In 1994, the Russian Journal “Chelovek” published “Razgovory s Bakhtinym” a long and fascinating interview with Bakhtin (1895-1975), the great Russian philosopher and literary critic, who knew KonstantinVaginov personally during the early 1920′s, when the latter was briefly a member of his St. Petersburg circle. Vaginov, stricken by tuberculosis, died in 1934 at the age of 35, leaving behind four modernistic novels (the last incomplete) and three experimental volumes of verse.
In these conversations, Bakhtin, reminiscing about the young novelist, singles out for his praise Vaginov’s masterpiece Kozlinaia Pesn’ (1928), paying special homage to Vaginov’s cosmic reach, consummate craftsmanship and universal significance as a writer.
Sher Publishers is proud to present the first translation ever into English of Vaginov’s chef d’oeuvre under the title of The Tower.
Due to strict copyright restrictions imposed on us by The University of Texas Press, which owns the copyright to the translation of this work, we are prohibited from citing any passages from the interview.
The original Russian text of the interview can be found in the 1994 (4) issue of “Chelovek”, a publication of Nauka of Moscow. The University of Texas plans to publish the English-language translation of “Razgovory s Bakhtinym” sometime in 1999.
For full bibliographical information, please click on the Bakhtin Centre link below:
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