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The Meeting of the Lord: Old Russia’s Groundhog Day
Did you know that Groundhog Day is also a Russian holiday? Ok, not exactly, but February 2 (which is celebrated today on…
I’m Self Publishing My First Novel This Year
Friends! Mark your calendars. I’m publishing my first novel. The Song of the Sirin will be available for purchase online on July 1, 2017….
The problem of Church and state: Russia in 1917
A major theme in my first novel, A Lamentation of Sirin, is the difficult relationship between Church and state. It seems clear to…
How old Russian words hilariously change their meanings
One of the more fascinating articles I’ve read recently is one about “untranslatable emotions” in different languages. I was tickled to find…
Why do Russians insist on the name “Holy Russia”?
A reader of my first attempt at writing a novel noticed that I seemed to be obsessed with the idea of American exceptionalism….
What is Art? Part II of an Essay by Ivan Ilyin
Earlier this week, I translated an excerpt from a wonderful essay by Ivan Ilyin. Although sometimes his language verges on the kind…