Boris STERN
OPEN LETTER
Dear Oberhamites!
As they say, this is the first time I’m writing to a wall newspaper and I’m very worried.
- What if you don’t print it?
I read Oberham about Sidorkon-94. Berezhnaya and Nikolaev
asked to speak out: they say, your opinion, which, and all that. U
I have no desire to participate in literary showdowns,
I have already participated in a correspondence discussion once with the “Young Guards”
tsami", which was organized by Andrei Lubensky ten years ago.
Feeling: “It’s better to die from vodka than from boredom.” But now
I have to speak out, after all, my friends and good acquaintances
They are dividing something, and I am on the sidelines. Something needs to be said.
I didn’t like Andrey Stolyarov’s report. War with "Mo-
Loda Guard" ended. And not “our” victory at all - you’re right
Shchegolev - the question simply turned out to be distorted. "Young Guard"
suddenly it puffed up, turned into an OBE, puffed up some more, then... and burst-
la. What's next? Shall we start hitting each other? Don't want. I'm out of the fray.
Not “under”, not “above”, but “outside”. Thesis about the primacy of “artistry”
unconvincing. What's in this term? Sincerity, looseness, fa-
ntasia, writing skills - there are too many things in this ter-
mine, it is too blurry to drag it into the cornerstones.
Stolyarov understands this perfectly well, makes a reservation that he pre-
understands clearly, andstill drags this stone into the foundation instead of
piece of artistic ice. The water will flow. Tolstoy spoke about
primacy in art of “religiosity” - not in the sense of church
beliefs, but that it would be good for a writer to “have God in his stomach.”
And Pushkin said something else about “good feelings he awakens with his lyre”
gave." The writer must also be characterized by “humanity” and “orderliness.”
"honesty". Why kick the long-suffering "Aelita", which still remains
the main Russian prize (albeit not without mistakes), and knowing those
good people from the Ural Pathfinder, who have done so much
Lali for Russian science fiction? The hot-tempered phrase "bad piss-
Tel - as a rule, a bad person" - not kind, not a writer,
not humorous, not artistic. Not a gaming one. Insult
Shchegolev from the same opera.
Here's something else. I watched a meeting of the St. Petersburg Council on TV this winter.
minara. Borya Sidyuk called me - turn on the TV, he said.
He turned it on and began to look around with pleasure at all the familiar faces. And
suddenly some kind of sobering came over me (although I had been
I don't drink anymore).
- Guys! - I said to the TV. - Look at yourself! Gray haired
beards and bald heads, all over thirty, under forty, over forty, if not
under fifty... What are you talking about?! A poet in Russia is more or less than
poet? Shame, gentlemen! You are already established writers, why are you so
drawn to these seminars, studies, lectures, discussions, clarifications? Vo-
in general, itit can be interesting, there is something to talk about in the kitchen,
but... stages, stands, presidiums... and then there’s another box, all
crowded!
I said this, but, of course, they didn’t hear me.
Only Boris Natanovich was relevant in that program - he hosted the
minar, was at work, he had such a job at that moment, cad-
ry from his film were shown; but a question arose for Bornatanych: and
Is there any point in such a seminary for sophisticated adults?
people? Maybe invite some young, beautiful twenty-year-olds,
who really need to attend a seminar, listen to people, cleanse themselves,
thief. If Strugatsky’s youth seminar of the seventies
transformed into a club (albeit an elite club), then it was called
there is a club. Again, flashing in the box is contraindicated even
elite clubs, even members of PEN Club - remember the meeting
Bitov, Pietsukha, Iskander and some fat-assed waiter
in white gloves with some pineapples. This transmission is somewhere
disappeared.
Well, we appeared on TV, now we will divide the prizes. A
how to divide them - Hamburg counting is impossible in literature (right
Berezhnoy), the wrestling comparison of Viktor Shklovsky is unsuccessful, because
because the fighters, coming to Hamburg, fought among themselves
and identified the strongest; But what should writers do? They reveal everything
readers (that's why critics exist - freaks). Here we go
a bureaucratic, unartistic"Professional Regulations"
national literary award "Wanderer" - seven sections with
works, explanations and a system for determining leaders with logarithmic
chesical table. I couldn't handle it. Probably the provisions on steel-
n prizes were written more fun.
I don’t know, I don’t know... I got grumpy and grumpy. In one
In a literary discussion, one discussant said that “literary
ra is an important state matter,” another immediately objected: “li-
literature is a deeply personal matter." I am completely on the side of the second
speaker. In general, what does a writer need who adheres to this
point of view? Not very much - just one successful page is enough
per day (and this is difficult). To write. You also need your own room -
It’s bad if you have nowhere to write. I have it. Need to have lunch every day
and have dinner (I can do without breakfast). This is, in general, solvable. What else
necessary for such a personal matter as literature?.. Communication with friends
sons-in-law - in the kitchen. Here's what else: a normal personal computer!
(I have it, although it is abnormal and non-personal). Here's the minimum
personal writing concerns. Yes, of course, there is trouble with the publishing
Lyami is also included in writing - freaks, I hate it! All publishers
- freaks; except beautiful women. Well, we have to search for years and
find your publisher (it is better that the publisher is a drinker and not
writer).
But seminars, commissions, reports, presidiums - this is all from the onion -
howl of public-stateactivities. What does Andrey care about?
Stolyarov? Based on his report, the very initial lines introduced
statement: “the romantic destructive stage of development has ended
Russian science fiction", "a new stage of constructive real-
lism", "a new world of fantasy is emerging", "depends not only on
the future of science fiction, but also in many ways the creative fate of every car
ra" - Stolyarov is concerned with the development of science fiction and creative destiny
each author. Did I quote correctly, did I understand correctly? This and
there is a state approach, state words: development,
completed, stage, future. Stolyarov says: “we need to develop fa-
science”, I say: “there is no need to develop it, somehow.”
Stolyarov is concerned about the creative fate of each author - well, me too
I’m not a cannibal, and I’m always happy to help a good author in any way I can, but consider
I confess that the creative fate of the author is the work of the author himself, no one
will not write anything for him. (The author needs to be helped in some specific way -
but, individually, at the household kitchen level - he brought medicines -
you, triple (?!) lend, put in a good word. How words decay
va: the usual phraseological unit “borrow a triple” is long gone!”)
Here is the difference in positions. State approach to literature
leads to factions, fights, quarrels and burning of effigies. Personal
approach - helps to avoid all of the above.
Here is a fresh instructive case for Oberham. Three years ago
in Ukraine the democrats introducedannual bonus (very small, but
nevertheless) for the best "Russian-speaking" writer. The commission was
May democratic, they did not award themselves. The first time the award was given
Felix Krivin was tried. It's clear. Second year - to the late Victor
Nekrasov (however, a certain transcendental question arises: what
What will Kremirova say... I'm sorry, award winner? - but okay)
then they were going to award Chichibabin and Vladimir Savchenko
(everything is clear), when suddenly the composition of the commission changed, the Democrats
tired of commissioning, other people came and chose laureates
the following writers: Yugov, Omelchenko and Gubina. Anyone from
Have you heard about such writers - not that I’ve read them, but have you heard of them?
Who are they? Like who! - I will answer, - namely the writers Yugov, Omelchenko
and Gubin and entered this new nomination commission; that is, yourself
and awarded themselves prizes.
To conclude this unpleasant topic, I will say that, in no way
case without quarreling with the nomination committee and the jury of the award
"The Wanderer" (Lazarchuk, Rybakov, Gevorkyan, Lukin, Uspensky - others)
sons; Strugatsky, Bulychev, Mikhailov - respected masters), I advance
I refuse the possible inclusion of my works in the nomination
tion lists of "Strannik" - I don’t want to participate in public
government activities. You can also say this: “And you in these
No one is making lists." Well, you can say that. In this
I mean, I understand Vadim wellKazakova - he left, I did not enter,
but we have the same position: “We are all sitting in the same position on a stone” (Ko-
Zma Prutkov). Hello, Vadim!
Now for something more interesting. I propose to the entire nomination committee
mission of the "Wanderer", as well as Nikolaev and Berezhny, as well as
the writers who wanted to join - everyone whom the editors of Oberham
decide to invite - to take part in the drill, which I immediately
I begin with earnestness:
"TRUE STORIES FROM THE SERPENT GORYNYCH"
(working title)
1. ALONE WITH A MAN
One day after the rain, the famous science fiction writer Olga
Larionova with two full shopping bags stood on the
new bus to go to the House of Leningrad Writers, which
on Shpalernaya street-17. There was supposed to be a buffet reception there
on the occasion of the presentation of the Nobel Prize to Stanislaw Lem. The car came up
the bus of a route she didn’t need, and Olga heard a scream. I looked back.
A short man in a coat was running towards her, with a cake on his outstretched arms.
hands and with a bottle of vodka in his pocket, two officers were chasing him
police and shouted:
- Detain him, detain him!
