Library of Congress lectures; Yefgenyi Yevtushenko, part one

National Educational radio in cooperation with the Library of Congress presents a special recording of the talk and reading given on November 21st in 1066 by the Soviet poet. You have Kenya you have to go. You have to shake those appearance at the Library of Congress was one of several during the poet's brief visit to the United States. Here to introduce him is James Dickey. This year's poetry consultant at the library rock Whitman's ads for that a big great poets that must be great audiences too. From this standpoint the man who is with us tonight is surely the greatest poet alive but he has the greatest audience not only the greatest in numbers but the greatest in participation and identification with what he writes. An audience of which you a novice evening are forming a part. But no matter how the connections are made. The most important point this evening is that millions of people have found and off

found finding themselves connected with the inner life of one man magically evoked in a language. And when this can happen in one case when honesty and imagination can join it can happen in more than one. I want to dispense with the usual business of giving you a rundown on the poet's life and work so you can look. You can look that up. What concerns me in my present role. As poetry consultant to the Library of Congress is to stress the fact. That we are in the presence of a man who has managed to get something of himself down in memorable language on this particular occasion. Most of us don't know his native tongue and perhaps on no other occasion either and so have we have. So. Excuse me. You schoolmarms any other occasion. So we have

arranged to have Mr. Barry Boyce the English actor read English translations of the point before the poet reads them in. In Russian so be it. Why do we have then. Here is a moment of time here in this room. Out of the cross purposes out of the huge confusion and sadness of the international situation we confront the truth and hope of one being's honest perception and one human being's honest the suction. Here is a man and this is what I found particularly likable about the guy. Here is a man who wants to walk through the whole world talking to everybody eating drinking doing everything there is to do. He's awfully interested in making up total response to life. He wants to realize is honestly and deeply above all as fully as he can the existence

that has been given to him by the Divine the luck of the draw that got us all here in that good house. I've. Had. He wants to find out and say what life is like for one man on that on the place that the astronauts in this case American astronauts call called The Blue Planet. That strikes me as a magnificently healthy and creative attitude. None of us should have to settle for less. And perhaps in the end all before the end we won't know what we are really here for is to find out the secret of existence. Those you have to go have it.

I don't know. But I surely believe that you had better listen. There is this truly you have to share those poems are written out of the true gloriousness of owning a self. At any rate that is my you have to shake up a man who has an enormous originality comes mainly from his refusal to substitute what he is supposed to feel for what he really does. If we can hold on to that as he has done. There is a real chance for communication between human beings that communication and depth that poetry is as I say that is my. You have to shrink Oh now let him give

you here days. You have gained me. You have to shake up. Things. Took it. Nor golly it. Would surely nix that on a blue I sport them with. Vista schools in the hope she is equally decent. For many years now scholars of many countries have covered themselves with what

trying to introduce the common artificial common language. A spare on top. Let some of the early unless they are she spit on it and I got to see it but knew my eagle I doubt that when you my little darling don't know she's rude. But in fact the real Esperanto language in which all people understand each other exists has existed for many years. Use it as close to it is the language of art. We sent Ms Knight you could use the pursuing at least a more portable. Go eat a media conference and a concert and the consequence of giving up on you my little girl. So I made it bangs give it its own needed guidance and. I make on you know pretty much you know very well on the basis of your

own experience that Americans speak to Americans in their own Anglo-American and don't understand each other. Sometimes when I see what I see good schools can do the same thing of course occurs in Russia when a Russian when Russians speak to Russians we don't understand each other sometimes. I what. The school cook with the cook with the cooking to make your schemes. But it's a style that will be pretty much but Art has a magic property of helping people to understand each other. Discussion. The other thing is now that you hear about the market then. Say for example when I was a child of course I didn't know anything real about

America but I read Mark Twain. But on the style and I read Walt Whitman the American book. And for me the last release your country came very close for me became very close. You could probably win the National League. Besides you are great writers. We don't know if you win that you feel you know. You begin to feel things in the Russian way. Even in spite of your own intentions and matter. When the US says KM So using what you didn't see any and I mean a gun scooted a little. We love and value very highly American literature in the Soviet Union.

Some horizon the fanatic on ski only think you cook some of it doesn't because we have profound respect for the most various American writers. Thank you cook for example Arthur Miller John and John Steinbeck. You know that John. John Updike couple what they do out of I'll Be There. At each other. John Cheever. Many many like Ginsburg in our country as well. Yes nice to share some of the cons considered this let's

put it out there I know that American literature has recently suffered heavy losses that he did. I mean accounts for the last three powerful trees from the Green Forest of American literature have been chopped down. That is to say Faulkner anyway and frost. He said I thought it was a pretty celebrity. Our literature has suffered losses as well. Richard Alley thank you. As a machete we have sort of a lot of wonderful poets not the last of the ASCII art of a lot. Even Russian the Russian media can skillet I believe nationally. Yes that night I will probably I'm assuming really do it because I need it I thought of the story in the dust in the media and

your younger generation of writers has the same as our own. That is to say the problem of being worthy of being worthy trees worthy of the older generation along with some. Some of it that they did that did it but you will believe it did and I think that some of it which is that I think that the highest of the sentiments is the feeling the responsibility before those who went ahead. You've got to start up the whole approach and you can do that on the day when they don't you open your mind a little and when something happens in the relationship between our countries when we don't understand each other when we make mistakes. Clancy and then you Russian or you Americans and we Russians.

