There was no poet, critic, creator of the first private publishing house "Verb", Alexander Shatalov Automatic translate

MOSCOW. "The space around was gradually narrowing all the time and finally it narrowed."

It’s hard for today’s readers, accustomed to an abundance of books and other print media, to imagine that this has not always been the case. Some authors were impassable for ideological reasons, someone was not forgiven for excessive frankness. But, as Bulgakov said in "Theatrical Novel": "You can’t forbid to think." The era of publicity, when censorship and bigotry were not in honor, canceled far-fetched restrictions, opened special stores, gave birth to many independent media.

In 1990, even before the official authorization of such activities, the first private publishing house “Verb” was created. One of his founding fathers, along with Sergei Nadeyev, was Alexander Shatalov. The choice of the premiere book turned out to be unmistakable - “It’s Me - Eddie” by Eduard Limonov, setting the stage for the publication of books by the representative of “dirty realism” Charles Bukowski, poet, ballet critic Gennady Shmakov, chief writer of the beat generation William Burroughs, (William Burroughs), Nina Sadur, James Baldwin (James Baldwin), Natalia Medvedeva. Shatalov published books that, according to him, no one else would have published, introduced current trends in contemporary literature.

Thanks to Shatalov, the book of Daniil Kharms “Throat raves with a razor” was published with the stories and diaries of the writer, Alexander Galich “I choose freedom” with a preface by Maria Rozanova, a two-volume book with works by Yevgeny Kharitonov, which were previously published only in self-publishing.

And in the publishing business, and in the program "Graphomaniac" devoted to literary novelties, and in documentaries about contemporary art, and in his poems, he remained extremely sincere and internally free. His opinion of popular authors often turned out to be perpendicular to the generally accepted. He was indifferent to the texts of Pelevin and Sorokin, considering them as not yet held authors. He considered the complementarity in critical reviews unacceptable, considering it a manifestation of neglect and humiliation of the interlocutor.

His sensual, frank, philosophical verses are a reflection of emotional throwings, emotional ups and hidden pain: “I’m tired. I don’t want life to go on ”(poem“ Rime, Furry… ”, 1996). His works have been translated into many languages ​​and actively published in the West.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru