Subject
Re: Pnin Prize (fwd)
Date
Body
EDITOR'S NOTE: For those not in the know, Marc Szeftel, mentioned below
by Galya Diment (U. Washington), was a Cornell colleagueof VN and
reputedly one of the prototypes for Pnin. Galya Diment, who is writing a
book about Szeftel and VN, is responding to Gene Barabtarlo's
proposal to establish an annual Pnin prize. DBJ
--------------------
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Galya Diment <galya@u.washington.edu>
Dear Gene,
Thanks for your thoughtful consideration of the University of
Washington. I would be willing to accept the honor on behalf of the late
Marc Szeftel but there may be this minor problem of having an endowed chair
and no department for that chair to chair. A Pninian quandary of sorts...
Other than that we would be a perfect spot since we have lots of
squirrels and plenty of Jack Cockerells (one is even an Associate Dean!).
Sincerely,
G.D.
On Thu, 16 Feb 1995, Donald Barton Johnson wrote:
> ATTENTION PNINIST! The editor hardily endorses the following proposal from
> Professor Barabtarlo, the World's leading authority on (but by no means to
> be confused with) Pnin). My only suugestion would be that the AATSEEL
> ticket be one-way. All nominations will be kept in strictest confidence by
> the editor. DBJ
>
> -----From: Gene Barabtarlo <GRAGB@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
> ----------------------
> ------------------ A chaser to the preceding: I sent it in on the 14th,
> and my "tomorrow" for Pnin 's birthday stood for the 15th, of course. . It
> has occurred to me in the meantime that it would be jolly to institu te a
> Pnin Prize awarded annually, on that day, to a somewhat distinguished
ATQ0V1X1
ATDT8933000
> American professor of Russian extraction. The Board of the VN
Society's
> Direct ors could vote on the nominated. The candidate should be an emigre,
> anti- leftist and anti-freudist. A strong English accent is a plus, a
> Russian one - a disqualifying fault. Should the recipient be a woman, the
> prize could be renamed "The Dr Olga Repnin Award". The awards may range
> from a football to a train ticket to the AATSEEL conference (non-stop). I
> should write to mitri Nabokov with the idea -- perhaps the Estate will
> sponsor it, especially in consideration of the approaching centenary of
> the Perpetual Professor-Emeritus. Of course, the best way to commemorate
> the event would be to create an "endowed chair" at Cornell or University
> of Washington, but for two different reasons that seems unlikely. GB
>
by Galya Diment (U. Washington), was a Cornell colleagueof VN and
reputedly one of the prototypes for Pnin. Galya Diment, who is writing a
book about Szeftel and VN, is responding to Gene Barabtarlo's
proposal to establish an annual Pnin prize. DBJ
--------------------
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Galya Diment <galya@u.washington.edu>
Dear Gene,
Thanks for your thoughtful consideration of the University of
Washington. I would be willing to accept the honor on behalf of the late
Marc Szeftel but there may be this minor problem of having an endowed chair
and no department for that chair to chair. A Pninian quandary of sorts...
Other than that we would be a perfect spot since we have lots of
squirrels and plenty of Jack Cockerells (one is even an Associate Dean!).
Sincerely,
G.D.
On Thu, 16 Feb 1995, Donald Barton Johnson wrote:
> ATTENTION PNINIST! The editor hardily endorses the following proposal from
> Professor Barabtarlo, the World's leading authority on (but by no means to
> be confused with) Pnin). My only suugestion would be that the AATSEEL
> ticket be one-way. All nominations will be kept in strictest confidence by
> the editor. DBJ
>
> -----From: Gene Barabtarlo <GRAGB@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
> ----------------------
> ------------------ A chaser to the preceding: I sent it in on the 14th,
> and my "tomorrow" for Pnin 's birthday stood for the 15th, of course. . It
> has occurred to me in the meantime that it would be jolly to institu te a
> Pnin Prize awarded annually, on that day, to a somewhat distinguished
ATQ0V1X1
ATDT8933000
> American professor of Russian extraction. The Board of the VN
Society's
> Direct ors could vote on the nominated. The candidate should be an emigre,
> anti- leftist and anti-freudist. A strong English accent is a plus, a
> Russian one - a disqualifying fault. Should the recipient be a woman, the
> prize could be renamed "The Dr Olga Repnin Award". The awards may range
> from a football to a train ticket to the AATSEEL conference (non-stop). I
> should write to mitri Nabokov with the idea -- perhaps the Estate will
> sponsor it, especially in consideration of the approaching centenary of
> the Perpetual Professor-Emeritus. Of course, the best way to commemorate
> the event would be to create an "endowed chair" at Cornell or University
> of Washington, but for two different reasons that seems unlikely. GB
>