When those nearby shots each school professional nationally to their daughter we must appeal to the Great shades the great spirit of the view of the great US of the past of our literatures story and of history itself. But it's been my skied and I skied out the Gonski bleeding a little bit. And I some day in May when the Russians Americans were coming together in boats and braced embraced at the L..

I didn't really do it it would be up I did it by give Billy he sits me down and say you know going to the concert and let's remember that many people didn't get to the album and many died 20 million Soviet citizens and many Americans. It works. And your system with a number of that when you watched the gipsy smarter than them and it seems to me that we must always remember that the eyes of those who have died are looking at us. He smothered a thing I thought. But the money was the same in that order as I can guess what it is that I mean those who did so much for understanding and known for America and for the understanding among countries the eyes of Kennedy are gazing at us as well.

That I too young but I don't. People are people I don't want to I do you idealize those who are dying. I mean could it be they all made mistakes when they were living. No delight in your book but also not so happy Sherman any other let us continue the good that they did. The right might in Cork at Article slow lettuce at the conclusion of my short. Little word. They're right across the board. Ducks doubly. Got a nice nibble to send us off but I thank you. You Russ want me to keep you with us but I see you're up shit now son Dylan see it and let us let us live.

And after I say this little thing that I have to say let us all live so that the people who have left us will not be ashamed of us and then everything will be fine and America and everything will be fine in Russia and everywhere. In general. If you or. I see just what you. But it's there it's a little. Under the skin when you want but only Boysen yield the floor to the talented young British actor Barry boy. But you when this Sunday's feed them will avoid the breakdowns. Then why are you laughing here. Really young and really British and really dark. When bleached at least he will read my verse Bungie decent English but on the average then I'll read it. All right it's good spicy but I was also pretty sleepy. Thank you for coming. Yes nice to know

you know us. Dog AC dealing is I DON'T HAVE BEEN WAITING sitting here for a long time stars deal with the media that appeal you in the middle school go to the PTA meeting one must be thank you. Good. One must be patient we Russians are patient too. BOBBIE. Yeah thanks. No monument stands over a drop sheer as a crude gravestone. I am afraid. Today I am as old in years as all the Jewish people. Now I seem to be a Jew

here. I plod through ancient Egypt here. I perish crucified on the cross. And to this day I bear the scars of nails. I seem to be Dreyfuss the Philly stymies both informa and jobs. I am behind bars beset on every side hounded spat on slime dude squealing dainty ladies in flounced Brussels lace stick their parasols into my face. I seem to be then a young boy in by yellow stock. Blood runs spilling over the floors the room rabble rousers give up a stink shop pub and onion kicks me aside helpless in vain I plead with these poor girl bullies while they shout Save Russia some green marketeers beats up my mother.

Oh my Russian people. I know you enjoy national to the co-op but those with clean hands have often made a jingle of your purity its name. I know the goodness of my land of vile these anti-Semites without a qual they pompously call themselves the union of the Russian people. I seem to be a frank transparent as a brown pro and I love and have no need of crazies. My need is that we gaze into each other. How little we can see or smell. We can't have the leaves we can't have the sky yet we can do much tenderly embrace each other in a dark room. They're coming here. Be not afraid.

Those other booming sounds of spring. Spring is coming here. Come then to me quick. Give me your lips. Smashing down the ball. It's the ice breaking. The wild grass sees rustle of the trees look all meanness like judges hear all things scream silently and baring my head slowly I feel myself turning gray and I myself and one massive soundless scream above the thousand thousand buried here I am each old man here shot dead. I am every child here shot dead. Nothing in me I. Shall ever forget it. They international now well 88 the undertow when the last

anti-Semite on earth is buried forever in my blood. There is no Jewish blood in their callous rage or anti-Semites must hate me now as a Jew. For that reason I am a true Russian. Thank you. Or two. Buddy. Be in the pool and meet me cause. You. Call Paulie. Ah but relief girl not girl rugby Yeah. Yes yes

yes they will. Cox he's coming over all of them. You see us he may. Vote the redo but the Rielle we mean we don't know. I bore ya. Not Chris. Yeah right. Now t d been nude or see a doctor a ya knees shuns drop down on a ship is food ya ya rusty I'll see ya. Yup saw some really up your only a bowl Gunny it down much. He is very serious.

Give me a ball or I me sha. Son Donnie teach it saw. So yeah. Each of us here for our pretty yard SA Rice you ca yes bish. Oh I thought I was did the right see the nice boy kid he cannot vote guy who come in so much better or Nupur us Paga wrong shake up my loo. But the goal of what days should go buy some rice. Yeah yeah.

But she could yeah at the age of a pretty he blew he need you know when you know to do the least not that he should i do it some more you just simply die your easy coming yeah. I mean yes I did. Yeah. Yeah. But the areas. Where yes Smart the Riyadh girl was our boss gig Shore Mall

shows could reach it. Who can miss he's in the creek. Not the meat buggery beer on the. Ice here a nice 30 day stay here. Each of them for the needs of each other not so on all boost. Very neat. Eric E Accaron young who. Boss Eric

and CC need every ace yet ready he. Nonu not stay on Zillow or buy you saw Scott owns a lot I. Said. I'm CC meet Tom. Cock. Your hair you. Eat pot I move. Ya. Yes I'm skinny. One to Iowa.