The election is over and I have a few thoughts, but I’ll wait until Joe Biden’s inauguration to share those. For now, I’d like to reflect on a favorite topic: Ukrainian literature and the beauty and complexity of the Ukrainian word, as well as the horrific associated politics, with the language frequently banned, writers arrested, indeed killed. And revel in how the culture, the literature has nonetheless survived and is blossoming today.
So, for respite from the most horrible American election (and post-election) I’ve ever experienced, allow me to share a Sunday relaxation: The New York Times Book Review, where authors relate their reading history, the interview ending: “You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three authors, dead or alive, would you invite?” Invariably, the list includes those whose works I’ve read with pleasure: Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Virgil, Emily Dickenson, James Baldwin and others.