This collection includes almost the entire book of poems “Terroir of Loneliness” and a little from previous books: “Pure Female Lyrics”, “Properties of a Shell”, “Creating the Sky” and the next one, which is also written “And Together”.

Terroir of loneliness" is a place for the ripening of various loneliness - the loneliness of a poet, the loneliness of a woman, loneliness in love, loneliness in life, in time and place, in age and level of erudition. life, in time and place, in age and level

Poems are always an attempt at contact. Contact, for example, between the inner self and the outer bodily appearance. Or the external environment with the internal world. Self-isolation is collapsing into a black hole.

In the poems, the external harmonic consonance found reveals and makes clear only the mystically discerned essence of the relationship between the elements of nature, man and things.

A person thinks with his whole body, and not just with logical constructs. The poet's feelings are always tragic. Their volume is so enormous that it is overwhelming. You can only share the burden with poetry, otherwise it is impossible to bear. And their endless polarity is the living pulsations of your flesh and the universe as a whole. This is always a relationship, any monologue is a dialogue with an internal interlocutor who is part of your inner world. And even nature, and history, and religion, and God enter the inner space and become an integral part of you. “But man is the world.” This is what I can say about “Terroir of Solitude”. And this image of attitude towards the world, the image of a possible position at some point changed.

Another book of poems, “And Together,” has begun. But the person saved from alienation, who puts his soul into his work, remains. I managed to save the “living soul” once again, as in other earlier books of poetry.

In those books, a person was saved by feeling from reification. We are not “ghosts loaded with knowledge”, we are made of flesh and blood, drowned in the material worries of this day, but not limited by them. The fight for Life and Death has to be in the realm of feelings (homeless people don’t commit suicide). Fight to rise to the senses. To write something sincerely, you need to have passion. And passion is not only eros, it is any emotion brought to a peak state. And then you need to step out of it and look at the work of your hands with a conscious concern for style. This is my philosophical approach.

A necessary poetic element can be the sound value of a word, the color pumped up by comparisons, the length of a line - the whole complex of sensations. But only the deep trembling of the spirit is the actual conversation with the animated world - there is an inner voice, there is individuality, there is our question to this world of people that enters you, and you cannot renounce them, for the world and you are the same thing. All that remains is to wait for an answer. All that remains is to wait for contact.

Kuzmin E

Introductory article to the collection of novels by E. S. Gardner

Evgeniy Kuzmin

Introductory article

to the collection of novels by E. S. Gardner

The work of the outstanding American master of the detective genre Erle Stanley Gardner (1889-1971) has not yet been as well studied in our country as, say, the work of Agatha Christie or Georges Simenon. Meanwhile, Gardner's books, translated into more than 30 languages, are very popular in many countries around the world, and in Nicaragua a postage stamp was even issued in honor of the main character of the novels, Perry Mason.

In his work, Gardner explored the principle of giving what is being described the appearance of maximum authenticity. And this often bore fruit. One of the newspapers once published a report about a case where reading Gardner’s novel pushed the prosecutor to the right idea, which subsequently allowed him to complete a complex murder case and expose the criminal.

Self-taught lawyer E.S. Gardner takes up his pen, already having extensive practice in the Californian court. Under various pseudonyms - Carlton Kanrek, Charles J. Henry, A.A. Fire - he creates many detective works, but his real success is brought to him by a series of books featuring the undefeated lawyer Perry Mason, whom he first introduced into detective history in 1933 .

After more than twenty years of practice, Gardner interrupted his career as a lawyer and devoted himself entirely to literature. Thanks to his good health and excellent physical endurance, in his youth he played a lot of sports and was a good boxer. - Gardner could work 16 hours a day! Most often he dictated text onto tape. He was assisted in his work by six stenographer secretaries and several typists. Gardner prepared several books a year for publication and edited his magazine. From his pen came books on archaeology, natural history, criminology, penology (the science of punishment in prisons) and forensic photography. He had a good understanding of poisons and weapons. By the beginning of 1978, 82 of Gardner's novels had been published - more than 200 million copies of the books were sold. His books about lawyer Perry Mason, charming secretary Della Street and lanky detective agency chief Paul Drake top the author's bestseller list. In total, the popular writer wrote 120 novels and a large number of stories.

