Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0004400, Wed, 22 Sep 1999 21:40:26 -0700

Subject
Nabokov rental home In Oregon burns: AP-Nabokov.html (fwd)
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. An illustrated story about the Ashland, Oregon house may be
found on ZEMBLA, the IVNS web page at:

http: //www.libraries.psu.edu/iasweb/nabokov/nsintro.htm

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From: "Steven G. Kellman" <kellman@lonestar.jpl.utsa.edu>

September 22, 1999


Fire Burns Down Home Nabokov Rented
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Filed at 3:39 p.m. EDT

By The Associated Press

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A recent fire that burned down a modest
rental home drew little attention until a librarian recalled that
Vladimir Nabokov finished his masterpiece ``Lolita'' there.

Nabokov rented the house in the summer of 1953 and ``found Ashland
singularly favorable to literary inspiration,'' Brian Boyd wrote in
his 1991 book, ``Vladimir Nabokov: The American Years.''

``Lolita was now purring along steadily,'' Boyd wrote, ``and had
reached the point where he could begin to dictate his finished
chapters to Vera (his wife) at the typewriter.''

The book was published in 1955.

Over the years, the house lost much of its luster as a charming
cottage and was turned into three apartments. It burned Saturday
when a 19-year-old resident forgot to turn off two burners on the
stove, firefighters said.

Local librarian and author Bill Ashworth read Boyd's book in the
early '90s and took special note of the home's address because it
was about a block from where he lived.

The Russian-born Nabokov died in 1977 in Switzerland.



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