Writers Revel in the White Nights
By Sam Charap
Special to The St. Petersburg Times
Alexander Belenky / The St. Petersburg Times
U.S. writer Maxine Chernoff reading from her book 'A Boy in Winter' at an SLS seminar at the Herzen University last Tuesday. |
St. Petersburg's White Nights have long been the occasion for profound reflection and literary ruminations. Such works as "The Bronze Horseman," with Alexander Pushkin's image of the poet working late into the night with only the gray dusk to illuminate his page, and Fyodor Dostoevsky's brooding and angst-ridden search for meaning in the perpetually lit streets, have become a basic part of the city's identity. This long-standing intellectual tradition of St. Petersburg has now been taken up by the Summer Literary Seminars (SLS), a program accredited by Oklahoma University. From June 18 to July 13, SLS is offering an ambitious series of seminars, readings and lectures on topics ranging from "Non-Fiction Writing" to "Literary and Philosophical Discourse in St. Petersburg." The program is being hosted by the Herzen University, located near the Kazan Cathedral. The SLS faculty this year boasts some of the leading names in both Western and Russian intellectual life. Among the Western participants are celebrated American playwright Constance Congdon, author of "Tales of the Lost Formicans" and "Dog Opera" (produced by the Joseph Papp Public Theater), and Irish novelist Collum McCann, author of "Songdogs" and "This Side of Brightness." Russian representatives this year include Arkady Dragomoschenko, a noted local poet and translator, and Andrei Zorin, the Moscow-based literary critic. Participating in the program are 70 aspiring young American writers, most of whom are enrolled in graduate programs in the United States. But why did they come all the way to St. Petersburg to take courses? "Some of them just want to hang around famous writers, while others want to see this city of very strong literary allusions, very strong literary associations," said Mikhail Iossel, the SLS program director. "It's an exotic, interesting and faraway place for many of them." Iossel, a Leningrad native, was a refusnik and samizdat writer in the late 1970s and early '80s, before emigrating to the United States in 1986 at age 30. He has since been published widely in America, and is currently a writer-in-residence at Union College in New York state. By all accounts, SLS has been successful in instilling its students with the literary spirit of the White Nights. "I don't know if I will ever again be among so many good writers, or if I will ever be able to match the brilliant experience of the White Nights in St. Petersburg," said U.S. student Amy Pandya, who participated in the program last year. And the students aren't the only ones happy to be in Russia's historic literary epicenter. Congdon characterized the SLS as a "tremendous treat" for the faculty as well. The writers have grouped themselves in the spirit of a Russian kolektiv, staying up late into the night, working on their writing and sharing new ideas. "I haven't done that since college," the playwright said. Congdon - who had previously visited the city as a tourist in 1989 after one of her plays was produced by a Moscow theater - said that she found the "tremendous literary history" of the city "inspiring and concentrating." "The change [from when I was here before] is amazing," Congdon said, adding, "Although the ride down the Neva River is still the same, there's a lot more neon!" Although the seminars are restricted to program participants, the lectures and public readings - which will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the duration of the program - are open to the public. These will be conducted in English; Russian speakers will be interpreted. All St. Petersburg residents are welcome, said Iossel. "The more the better, absolutely." Those interested should meet at 11:45 a.m. for lectures, and 7 p.m. for readings, in the lobby of the Herzen Institute's hotel at 6 Kazanskaya Ulitsa. From there, the group will head toward one of the institute's lecture halls The readings are informal, lively events. Last Tuesday, Maxine Chernoff, an American poet and novelist, read from one of her novels, "A Boy in Winter," and treated the audience to one of her short stories, which will be published next year. Chernoff and her colleague, poet Paul Hoover, also shared some of their thoughts on the creative process, and discussed what had inspired and motivated their work. Iossel founded the program three years ago with the idea of bringing the American writing-workshop model to his native city. "The idea for the program was relatively simple: I just wanted to get back to St. Petersburg in my new capacity as an American writer and to bring some of my fellow American writers with me ... and maybe introduce the Russian public to certain aspects of American writing," Iossel said. "The goal of these summer seminars is to take people out of the context of their lives, to give them a creative jolt. When you are not steeped in the routine of your life, your eye is sharper, you get a fresher perspective," Iossel continued, calling St. Petersburg the "ultimate environment" for the program. Here is the program of public events for the Summer Literay Seminars: Tuesday, June 26: Lecture by Yevgeny Pavlov of Moscow State University on the particularities of the translation of Russian literature - 11:45 a.m. Reading by U.S. author Robert Coover - 7 p.m. Thursday, June 28: Literary round-table discussion with the American faculty - 11:45 a.m. Readings by Constance Congdon and Dagoberto Gilb - 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 3: Readings by Amy Bloom and Joy Johannessen - 7 p.m. Thursday, July 5: Reading by Dagoberto Gilb - 7 p.m. If you would like further information about any of the SLS programs, please call Marina Novozhilova at 941-00-97.
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