“In an engaging and moving way, Irwin Weil reflects upon his almost ninety-year existence (including half a century as professor of Russian at Northwestern University). Indeed, the most salient feature of Weil’s memoirs is that when he talks about his personal and professional life, he speaks not only about himself but also about two generations of scholar-teachers who, like Weil, had no idea that they would fall under the sway of Mother Russia, or that they would spend their lives professing her charms. . . .In writing his recollections, Weil expresses the hope that he has affected “for the better” the lives of both Russians and Americans. As evidenced by From the Cincinnati Reds to the Moscow Reds, he has. Indeed, Weil’s examined life has been well worth living.”<br /><br />-- Thomas Gaiton Marullo, University of Notre Dame, The Russian Review (April 2016, Vol. 75, No. 2)<br />

This book brings together a lifetime of experiences told by a beloved member of the field of Slavic languages and literature - Irwin Weil. During the Soviet era, Irwin frequently visited and corresponded with leading members of Russia’s intelligentsia, including prominent émigrés such as Vladimir Nabokov, Korney Chukovsky, and Dmitrii Shostakovich. His deep love of the Russian people and their culture has touched the lives of countless students, in particular at Northwestern University, where he has taught since 1966. It is these stories of an unassuming Jewish American from Cincinnati, Ohio who rubbed shoulders with some of the most prominent thinkers, writers, and musicians in the Soviet Union that are presented for the first time in this volume.
Les mer
Preface

Acknowledgments

Editor’s Note

1. The Lives of Sidney and Florence Weil

Ancestry

Sidney Weil

Florence Levy

Joining the Army

After the War

The Roaring Twenties

Faith and Family

Great Depression

Baseball Players

The Move

Life Insurance

Raising Money

Zionists and Education

The Horrors of World War II and Life After

Baseball versus Academia

Rabbi Heller

Jewish Traditions

Dad’s Greatest Pleasures

Later Years of Life

2. Early Years and Education of Irwin Weil

Introduction

Namesake

Growing Up

Early School Years

Vivian’s Family Background

Musical Background

Adolescent Politics and Experiences

First Impressions of Russia

Flying

University of Cincinnati

University of Chicago

Experiences with Russian History and Literature

Life in the Theater

Marriage to Vivian

Kulischer

Harvard

Brandeis

Northwestern

3. Entry into the Soviet Union

Going to the Soviet Union

A Welcome to Remember

KGB

Literary Endeavors

Trip to Leningrad

Malyshev and Alekseev

Jewish Father and Son in Leningrad

Firsthand Learning Experiences

Aunt Olga

Back in the United States

Days at Brandeis University

Returning to the Soviet Union—1963

Vitya, My Roommate and Advisor

The Search for Chukovsky

Meeting Chukovsky

Discussions in Chukovsky’s House

Bialik

Additional Thoughts about Gorky

4. Social and Political Reform in the Soviet Union

Evtushenko

Not Discussing Politics

Khrushchev

Kennedy

Judge Not

Ovcharenko

Marina Rafailovna Kaul and Rosalia Semyonovna Ginzburg

Being Cautious

American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European

Languages (AATSEEL)

American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR)

Changes in Soviet Politics

Cold War Rhetoric

Prejudices and Privileges

Favorable Aspects

News

Shostakovich

Prokofiev

NabokovAfanasyev

Change

5. Letters from the USSR

Tues. Sept. 6, 1960

Wed. Sept. 7, 1960

Thurs. Sept. 8, 1960

Tues. Sept. 13, 1960

Index

Les mer

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781618113948
Publisert
2015-06-04
Utgiver
Academic Studies Press
Høyde
234 mm
Bredde
155 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
244

Forfatter
Redaktør