On Nov. 3, Robert Wilson’s memoir “The Space Behind the Face” will be released.

“The Space Behind the Face” was written in collaboration with his friend, actor and writer Keith McDermott, charts Wilson’s life through a series of vignettes, from growing up in small-town Texas to developing his unmistakable voice in New York’s downtown scene to gaining international renown.

Wilson, who died in 2025, was a driving force in the avant-garde art and theater worlds for half a century: He was the creative mind behind “Einstein on the Beach,” among dozens of other original works and pioneering productions.

He was well-known for his collaborations with Philip Glass, Lou Reed, Allen Ginsberg, John Cage, Tom Waits, Lady Gaga, and Jessye Norman; and he was honored with a Pulitzer Prize nomination, the Golden Lion for Sculpture of the Venice Biennale, an Olivier Award, and the Praemium Imperial.

Throughout his career, Wilson worked with many opera companies including the Metropolitan Opera, Lithuanian National Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Paris Opera, Zurich Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Teatro Real de Madrid, LA Opera, Bolshoi Theatre,, Polish National Opera, Dutch National Opera, and many more.

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