Subject
Dmitri Nabokov on VN Centennial Activities
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. In a fax of March 17, 1997, Dmitri Nabokov (who sees
selected portions of NABOKV-L courtesy of Sandy Klein) responds to
several recent postings and, in addition, provides some news about
forthcoming VN events. Other segments will be posted in the near future.
NABOKV-L thanks DN for taking the time to pass on the information below.
-------------------------------------------
1. On May 19, 1997, William F. Buckley, Jr. and I, neither of us spring
chickens, shall make our New York Theatre debut in a dramatization by
Terry Quinn of the VN-Wilson dispute. Newly build Century Theatre on site
of former Century Club. 7:30 PM curtain, 1:45 running time, two-man show,
Bill plays Wilson, I play Nabokov, benefit for MERC, 299 seats that, I
believe, are sold out.
2. Russian Television has kindly invited me to the Crimea, in connection
with nationswide VN birthday celebrations. If I can scavenge ten days
between the NY show and subsequent commitments, I'll try to go, since
Yalta, I hear, is beautiful in spring.
3. Now that [Brian] Boyd, Jane Grayson, and [Alexander] Dolinin with his
splendid cutting-edge finishing touch have done me the immense favor of
helping create a decipherable text, I have no more excuses to
procrastinate and finish translating the unpublished section of DAR [THE
GIFT] for the Boyd-Pyle volume on VN's butterflies in their various
apparitions. [Editor's note. VN wrote additional material, much of it
etymological in theme, for THE GIFT. This virtually indecipherable
manuscript in the LC VN Archive was discussed and summarized by Jane
Grayson in her article in the 1994 issue of NABOKOV STUDIES.]
4. Dr. Daniela Rippl of Munich's LITERATURHAUS, a bright and charming
girl, is making a series of visits to Montreux to consolidate plans for
her very well conceived centennial roadshow. She already has full
financing for Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin. Her offering, combined with
what is being planned here with the help of town archivist Evelyne Ruthi
and others, should be perfect. Daniela, Montreux and the Montreux Palace
under its excellent new management, as well as the Lausanne Museum, are
making VN materials available for the exhibition whereever VN celebrations
are being planned, in return for space and transportation costs. There
will also be dramatic readings, probably a theatrical exchange between
Montreux (with a good French troupe) and the [St Petersburg] Marinsky
theatre, perhaps a freshly commissioned musical composition, and there is
already the most astounding sculpture of a head that I have ever seen,
bronzes of which will be available to those institutions that wish to
acquire it (about $12,000 each after the $18,000 prototype). Other
interesting plans are jelling in many places.
5. [...] [T]hanks to [Vadim Stark] et al, it appears that there will be
full restitution to me of the country estate, selected to become the
formal precedent for new legislation. I shall have a staffed vacation
residence, my only obligation will be hospitality in the rebuilt house to
a small rotating colony of deserving writers, perhaps some students, and
occasional "cultural" events. If all this works out, I shall expect with
open arms a delegation from NABOKV-L, ZEMBLA, and the Vladimir Nabokov
Society for the inauguration.
With Best Greetings,
DN
Zanyatoi chelovek (and amateur Nabokvian)
selected portions of NABOKV-L courtesy of Sandy Klein) responds to
several recent postings and, in addition, provides some news about
forthcoming VN events. Other segments will be posted in the near future.
NABOKV-L thanks DN for taking the time to pass on the information below.
-------------------------------------------
1. On May 19, 1997, William F. Buckley, Jr. and I, neither of us spring
chickens, shall make our New York Theatre debut in a dramatization by
Terry Quinn of the VN-Wilson dispute. Newly build Century Theatre on site
of former Century Club. 7:30 PM curtain, 1:45 running time, two-man show,
Bill plays Wilson, I play Nabokov, benefit for MERC, 299 seats that, I
believe, are sold out.
2. Russian Television has kindly invited me to the Crimea, in connection
with nationswide VN birthday celebrations. If I can scavenge ten days
between the NY show and subsequent commitments, I'll try to go, since
Yalta, I hear, is beautiful in spring.
3. Now that [Brian] Boyd, Jane Grayson, and [Alexander] Dolinin with his
splendid cutting-edge finishing touch have done me the immense favor of
helping create a decipherable text, I have no more excuses to
procrastinate and finish translating the unpublished section of DAR [THE
GIFT] for the Boyd-Pyle volume on VN's butterflies in their various
apparitions. [Editor's note. VN wrote additional material, much of it
etymological in theme, for THE GIFT. This virtually indecipherable
manuscript in the LC VN Archive was discussed and summarized by Jane
Grayson in her article in the 1994 issue of NABOKOV STUDIES.]
4. Dr. Daniela Rippl of Munich's LITERATURHAUS, a bright and charming
girl, is making a series of visits to Montreux to consolidate plans for
her very well conceived centennial roadshow. She already has full
financing for Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin. Her offering, combined with
what is being planned here with the help of town archivist Evelyne Ruthi
and others, should be perfect. Daniela, Montreux and the Montreux Palace
under its excellent new management, as well as the Lausanne Museum, are
making VN materials available for the exhibition whereever VN celebrations
are being planned, in return for space and transportation costs. There
will also be dramatic readings, probably a theatrical exchange between
Montreux (with a good French troupe) and the [St Petersburg] Marinsky
theatre, perhaps a freshly commissioned musical composition, and there is
already the most astounding sculpture of a head that I have ever seen,
bronzes of which will be available to those institutions that wish to
acquire it (about $12,000 each after the $18,000 prototype). Other
interesting plans are jelling in many places.
5. [...] [T]hanks to [Vadim Stark] et al, it appears that there will be
full restitution to me of the country estate, selected to become the
formal precedent for new legislation. I shall have a staffed vacation
residence, my only obligation will be hospitality in the rebuilt house to
a small rotating colony of deserving writers, perhaps some students, and
occasional "cultural" events. If all this works out, I shall expect with
open arms a delegation from NABOKV-L, ZEMBLA, and the Vladimir Nabokov
Society for the inauguration.
With Best Greetings,
DN
Zanyatoi chelovek (and amateur Nabokvian)