Myopic Olga, of course, did not want to interfere in the pursuit of
a criminal, but the man with the cake looked so much like Chikatilo that
Olga still fulfilled her civic duty - she set him up
leg. The criminal fell straight into the mud, where is the hat, where are the legs, where
cake - you can have it yourselfintroduce. The policemen ran up wildly
looked at Olga and managed to jump onto the departing bus.
The bus left.
Olga was left alone with the man.
2. Kyiv CAKE
Olga was left alone with the man.
The man was just as short-sighted. With one hand he searched in a puddle
his glasses, with the second he licked the smeared “Kyiv cake”. Ol-
it was very uncomfortable, very funny and very scary - man
he had every right to slap her in the face for such things, but to run away from
there was no way for a man with two full bags. On-
end, the man found his glasses, got out of the puddle and, clenching his fists,
looked at Olga. Of course, it wasn’t Chikatilo, but Olga liked him
looked strikingly like someone.
- Psya krov!!! - the man swore rudely in Polish, and Olga and
I was horrified to recognize in him Stanislaw Lem himself, the Nobel laureate.
the one she was going to meet at the House of Writers from two
me shopping bags, in which there were all sorts of things for a la
buffet - the same "Kiev cake", vodka, appetizers and so on -
all this was bought in a pool between Soviet science fiction writers
ten dollars from the snout. Olga began to apologize and clean up Lem
remnants of "Kyiv cake". Let's leave Olga Larionova alone with
Stanislav Lem, and follow the policemen.
3. RETURN OF THE POLICEMAN
These policemen were not exactly policemen.These were
visiting policemen - one from Moscow, the other from Minsk, their call-
whether Boris Rudenko and Yuri Brider, one is a major, the other is a captain
police. The fact is that they also wrote science fiction and also specially
sewed on Shpalernaya-17 to take part in the celebration of Stan-
kudos to Lem, but we accidentally jumped on the wrong bus. fallen in
They didn’t recognize Mr. Stanislav’s puddle, but the woman who set him up
leg, seemed familiar to them...
“It seems that the aunt is one of ours...” said Rudenko.
“She looks like Lyudmila Kozinets,” agreed Bryder. “Why is she
tripped him up?
- But you yourself shouted to her: “Detain, detain!”
- You screamed too.
- I meant "Hold the bus."
- I also meant the bus.
- So she misunderstood us. No, this is not Lyudmila Kozinets.
I know Lyudmila well. This is Ariadna Gromova.
So they wondered and did not notice that they were not going to Shpalernaya-17, but
make a circle at the final stop and return back - there
where Lem and Larionova remained.
4. PAN STANISLAV
Lem, as you know, is not a Pole by origin, but our
Lvov Jew, similar to Odessa Babel or Roman Podo-
flaxen Therefore, Olga instantly found a common language with him...
And so on.
So: three chapters have been written, the fourth has begun. From now on
Oberham, if it wants, can continue its endless fantasy
fictional novel about a Nobel laureateStanislav Lem, about science fiction writers,
about hair dryers, about science fiction, and so on. Tempo, tone, rhythm are set in these
short chapters. Two indispensable conditions: God in the stomach and feelings
kind. Yes, I forgot about the artistry! Artistry is a must
Telna! The timing is anachronistic. Plot directions -
varied. Three small chapters from each author - work
small. After finishing the novel, all co-authors receive prizes
"Oberhama" - for example, sealed with an original wax seal -
a bottle of vodka with a printed sticker in the form of a personal diploma
ma. The novel is first published in Oberham. Editorial office "Oberham"
makes contacts with co-authors, sorts out, directs, organizes
lowers the creative process, sequence, etc. I offer
say all the science fiction writers with whom Oberham has contacts
contacts and with whom he sympathizes. I also propose to invite the writer-
dear guys from the fandom - Berezhny, Chertkov, Kazakov, doctor
Katz, others. (By the way, who is Dr. Katz? Roma Arbitma’s dad-
on?.. Just kidding, just kidding, I know who it is. This is the pseudonym of Abram Tertz).
Those who do not agree will naturally remain as they were "wanted"
great writers and good people."
If the idea is realized, then for the final editing, adjustment
ki-polishing-ending text Burime transfer to one of the authors.
At least for me. Maybe not for me.
Burim Nomination Committee - Berezhnoy, Nikolaev, Stern -(zits-chairman). Yes, invite Va- to the nomination committee
Dima Kazakova, definitely! It will be strict here, we will work hard
without any bonuses, he will like it.
Did you appreciate the idea? Rather than fight, it’s better to write to Burima together - there
We'll find out everything.
I shake your hand! Yours
Stern
July 18, 1994
Kyiv
Share your thoughts about the article