Gardner's detective story is subject to a strict logical design and is based not so much on search as on reasoning. The main character, lawyer Perry Mason, is not a superman, and many other characters are not, but by the will of a talented writer he is drawn into the orbit of exciting events and a web of intrigue. Gardner's works are very far from the traditional idea of ​​a Western detective with his countless chases and shootouts. Interest is heightened not only by the rapid development of events, but also by the brilliant actions of the famous lawyer, his ability to convey in court the subtlest nuances of the trial - to show the confrontation between the defense and the prosecution, the insight and even cunning of Perry Mason, his play to the public and, if circumstances required, lightning speed. change of tactics. And it's no coincidence main character works do all this with grace - after all, their author knew American legal proceedings very well and often used elements from his rich legal practice.

Gardner does not depict the crime itself, does not relish cruelty, does not immerse the reader in an atmosphere of fear and violence, as representatives of the “cool school” of detective work, for example R. Chandler or D. Hammett, do, but allows a person to trace the chain of logical calculations and original conclusions, build their own versions and, as a rule, only in the finale, at the trial, lifts the veil of the mystery of the crime.

But in Gardner’s works, it is important not only how Perry Mason comes to solve the crime, but what ideas he preaches. The general qualities of the famous lawyer are honesty and the desire to help the common man, whose freedom is being encroached upon and who often finds himself on the edge of the abyss. Lawyer Perry Mason often has to correct the mistakes of the investigation, which, having strong evidence, tries not to establish the guilt of the accused, but to prove it at any cost, sometimes even to impute it, and therefore it is characteristic that the true criminal is found not by the investigative authorities, but by the protagonist of the works.

Mason is strikingly different from the logical detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, born of the imagination of Agatha Christie, he is not overwhelmed by brilliant ideas, like Sherlock Holmes or police inspector Maigret while smoking a pipe. Perry Mason is a practical detective and analyst. The efforts of his activities aimed at protecting the innocent are crowned by the court, where the talented lawyer has no equal in the debate of minds.

Gardner also has another hero - Lester Leite, the American modern analogue of Arsene Lupin. Lester Leite is a handsome gentleman criminal who takes pleasure in deceiving both bandits and... the police. Works with this hero constitute a humorous cycle in Gardner’s work.

The realism characteristic of Gardner brings him closer in his work to the direction of the “hard school”. This is felt in the books he published under the pseudonym A.A. Fire, “Mad Men Die on Friday,” “Traps Need Live Bait,” and “Cats Hunt at Night.” Gardner had 25 such books. The dashing private detective Donald Lamb and his no less dashing boss Bertha Cool are individualized examples, endowed with humor. For your consideration, dear reader, we bring to your attention the action-packed detective story “The Mystery of the Blonde.” The novel was written under the pseudonym A.A. Fire.

In this story, Belyaev expressed confidence in the possibility of studying human emotional life at its most complex level. Thinking about " a device with the help of which it would be possible to mechanically fabricate melodies, well, at least in the same way as the final figure is obtained on an adding machine", the writer to some extent foresaw the capabilities of modern electronic computers (it is known that computers “compose” music).

The artistic method of Belyaev, whose work was usually classified as lightweight, “children’s” literature, turns out to be deeper and more complex. At one pole there is a semi-fairy tale cycle about the magic of Professor Wagner, and at the other there is a series of novels, stories, studies and essays that popularized real scientific ideas. It may seem that in this second line of his work Belyaev was the forerunner of modern “close” science fiction. Its attitude: “on the edge of the possible,” declared in the 40-50s to be the main and only one, led to the reduction of science fiction literature. But Belyaev, while popularizing real trends in science and technology, did not hide behind recognized science.

