Chekhov's Letters: Biography, Context, Poetics (Crosscurrents: Russia's Literature in Context) - Softcover

Carol Apollonio; Radislav Lapushin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1498570461 ISBN 13: 9781498570466

Publisher: Lexington Books, 2021

Synopsis

Of the thirty volumes in the authoritative Academy edition of Chekhov's collected works, fully twelve are devoted to the writer's letters. This is the first book in English or Russian addressing this substantial—though until now neglected—epistolary corpus. The majority of the essays gathered here represent new contributions by the world's major Chekhov scholars, written especially for this volume, or classics of Russian criticism appearing in English for the first time. The introduction addresses the role of letters in Chekhov's life and characterizes the writer's key epistolary concerns. After a series of essays addressing publication history, translation, and problems of censorship, scholars analyze the letters' generic qualities that draw upon, variously, prose, poetry, and drama. Individual thematic studies focus on the letters as documents reflecting biographical, cultural, and philosophical issues. The book culminates in a collection of short, at times lyrical, essays by eminent scholars and writers addressing a particularly memorable Chekhov letter. Chekhov's Letters appeals to scholars, writers, and theater professionals, as well to a general audience.

About this title

About the Authors

Carol Apollonio is professor of Russian at Duke University.

Radislav Lapushin is associate professor of Russian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Svetlana Evdokimova is professor of Slavic studies at Brown University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1498570461
• ISBN 13: 9781498570466
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368