In the 1950s, the Swiss Paul Nizon emigrated. His search for the secret of life leads him to the city of Paris, which he perceives as the greatest human artwork. He followed the enticing promise of a free-spirited bohemia in the company of Beckett, Picasso, and Sartre. His self-invention in this city, experienced as a myth, which heals him from feelings of alienation and isolation, is significantly shaped by the women who made Paris a wonderfully set table for Nizon. "Parisiana" brings together the most important texts of this century's writer about Paris. The volume is complemented by a conversation with the editor Martin Simons.