He wrote to Tsiolkovsky that in the novel “Leap into Nothing” “ made an attempt, without going into independent fantasy, to present modern views on the possibility of interplanetary communications, based mainly on your works" Without going into independent fantasy... But at one time, even such an outstanding engineer as Academician A. N. Krylov declared Tsiolkovsky’s projects scientifically untenable.

On this occasion, Tsiolkovsky wrote:

“... Academician Krylov, borrowing from O. Eberhard’s article, proves through the mouth of this professor that cosmic speeds are impossible, because the amount of explosive will exceed the most reactive device many times.”

So, rocket navigation is a chimera?

“Exactly right,” continued Tsiolkovsky, “if you take gunpowder for calculation. But the opposite conclusions will be obtained if the gunpowder is replaced, for example, with liquid hydrogen and oxygen. The scientist needed gunpowder to refute the universally accepted truth.”

Tsiolkovsky was decades ahead of his time - and not so much technical capabilities as narrow ideas about the feasibility, the necessity of this or that invention for humanity. And the science fiction writer Belyaev saw this second, human face of the “universally recognized truth” better than other specialists. For example, Tsiolkovsky's all-metal airship is reliable, economical, durable - it still plows the ocean of air only in Belyaev's novel.

Novel " Airship"began publishing in the magazine "Around the World" at the end of 1934. Soon the editors received a letter from Kaluga:

“The story... is wittyly written and scientific enough to inspire imagination. Let me express my pleasure to Comrade. Belyaev and the venerable editors of the magazine. I ask Comrade Belyaev to send me by cash on delivery his other fantastic story dedicated to interplanetary wanderings, which I could not get anywhere. I hope to find good in it too...”

It was the novel "Leap into Nothing."

“Dear Konstantin Eduardovich! - Belyaev answered. -...I am very grateful to you for your feedback and attention... I even had the idea of ​​dedicating this novel to you, but I was afraid that it “wouldn’t be worth it.” And I was not mistaken: although the novel met with a warm reception among readers, Yak[ov] I[idorovich] Perelman gave a rather negative review about it in issue No. 10 of the newspaper “Literary Leningrad” (dated February 28)... But now, since you yourself about you ask, I willingly fulfill your request and send the novel to your judgment. The novel is currently being republished in a second edition, and I would very much like to ask you to provide your comments and corrections... Both I and the publishing house would be very grateful to you if you would also write a preface to the second edition of the novel (if, of course, you think that the novel deserves your introduction).

Sincerely respecting you A. Belyaev"

The review mentioned by Belyaev by Ya. Perelman, a famous popularizer of science who contributed greatly to the spread of the idea of ​​space exploration, was biased and contradictory. Perelman either demanded strict adherence to what was practically feasible, then reproached Belyaev for popularizing what had long been known, or rejected what was new and original.

Perelman, apparently, was dissatisfied that “The Jump” did not reflect the possibility that Tsiolkovsky had just discovered to achieve cosmic speeds using ordinary industrial fuel. Before that, Tsiolkovsky (as can be seen from his objections to Academician Krylov) pinned his hopes on a very dangerous and expensive pair - liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Tsiolkovsky published his discovery in the Tekhnika newspaper in May 1935. Naturally, in the novel, which was published in 1933, this new idea of ​​Tsiolkovsky could not be taken into account.

The main thing, however, is not this, but the fact that Perelman approached the work of science fiction from the point of view of his own purely popularization task, into which science fiction, of course, does not fit. And here he was not consistent either. Perelman contrasted “Leap into Nothing” with O. V. Gayle’s novel “Moon Flight” as an example of scientific popularization. Meanwhile, the German author was based on the works of his compatriot G. Oberth, which were not at all the last word Sciences. Here are excerpts from Tsiolkovsky’s letter to Perelman dated June 17, 1924:

« Dear Yakov Isidorovich, I am writing to you mainly to say a little about the works of Oberth and Goddard (American pioneer rocket technology. - A.B.)… Firstly, many important questions about the rocket are not even touched upon theoretically. Oberth's drawing is only suitable for illustrating fantastic stories...“That is, Oberth should have illustrated Guile, and not vice versa. Tsiolkovsky lists Oberth's numerous borrowings from his works. Consequently, Guile took it not even from second, but from third hands and, in any case, could not serve as an example for Belyaev. Belyaev was thoroughly familiar with the works of Tsiolkovsky. Back in 1930, he dedicated the essay “Citizen of the Ethereal Island” to him.

