Dr. Philip Lewis

Biography

Philip Lewis joined the faculty of Romance Studies at Cornell University in 1968 after graduating from Davidson College and receiving his Ph.D. in French Literature from Yale. He was granted tenure in 1974 and served as Department Chair for six years. From 1976 to 1987, with a break for a visiting professorship at Berkeley, he served as the editor of Diacritics. He is a scholar well-versed in 17th century French literature and contemporary criticism, with significant publications including 'La Rochefoucauld: Art of Abstraction' (1977) and 'Charles Perrault, Seeing Mother Goose Tales' (1996). His contributions also include editing the 'New History of French Literature' (1992) and a major study on the intersections of pagan and Christian mythology in the theater of Jean Racine. Lewis has long-term teaching interests in tragic and comic theater from the 17th and 18th centuries and the history of ideas in France. He was appointed Senior Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1989 and later served as Dean, during which time his involvement in Romance Studies decreased. After returning to the department in 2004, he directed the French Studies Program and taught new courses addressing contemporary issues in France. Lewis retired in early 2007 and was granted emeritus status in recognition of his contributions to the department and the intellectual life at Cornell University.

Research Interests

Experience