Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0003681, Sat, 6 Feb 1999 11:26:03 -0800

Subject
VN Bibliography: Nabokov in Knickerbockers
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. Svetlana Polsky (Gotesborg Un., Sweden), author of a very
interesting disseration on VN's short stories, and discoverer of the
long-lost story "Paszal'nyj dozhd'" [Easter Rain], very kindly sends
NABokv-L xeroxes of Nabokov items in Russian publications. NABOKV-L thanks
Dr. Polsky and asks that others follow her excellent example.
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1. Sergei Fomin, "Stixi pronzivshaja strela" (Tema tvorchestva v poezii V.
Nabokova). Voprosy literatury_ (Nov.-Dec. 1998, pp. 40-5

2. Viktoriia Shoxina, "Nashi Jubiljary. Pochemu God Pushkina sovpadaet s
Godom Nabokova." _Kulisa_ (Shoxina is the editor of _Nezavisimaja
gazeta__'s twice monthly cultural affairs supplement.) Her essay appeared
on Jan. 15, 1999.

3. The same issue contains Natal'ja Selivanova's interview with Aleksandr
Rukavishnikov. "Nabokov v Nikerbokerax. Kak vidjat pisatelja skul'tory
Aleksandr i Filipp Rukavishnikovy. The Rukavishnikovs, father & son, have
created a bronze statue of VN (1 meter, 55 cm) that will stand in front of
the Palace Hoel in Montreux where Nabokov spent his last years. The statue
is somewhat controversial since it depicts the older VN causally tilted
back on the legs of a chair. His upper attire -- pince-nez, tweedy jacket
worn over a cardigan; his lower half is, however, rather different:
knickerbockers, knee-socks, and climbing boots. Despite Dmitri Nabokov's
mild objection to the apparel, the monument is to be unveiled as part of
the Nabokov centennial festivities in Montreux. The outfit (pince-nez
aside) is apparently based upon a photograph taken December 1921 when VN
was on a mountain climbing vacation in Switzeland. See Boyd I, p. 446.
Both the sculpture and the photgraph are reproduced in the issue.
In response to a question, the sculptors who have also done a
statue of Dostoevsky, express their life-long admiration for Naboov's
writing, saying "It is our deep conviction that it is unnatural to love
Nabokov."




D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618