The History of Literature 747 Graphomaniac - The Story of a Horrible Russian Poet (with Ilya Vinitsky and James H. McGavran III | My Last Book with Stephanie Sandler | #8 Greatest Book of All Time
Nov 6, 2025
Ilya Vinitsky, a Princeton professor and author of *The Graphomaniac*, and James H. McGavran III, a translator specializing in Russian literature, dive into the world of Dmitry Khvostov—dubiously deemed the worst poet ever. They discuss Khvostov's bizarre stylistic choices and how his 'badness' defined literary standards in Russia. Ilya shares a humorous take on scholarly critique, while James highlights the challenges of translating such whimsical poetry. Stephanie Sandler also joins to discuss her last book choice, bridging the past with today's literary joys.
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Persistence Shapes Literary Afterlives
- Jacke compares Khvostov's deluded persistence to canonical authors who persisted despite failure, like Melville.
- Persistent self-belief, even when misapplied, can produce cultural artifacts later re-evaluated by history.
Noble Bureaucrat Turned Poetical Fixture
- Dmitry Khvostov was a respected Russian noble and bureaucrat who later became a public figure for his obsessive poetry production.
- His long life let him span literary eras, making his persistent bad poetry culturally significant rather than merely embarrassing.
Style Mashups Created Comic Tragedy
- Khvostov's poems mixed stylistic registers and absurd imagery like doves with teeth and donkeys in trees, which made contemporaries mock him.
- That deliberate mixture and formal attempt created a uniquely hilarious but earnest poetic persona.
