The Story of Sonechka by Marina Tsvetaeva (w/ Inessa Fishbeyn and C. D. C. Reeve)

Show Notes:

Pick up a copy of The Story of Sonechka here.

This week, Cameron dives into Marina Tsvetaeva’s The Story of Sonechka, a recollection of her relationship with the actress Sonia Holliday in Moscow, 1919. The story — one of the clearest examples of queer literature we’ve had on the podcast — reflects not only Marina and Sonia themselves, but also questions on relationships, memory and how we understand each other. 

Joining him to talk about the novel is Inessa Fishbeyn and C. D. C. Reeve, who translated The Story of Sonechka into English for the first time. 

Fishbeyn is an independent writer and translator of Russian literature, born and educated in Kazan, Russia. 

Reeve is DKE Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he specializes in ancient Greek philosophy and has translated many of the works of Plato and Aristotle and written books, commentaries, and essays on them. 

Major themes: Love Triangles, Queer literature, Knowing the other

The music used in this episode was “Старое Кино / Staroye Kino,” by Перемотка / Peremotka. You can find more of their work on Bandcamp and Youtube. 

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