Joseph Brodsky, Leningrad: Fragments
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Photography & Video
Joseph Brodsky, Leningrad: Fragments Details
From Booklist The Russian poet Joseph Brodsky actually spent a little more than half his career in the U.S. His work was a classical exploration of life's complex relationships, of the here and now of what life makes us. Exiled from Leningrad--indeed, from Russia--at 31, Brodsky never returned yet remained a citizen in his heart and mind, and his poetry and essays were framed by his memories. Photographer Lemkhin serves the poet well by gathering images of Leningrad whose visual language encourages the same degrees of attention and communication Brodsky's poetry demands. Here and there, images of Brodsky appear, always, it seems, with cigarette in hand, smiling eyes, the eyes of a poet. And what are the eyes of a poet? What does a poet see? Lemkhin's beautiful book may not answer these questions, but it comes close. With short, valuable, and touching written contributions by Czeslaw Milosz and Susan Sontag, the book merits hours of just sitting and looking. Raul Nino Read more Review Enriched by Czeslaw Milosz's foreword and by Susan Sontag's moving, elegiac afterword, Lemkhin has successfully--and beautifully--arranged the many shards of his book into that whole, single portrait to which he aspired. -- The New York Times Book Review, Robin Lippincott Read more
Reviews
JOSEPH BRODSKY, LENINGRAD: FRAGMENTS succeeds on every level. For those not familiar with Brodsky's brilliant poetry I would recommend that you spend time with WATERMARKS, his tribute to the city of Venice, before coming to this book. Once the gentle subtleties of his poetry are in mind, then spending time perusing this pictorial essay of Brodsky's face and the scenes of Leningrad (the old name for St. Petersburg is used because that was the city's Soviet name used when Brodsky lived there) will form a complete picture of this amazing expatriate. Mikhail Lemkhin addresses not only the pictorial influences on the poet, but also adds some words of wisdom. The tribute at the end of the photographs, in some of Sunsan Sonntag's most eloquent writing, is a fitting closure to this very lovely book. Highly recommended.