Every time I open that last book of his, he tells me that before I go any further, I must submit to the lens of the only beautiful type of suicide, the kind that brings life. The epigraph to The Brothers Karamazov frames what’s to come in the words spoken and incarnated by Christ: thatContinue reading “Meeting Dostoevsky”
Tag Archives: Russian literature
Dead Poets Society, Russian Style
Before the semester started, I was told that I could teach one course on anything I wanted to. Although the possibility to teach “anything” seems nice at first glance, the vagueness really wasn’t helpful in narrowing down ideas, and I was glad to get advice from other teachers during our Moscow conference on what topic might beContinue reading “Dead Poets Society, Russian Style”
No, You Can’t Kiss Me!
“Never talk with strangers.” Никогда не разговаривайте с неизвестными.* This simple advice would have saved me a lot of trouble if I had been conscious enough to heed it. When I stepped on the train to visit my friends in Vladimir, I had no idea that I would soon be unwillingly locked in a RussianContinue reading “No, You Can’t Kiss Me!”
Ready or Not, Here I Come Dostoevsky!
When I tell Russians that I love Fyodor Dostoevsky and that my favorite novel is The Brothers Karamazov, they usually ask me, “Have you read it in Russian?” Until now, my answer has always been, “Нет, я не готова читать Достоевского.” (I’m not ready to read Dostoevsky). I can’t count the number of times that IContinue reading “Ready or Not, Here I Come Dostoevsky!”
‘Tis Time, My Friend, ‘Tis Time
‘Tis time, my friend, ‘tis time! For rest the heart is aching- The first line of my favorite Pushkin poem has faithfully rhythmed in my mind day after day with increasing intensity as graduation has drawn near. I have savored these words like a piece of butterscotch candy through every brain-aching, burnt-out final paper. IContinue reading “‘Tis Time, My Friend, ‘Tis Time”