Tsiolkovsky’s preface to the second edition of “A Leap into Nothing” (the reader will find it on page 319 of this book) is in all respects the opposite of Perelman’s review. The famous scientist wrote that Belyaev’s novel seems to be “ the most meaningful and scientific"of all the works known to him then about space travel. In a letter to Belyaev, Tsiolkovsky added (we quote a draft of the letter preserved in the archive): “ As for dedicating it to me, I consider it your kindness and an honor for myself».

The support inspired Belyaev. " Your warm review of my novel, he replied, gives me strength in the difficult struggle to create science fiction works" Tsiolkovsky consulted on the second edition of “Leap into Nothing” and went into details.

“I have already corrected the text according to your comments,” Belyaev said in another letter. “In the second edition, the editors only slightly lighten the “scientific load” - they remove “Hans’s Diary” and some lengths in the text, which, in the opinion of readers, are somewhat heavy for a work of fiction.”

“I also expanded the third part of the novel - on Venus - by introducing several entertaining adventures, in order to make the novel more interesting for the general reader.”

“When correcting your comments, I made only one small digression: you write: “The speed of nebulae is about 10,000 kilometers per second,” I added this to the text, but then I write that there are nebulae with high speeds...”

The retreat, however, was not only this. Belyaev rejected Tsiolkovsky's advice to remove mention of the theory of relativity and the resulting paradox of time (when time in a rocket traveling at a speed close to the speed of light slows down relative to the earth's).

Introductory article to the collection of stories by A.P. Chekhov.

“Brevity is the sister of talent...” This phrase is on everyone’s lips. But not many people know that it belongs to the greatest artist of the word Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. This aphorism, which has become popular, can serve as a kind of epigraph to the writer’s work.

Undoubtedly, Chekhov's stories are distinguished by laconicism, brevity, and the absence of beautiful and pompous phrases, but this is one of the many features of his works.

What can interest the reader so much that he wants to read the story again and again? What attracts him so much to these often ordinary and vulgar stories? How can the most typical, ordinary heroes differ?

Chekhov himself spoke about his writing style: “You can cry and moan over stories, you can suffer along with your heroes, but, I think, you need to do this in such a way that the reader does not notice.” Chekhov's reticence and restraint affects the reader more powerfully than loud words. One of the critics of the early twentieth century rightly wrote: “And when he was silent so deeply and meaningfully, it was as if he spoke expressively.”

Indeed, the author's assessment is not clearly expressed; it is scattered throughout the text. The author avoids straightforward and unambiguous assessments of the characters. His heroes are living people, and not schematic carriers of some ideas. And the main idea of ​​the work is also always hidden, since for the writer the main thing is not the proclamation of any statement, but the search for truth, not the solution of the question, but its formulation. So, the feelings and thoughts of the characters are also guessed, they are not directly mentioned. And in expressive dialogues we can see the wisdom of the characters, although this is also hidden.

“Truth is born in dispute” (Socrates) And Chekhov allows the reader to independently draw any conclusions. The story becomes a reason to think about your life. And in the sometimes banal, ordinary plot there is a deep meaning hidden.

If you like comic short stories, satirical stories, and anecdotes, then you will be pleasantly surprised by Chekhov’s favorite techniques in his works: humor and irony, satire and sarcasm.

Chekhov's jokes are also based on generalizations. Drawing the image of a shopkeeper in the story “Requiem Service,” we can see how “Andrei Andreevich wore solid galoshes, those same huge, clumsy galoshes that only positive, sensible and religiously convinced people wear.” The writer's humor is based on raising every little thing and accident to a power. This is Chekhov's poetics of little things. The author moves from details to greater generalization.

