Russell pioneers queer theory in literature at Vassar

Famed Russian-American writer Vladimir Nabokov wrote, "For various reasons, I find it inordinately hard to speak about my other brother." Professor of English Paul Russell decided to investigate the rich story behind Nabokov's words in his newest book The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov: A Novel. Released last November, the book centers onNabokov's gay brother, Sergey.

Nabokov barely mentions Sergey in his autobiography, and in 1915 publicly outed Sergey's homosexuality. In 1943, Sergey was arrested and sent to a concentration camp, where he died in 1945. "I wanted to reclaim that life, somehow, from all various forces—familial and historical—that conspired to essentially erase his existence," said Russell.

The book, Russell's seventh novel, was well received by critics. Publisher's Weekly praised it highly; an excerpt from their review reads, "Sergey's struggles with his sexuality, as well as his adventures and misadventures in the salons and clubs of pre-war Europe, are drawn with humanity. With compelling characters and steady prose, the reader will breeze through this pleasurable, heart-breaking account of the other Nabokov."

The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov differs markedly from Russell's other six novels; it is research-based, since it takes as inspiration the true life of Sergey Nabokov, and is set in a past Russell doesn't ordinarily work with. "I even joked when I was writing it that I'd have to write the first half of a sentence and do the research to write the second half of a sentence," Russell said.