Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0005833, Sat, 17 Mar 2001 13:19:03 -0800

Subject
Fw: Query and nabokov-evreinoff relationship
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "Galya Diment" <galya@u.washington.edu>
>
> In English, Vladimir Alexandrov has published at least two articles on VN
> and Evreinov, of which one appears in the Garland Companion he edited.
>
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> ^ Galya Diment ^
> ^ Professor and Acting Chair ^
> ^ Slavic Languages and Literatures ^
> ^ University of Washington ^
> ^ Box 353580 ^
> ^ Seattle, WA 98195-3580 ^
> ^ Ph. 206-543-7344/206-543-6848 ^
> ^ Fax: 206-543-6009/206-522-1959 ^
> ^ ^
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> On Sat, 17 Mar 2001, D. Barton Johnson wrote:
>
> > EDITOR's NOTE. I suspect but am far from sure that the EVREINOV-VN
> > kinship was mentioned in "Nabokovskii sbornik", perhaps issue 2which was
> > devoted to VN-genealogy. V. P. Stark, its editor is the leading
> > authority on VN's geneaology matters. Several scholars have mentioned
> > VN-Evreinov literary connections. Can someone supply some references?
> > ---------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> > ----------
> > From: Alexei Medvedev <alexmedved@yahoo.com>
> >
> > Dear list,
> >
> > sorry for bothering you with my trifle request and for my
> > inattentiveness. Quite recently I saw a message on
> > a list, which mentioned the possibility of Nabokov and Evreinoff
> > families being related to each other. But I
> > forget to save it, and now I am in a desperate need for reference. Would
> > smb help me? Sorry again.
> > Let me also say a few words on the problem of influences, discussed on
> > the list.
> >
> > In my opinion we
> > should be extremely careful, while saying that somebody was influenced
> > by Shakespeare, Pushkin,
> > Proust... To be influenced by a genius is as natural for a writer, as to
> > be influenced by life, by his
> > (her) surroundings and experiences. This influence is usually so
> > overwhelming, that you can produce numerous proofs without actually
> > proving anything. The source of a specific passage in Nabokov's ouevre
> > might not be a specific passage by Proust, but Zeitgeist itself, which
> > transfers ideas and stylistic patterns without using quotation marks.
> > On the other hand, what always intrigues me is the influence, produced
> > on great authors by some obscure and less known and talented figures,
> > who for some mysterious personal reasons turned out to be the source of
> > inspiration for their greater colleagues. By the way, in case of the
> > Nabokov such figure is undoubtedly Russian playwright Nikolai
> > Evreinoff.
> > Any other suggestions?
> >
> > Alexei Medvedev, Moscow
> >
>