a critic of contemporary French culture, a political commentator, and an accomplished novelist. For nearly half a century, his polemical philosophies have generated conversation and sparked debate. Topics of his writing have ranged from critiques of Western “guilt” to a meditation on the failures of modern marriage.

This program has been produced in partnership with Le Conversazioni, an international festival that hosts stimulating conversations with writers, philosophers, artists, and other distinguished guests. Bruckner will appear in conversation with Antonio Monda, founder of the festival. 

About the speakers: 

Pascal Bruckner gained widespread prominence with his 1981 novel Lunes de fiel (Evil Angels), which was later adapted into the 1992 film Bitter Moon.  He has since written more than a dozen books, including The Temptation of Innocence: Living in the Age of Entitlement, The Tyranny of Guilt: An Essay on Western Masochism, and Perpetual Euphoria: On the Duty to Be Happy.

Antonio Monda is the founder and Artistic Director of Le Conversazioni and has directed the Rome Film Festival between 2015 and 2021. He has curated exhibitions for the MoMA, the Guggenheim and the Lincoln Center and is currently consulting for the Louvre. He teaches at NYU and is a columnist for RAI and a regular contributor for La Repubblica. The ninth chapter of his ten-volume saga about New York was recently published. His books have been translated into eleven languages.

Learn more:

In 2010, upon the release of his book The Tyranny of Guilt, Pascal Bruckner participated in an extensive interview with British journalist Nick Cohen. Watch the interview here.

Le Conversazioni is an international festival founded in 2006 by Antonio Monda and Davide Azzolini. Initially dedicated exclusively to literature, it’s field of interest and reflections has spread to other disciplines. Watch this video on some of their recent guests.

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.