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Black square : adventures in post-Soviet Ukraine / Sophie Pinkham.
"This captivating and original narrative blends politics, history, and reportage in a street-level account of a vexing and troubled region. In the tradition of Elif Batuman and Ian Frazier, Black Square presents an evocative, multidimensional portrait of Ukrainian life under the shadow of Putin. In vivid, original prose, Sophie Pinkham draws us into the fascinating lives of her contemporaries--a generation that came of age after the fall of the USSR, only to see protestors shot on Kiev's main square, Maidan; Crimea annexed by Russia; and a bitter war in eastern Ukraine. Amid the rubble, Pinkham tells stories that convey a youth culture flourishing within a tragically corrupt state. We meet a charismatic, drug-addicted doctor helping to smooth the transition to democracy, a Bolano-esque art gallerist prone to public nudity, and a Russian Jewish clarinetist agitating for Ukrainian liberation. With a deep knowledge of Slavic literature and a keen, outsider's eye for the dark absurdity of post-Soviet society, Pinkham delivers an indelible impression of a country on the brink."--Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780393247978 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: xv, 288 pages : maps ; 25 cm
- Edition: First American edition.
- Publisher: New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Paris of Siberia -- Resurrection -- City of gardens, city of ravines -- Men's day -- Buckwheat and rye -- Carpathian cowboys -- People's music -- Last Jew in Stalindorf -- Kingdom of the dead -- Dreaming of Europe -- Are you alive, brother? -- Masks and monuments -- Reunion -- Wild steppe -- Heroes don't die -- Crashing -- New Year in Kiev -- Rocket city -- Victory Day. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Ukraine > Social life and customs > 21st century. Ukraine > History > 1991- Ukraine > Politics and government > 1991- |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | 947.7086 Pin | 31681010269082 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
"This captivating and original narrative blends politics, history, and reportage in a street-level account of a vexing and troubled region. In the tradition of Elif Batuman and Ian Frazier, Black Square presents an evocative, multidimensional portrait ofUkrainian life under the shadow of Putin. In vivid, original prose, Sophie Pinkham draws us into the fascinating lives of her contemporaries--a generation that came of age after the fall of the USSR, only to see protestors shot on Kiev's main square, Maidan; Crimea annexed by Russia; and a bitter war in eastern Ukraine. Amid the rubble, Pinkham tells stories that convey a youth culture flourishing within a tragically corrupt state. We meet a charismatic, drug-addicted doctor helping to smooth the transition to democracy, a Bolano-esque art gallerist prone to public nudity, and a Russian Jewish clarinetist agitating for Ukrainian liberation. With a deep knowledge of Slavic literature and a keen, outsider's eye for the dark absurdity of post-Soviet society, Pinkham delivers an indelible impression of a country on the brink."--Provided by publisher. - Baker & Taylor
An expert in Slavic culture and literature describes the flourishing youth culture in the tragically corrupt Ukraine after the fall of the USSR, a movement whose members bore witness to protesters shot on KievÃs main square and Crimea annexed by Russia. - Book News
Author Sophia Pinkham writes on Russia and Ukraine for The New Yorker, the New York Times, the London Review of Books, and Foreign Affairs. In this memoir, she describes her experiences over the course of ten years (2004 to 2014) living, working, and traveling in Ukraine. In addition to her work as a journalist, Pinkham worked as a volunteer for the Red Cross and helped HIV patients. Her encounters with ordinary people and colorful characters, from Carpathian cowboys to Kiev drug addicts, shed light on the lives of everyday people and their responses to the political situation, including the Maidan Revolution. The term âBlack Squareâ in the title refers to a work of art by Russian avant-garde painter Kazimir Malevich, which came to stand for resistance to Russian government repression. Annotation ©2017 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com) - WW Norton
A distinctive writerâs fascinating journey into the heart of a troubled region, tracing the origins of the war that is now tearing Europe apart. - WW Norton
Each time Ukraine has rebuilt itself over the last century, it has been plagued by the same conflicts: corruption, poverty, and, most of all, Russian aggression. Sophie Pinkham saw all this and more during ten years in Ukraine and Russia, a period that included the Maidan revolution of 2013â14, Russiaâs annexation of Crimea, and the ensuing war in Donbass.With a keen eye for the dark absurdities of post-Soviet society, Pinkham presents a dynamic account of contemporary Ukrainian life. She meetsâamong othersâa charismatic doctor helping to smooth the transition to democracy even as he struggles with drug dependence; a band of Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian hippies in a Crimean idyll; and a Jewish clarinetist agitating for Ukrainian liberation. These fascinating personalities, rendered in a bold, original style, deliver an indelible impression of a country on the brink.Black Square
