Four Lives in One: The Autobiographical Prose of Ruth Zernova

Will Watkins, Oberlin College

Location

Science Center, A254

Document Type

Presentation

Start Date

4-24-2015 2:45 PM

End Date

4-24-2015 3:45 PM

Abstract

This project focuses on the prose of Ruth Zernova (1919-2004) and provides English translations of two of her short stories. Much of Zernova’s writing is autobiographical, with settings that range from her southern hometown of Odessa to prison camps in the far north. In order to make her stories more accessible to a Western audience, this project includes an introduction that discusses her life experiences and their impact on her writing, as well as commentaries on the stories to explain their historical and cultural contexts. With these translations, I hope to highlight Zernova’s unique place as a Jewish woman author living in the Soviet Union during particularly challenging times.

Notes

Session 2, Panel 10 - The Poetics of the Lives of Others
Moderator: Tom Newlin, Chair and Associate Professor of Russian Language, Literature, and Culture

Major

Russian; Violin Performance

Advisor(s)

Tom Newlin, Russian
Gregory Fulkerson, Violin Performance

Project Mentor(s)

Arlene Forman, Russian

April 2015

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Apr 24th, 2:45 PM Apr 24th, 3:45 PM

Four Lives in One: The Autobiographical Prose of Ruth Zernova

Science Center, A254

This project focuses on the prose of Ruth Zernova (1919-2004) and provides English translations of two of her short stories. Much of Zernova’s writing is autobiographical, with settings that range from her southern hometown of Odessa to prison camps in the far north. In order to make her stories more accessible to a Western audience, this project includes an introduction that discusses her life experiences and their impact on her writing, as well as commentaries on the stories to explain their historical and cultural contexts. With these translations, I hope to highlight Zernova’s unique place as a Jewish woman author living in the Soviet Union during particularly challenging times.