In his stories, Chekhov focused on what is most ordinary in everyday life. From first to last action the main event of the work “Ionych” is obscured by everyday events of life. How to explain this feature of Chekhov's stories? First of all, the writer seeks to understand what motivates the characters to take any action. Therefore, Chekhov emphasizes ordinary everyday episodes, at first glance completely insignificant, filled with trifles. This helps him reproduce the most character traits modern life, under which his heroes think, act, and suffer. Another characteristic feature of them is connected with this feature of Chekhov's stories. The source of conflict does not lie in contradiction and clash of passions. In The Man in the Case, for example, there are no guilty parties. Who is to blame for teacher Belikov’s lifestyle? There is no one subjectively to blame. Life develops outside the will of people, and suffering occurs by itself.

Who is to blame? This question is heard in every story. Thanks to these features, we understand that it is not the fault individuals, and all life is in the endless monotony of its everyday life.

All of Chekhov's work is a call for spiritual liberation and emancipation of man. M. Gorky told the writer: “You seem to be the first free person who worships nothing that I have ever seen.” Undoubtedly, this inner freedom as the main sign of Chekhov’s character is reflected in the stories presented in this collection.

The book of poems you are holding in your hands is addressed to a wide range of readers. It will not leave indifferent either a subtle connoisseur and connoisseur of literature, or a lover of the poetic word, or a person completely far from poetry into whose hands this book fell by chance, or a professional critic.
The author of the collection is Marina EPSTEIN, a Russian-speaking poetess who has lived in Australia since 1979, and speaks about different moments of our complex and diverse life in an accessible, insightful and understandable form for everyone.
I can't divide poems into chapters.
Love. Nature. Philosophical. About children…
No matter how you do it, it’s written about the main thing:
About our mortal life. About everything in the world.
Marina was born on April 17, 1939. in the cultural capital of Ukraine - the city of Kharkov. Since childhood, she was fond of poetry, was the editor of the school wall newspaper and its regular author. Studied at the philology department Kharkov University. She worked as a teacher at school and headed the technical school library.
Until recently, her poems were not known to the general public. But the ubiquitous Internet did its job: on the social website “Odnoklassniki” in the group “Poems” Marina decided to open her page, and her poems were immediately noticed and noted both by colleagues in the poetry workshop and by lovers of Russian poetry from different countries peace. Here, on the website, Marina was noticed and invited to collaborate by the editors of the international almanac of Russian-language poetry and prose “Feelings Without Borders.” In one of the collections of the Almanac, Marina published her poems for the first time.
I wrote on the table many times,
Yes, it happens now too.
Paper can withstand anything.
What a lie, what the truth without embellishment,
It's like love, like fortune telling -
This is her fate.
For my long life Marina wrote many poems. Perhaps there is no topic that she would not touch on in her poems. This is both love and hatred, civil and philosophical reflections, nature, travel, the world of childhood, literature and its heroes... And on every topic the poetess can speak to any reader in a language that is understandable to him, rich and figurative. Despite the fact that Marina has lived far from her homeland for a long time, her poems have not lost the depth, colorfulness, and accuracy characteristic of true speakers of the Russian language. Her speech is figurative, metaphorical and correct. But this correctness, literacy in observing the norms of language and the laws of poetics, does not make her poems dry and callous, they do not just make you think, they excite the soul, make the heart beat faster.
Write write! Sharpen your pen.
...Epithets and sophistications of a smart guy.
It should be beautiful and sharp.
Not only a pie, but also a highlight.
Marina herself says about the themes of her work: “I have always been concerned with topics related to a person’s personality: his experiences, emotions, relationships between people. It seems to me that writing on one topic is boring and uninteresting.”
Whatever the poet writes about,
He returns to the soul.
She hurts, gives advice,
Greets and says goodbye.
Marina's poems are positive and optimistic, they preach faith in man, in his best qualities: kindness, the ability to think, love, make this world more beautiful and perfect. Remember this name - Marina EPSTEIN!

Marina Belyaeva,
literary editor of the Almanac “Feelings Without Borders”,
Laureate international competition"Golden Stanza" 2009,
2010