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Fw: : Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
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EDITOR's NOTE. NABOKV-L thanks James Twiggs for supplying the address of
the item below---Vanessa Thorpe's article in THE OBSERVER of 21 May. Her
essay is a follow-up to Lev Grossman's SALON piece on Nabokov and his
brother Sergei. Thorpe appears to have interviewed Marina Ledkovsky, N's
niece and one of Grossman's sources, and gotten some additional information
but is no VN authority --she writes that The Real Life of Sebastian Knight
is a short story.
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Twiggs" <jtwigz@ipa.net>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (92
lines) ------------------
> More here about this:
>
> http://www.booksunlimited.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,223265,00.html
>
> > >----------
> >> From: Camille Scaysbrook <verona_beach@hotpop.com>
> >>
> >> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (69 lines)
> >------------------
> >>
Then, I am surprised that he got so little mention as to almost escape my
> > > notice - as I said, he is Nabokov's only extended and relatively
rounded
> > > portrait of a homosexual man and I would have welcomed a more
in-depth
> >> discussion of his character in relation to Nabokov's feelings about
> >Sergei.
> >> Surely he must, if only in the back of his mind, have been
contemplating
> >the
> >> unhappy romances that had Sergei dismissed from school when he wrote
of
> >> Kinbote's adolescent romance.
> >>
> >> Camille Scaysbrook
> >>
> >> > > Lev Grossman's article *does* mention Kinbote: "From the giggly
> >ballet
> >> > > dancers of Nabokov's first novel, 'Mary,' to the ghastly Gaston
> >Godin,
> >> > > Humbert Humbert's neighbor in 'Lolita,' TO THE EGOMANIACAL
NARRATOR
> >OF
> >> > > 'PALE FIRE,' they are vain, silly, usually effeminate -- he uses
the
> >> word
> >> > > 'mincing' a lot -- shallow, intellectually trivial and
ineffectual,
> >and
> >> > > the narrator generally introduces them with a nudge and a wink and
a
> >> > > snigger." The article also mentions Paduk: "...Nabokov's feelings
> >about
> >> > > his brother were never simple: In 'Bend Sinister' it's not the
hero
> >> who's
> >> > > gay but the dictator who orders his death."
> >> > >
> >> > > I am sure the article will provoke strong feelings and opinions
(the
> >> > > list discussions of the issue never fail to, after all). I
personally
> >> > > found it to be well written, educational (it was great seeing
> >glimpses
> >> of
> >> > > Sergei's own letters), balanced, and thoughtful.
> >> > >
> >> > > Galya Diment
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > On Fri, 19 May 2000, D. Barton Johnson wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > > > From: Camille Scaysbrook
> >> > > > To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
> >> > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 4:55 PM
> >> > > > Subject: Re: Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
> >> > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > > The thing that puzzles me about this article is that it makes no
> >> > reference to Charles Kinbote who is (if we separate him from the `is
he
> >> > Shade or is Shade Kinbote' controversy) the only gay narrator and
main
> >> > character of any of Nabokov's books. There is something very sad and
> >> > touching about Kinbote's sexuality, the passage about the way he
could
> >> love his wife fully in dreams but not reality always sticks in my
mind.
> >> This, and his adolescent romance with the dead prince are so touching
as to
>>> seem difficult to reconcile with Nabokov's homophobic attitudes.
Still, I
> >found
> >> > Sergei's story fascinating, and it certainly adds a new perspective
for
> >me on many of the young men `palely loitering' through Nabokov's prose.
> >> > > > Camille Scaysbrook
> >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > > > From: D. Barton Johnson
> >> > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> >> > > > Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 4:29 AM
> >> > > > Subject: Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
the item below---Vanessa Thorpe's article in THE OBSERVER of 21 May. Her
essay is a follow-up to Lev Grossman's SALON piece on Nabokov and his
brother Sergei. Thorpe appears to have interviewed Marina Ledkovsky, N's
niece and one of Grossman's sources, and gotten some additional information
but is no VN authority --she writes that The Real Life of Sebastian Knight
is a short story.
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Twiggs" <jtwigz@ipa.net>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (92
lines) ------------------
> More here about this:
>
> http://www.booksunlimited.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,223265,00.html
>
> > >----------
> >> From: Camille Scaysbrook <verona_beach@hotpop.com>
> >>
> >> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (69 lines)
> >------------------
> >>
Then, I am surprised that he got so little mention as to almost escape my
> > > notice - as I said, he is Nabokov's only extended and relatively
rounded
> > > portrait of a homosexual man and I would have welcomed a more
in-depth
> >> discussion of his character in relation to Nabokov's feelings about
> >Sergei.
> >> Surely he must, if only in the back of his mind, have been
contemplating
> >the
> >> unhappy romances that had Sergei dismissed from school when he wrote
of
> >> Kinbote's adolescent romance.
> >>
> >> Camille Scaysbrook
> >>
> >> > > Lev Grossman's article *does* mention Kinbote: "From the giggly
> >ballet
> >> > > dancers of Nabokov's first novel, 'Mary,' to the ghastly Gaston
> >Godin,
> >> > > Humbert Humbert's neighbor in 'Lolita,' TO THE EGOMANIACAL
NARRATOR
> >OF
> >> > > 'PALE FIRE,' they are vain, silly, usually effeminate -- he uses
the
> >> word
> >> > > 'mincing' a lot -- shallow, intellectually trivial and
ineffectual,
> >and
> >> > > the narrator generally introduces them with a nudge and a wink and
a
> >> > > snigger." The article also mentions Paduk: "...Nabokov's feelings
> >about
> >> > > his brother were never simple: In 'Bend Sinister' it's not the
hero
> >> who's
> >> > > gay but the dictator who orders his death."
> >> > >
> >> > > I am sure the article will provoke strong feelings and opinions
(the
> >> > > list discussions of the issue never fail to, after all). I
personally
> >> > > found it to be well written, educational (it was great seeing
> >glimpses
> >> of
> >> > > Sergei's own letters), balanced, and thoughtful.
> >> > >
> >> > > Galya Diment
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > On Fri, 19 May 2000, D. Barton Johnson wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > > > From: Camille Scaysbrook
> >> > > > To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
> >> > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 4:55 PM
> >> > > > Subject: Re: Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
> >> > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > > The thing that puzzles me about this article is that it makes no
> >> > reference to Charles Kinbote who is (if we separate him from the `is
he
> >> > Shade or is Shade Kinbote' controversy) the only gay narrator and
main
> >> > character of any of Nabokov's books. There is something very sad and
> >> > touching about Kinbote's sexuality, the passage about the way he
could
> >> love his wife fully in dreams but not reality always sticks in my
mind.
> >> This, and his adolescent romance with the dead prince are so touching
as to
>>> seem difficult to reconcile with Nabokov's homophobic attitudes.
Still, I
> >found
> >> > Sergei's story fascinating, and it certainly adds a new perspective
for
> >me on many of the young men `palely loitering' through Nabokov's prose.
> >> > > > Camille Scaysbrook
> >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > > > From: D. Barton Johnson
> >> > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> >> > > > Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 4:29 AM
> >> > > > Subject: Salon article on Sergey Nabokov