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Fw: Fw: Nabokov's reading list
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----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Donohue
Actually, as I recall from the 1999 exhibit of VN's papers at the New York Public Library, there was an anthology of American short stories--perhaps several dozen of them?--which VN put grades on. He pencilled the grades next to the stories' titles in the table of contents. I believe only "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" and Cheever's "A Country Husband" (in addition to VN's own contribution, of course) got A's. Don't think it's been published, but it's out there.
Best,
Mike
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EDNOTE Mike Donahue is right. VN rated the stories in an anthology of NEW YORKER writings. One page can still be found at
http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/epo/nabokov/fus.htm. VN reportedly, drew his list of half dozen A+list stories cited in his essay "Inspiration" from this collection. See SO, 308-14
SOME KIND SOUL SHOULD ENTER ALL OF THESE TITLES IN MICHAEL JULIAR'S ON-LINE "WHAT NABOKOV READ" SITE.