“…You are not mad, or wild, or grieving! You are not roaring out to choke her with your bare hands! Which means your soul is not too mixed up with hers. And that is good. Here is my experience. Stay away from the ones you love too much. Those are the ones who will killContinue reading ““The Goldfinch”: stars are beautiful because of the space between them”
Author Archives: Natalia Antonova
Anna Arutunyan does a liberal translation of Alexander Vvedensky
This is an excerpt from the “Guest on a Horse” poem: Sleek and simple was the stallion As transparent as a stream. Long of mare and hurried temper, Said that he would like some cream. “I’m the chairman of this meeting! Come to join you and parley. Teach me what to do, Creator!” God repliedContinue reading “Anna Arutunyan does a liberal translation of Alexander Vvedensky”
Peloponnese
My first introduction to Greece happened when I was very young, and reading a rather liberal translation (more like an interpretation) of some Ancient Greek myths. It featured stuff like, “Hera was not classically beautiful, but anyone who had ever tasted the pleasures that fill the curves of a woman’s body appreciated her.” I believedContinue reading “Peloponnese”
Round here
It’s not a vacation until you meet two gay German tourists on a pier on a wild beach, and these tourists will warn you off swimming on account of a solitary pink jellyfish. But then you’ll go swimming anyway, because it doesn’t feel like September and there are so many minutes left in the morning.Continue reading “Round here”
My great reads of the year, so far: Kate Atkinson, Justin Cronin, Ali Eteraz, Graham Joyce
Life After Life: I’m a Kate Atkinson groupie and I love her recent spate of crime novels, but was so glad when she came back to playing with time and family and gnarled old fate in “Life After Life.” Maybe it’s the groupie in me talking, but I feel that Atkinson so rarely gets theContinue reading “My great reads of the year, so far: Kate Atkinson, Justin Cronin, Ali Eteraz, Graham Joyce”
Natalia A. 