Yuri Ivask  /  Correspondence 45

"N<ovoe> R<usskoe> Slovo" dated July 30 <...> has not yet reached me <...>. Therefore, I cannot say anything about Gulev's report on the next book of Novyi Zhurnal. But I know his position in relation to Shalamov...

And what should be done with Shalamov? I do not have it. By the way, did you happen to ask Veronika? They probably have it, they will only skimp. I wrote to the capital about Mosty and Shalamov, but did not receive an answer. Maybe this man has left...

I am not a fan of Akhmatova’s Requiem: I think, with the exception of a few lines, it is forced, and more importantly, too declamatory: you don’t really believe it. For me, Akhmatova exists mainly thanks to her “New Year’s Ballad,” “Northern Elegy” and “Poem Without a Hero...

For some reason, Shalamov is being late. I am waiting for the proofs.

Shalamov is stuck, nothing is heard. The proofs should have come from London long ago, but they did not. He, too, is an eccentric, like all of them: it seemed that he already complained about why they did not publish the book and exactly how he wanted...

I was intrigued by the words: “I’m waiting for Shalamov.” Is he going to come? As far as I know, he isn’t. I am interested because I am “making” his book. He complained on numerous occasions that Novyi Zhurnal was publishing his stories one at a time...

Something weird is happening with Shalamov. His book is already on sale, they promised to send it to me – and so far I have not received anything. I already sent a reminder. I was also asked to collect everything published abroad for the volume – I obtained it...

Nadezhda Mandelshtam will certainly not come this year. I am afraid that the Jubilee celebration has had a very oppressive effect on intellectual life generally. Certainly it has discouraged her from even trying to get the necessary exit visa. I am still hoping that she will make the effort later on...

Brodsky is an uneven poet. Some of his works aren’t strong, his language can often be sloppy and sometimes just incorrect, but he is nonetheless an interesting, meaningful, and promising poet (even a very promising one). I especially like the “Large Elegy” and “Isaac and Abraham...

Thank you for the letter. As I’ve written before, it is already too late to add anything to Brodsky’s volume. The book is already published, and yesterday some sample copies were supposed to be sent to me, some of which I will later send out as per the orders I have received (you will also receive them then)...

I have no idea what is going on with Shalamov. I collected everything that was printed, I found some things that were not printed, wrote an introductory article, basically, did everything that was required of me. In London, where the book should be published...

Basically, there is more of my editorial work in the edition of N<adezhda> Ya<kovlevna> M<andelshtam>’s memoirs than there is Hayward’s. But… for my work, they have only given me a few copies of the edition and some trivial things...

<…> memoirs of E. M. Tager-Maslova about Mandelshtam. At first, I was going to include these into his collection of poems (and include her short story “Popadia”) with a pretty long introduction (memoiristic in nature), but our publishing house recently went through a certain (hopefully minor) financial setback...

Where would I get Shalamov? Last week I was in New York, on Park Avenue (you know this organization) – they do not have it either, or they could not give it to me, they do not have much. Perhaps I will try this: I’ll write to the person who two years ago suggested that I collect everything printed for this book...