Askold MELNYCZUK, “The American Reader Is Prepared to View Ukraine As a State”
The Institute of International Relations at Kyiv’s Taras Shevchenko National University — under the auspices of the Public Affairs Section of the United States Embassy in Ukraine — recently held its second International Conference on US Literature (the first took place in 1999), which served to demonstrate that Ukraine today holds a place in world culture and, particularly, in literature. The conference was organized by academics of the Institute of Literature, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and Kyiv National University. The scholarly meeting was aimed at stimulating interest in studying high examples of American spiritual culture as an image in the mass consciousness has been forming lately an image of America under the influence of what are far from the best achievements of American letters.
The conference discussed the general theoretical problems of American turn-of-the-century literature as well as the specific problems that arise when this subject is taught as part of liberal-arts curricula of various levels. Among those attending the conference from the US were experimental drama producer Virliana Tkach and drama scholar Julia- Ann Franco. Among the speakers and participants were the Director of the Ukrainian Institute of Literature, Academician Mykola Zhulynsky, leading Russian experts in American studies Aleksey Zverev and Nikolai Anastasyev, as well as guests from Belarus and Poland. Of special interest was the section discussing the Ukrainian component of the spectrum of contemporary American belles-lettres. This section was presided over by the Ukrainian-born American Askold Melnyczuk, a well-known US author and academic, Oxford University Professor and publisher of the Agni journal. He has a fluent command of the Ukrainian language and is well-versed in the history of Ukraine. Introducing his report, A. Melnyczuk even quoted by heart T. Shevchenko’s poem “To the dead and the living...” His report “Through Western Eyes: the Image of Ukraine in United States’ Literature” revealed the growing interest of American writers in Ukraine-related themes. Mr. Melnyczuk dwelt on a Ukrainian episode in Jonathan Frantzen’s novel The Corrections (2001) about a Ukrainian-born American traveling to Ruthenia (now part of Ukraine), analyzed the story of Ukrainian girl Maria Poniatowski living in emigration (the novel A Simple Tale by Claire Messud, 2001) and a quaint journey to Ukraine, without clear time and space boundaries, in Everything Is Illuminated, the first novel of 25-year-old Jonathan Safran Foer (2002). The images of Ukraine in Askold Melnyczuk’s own novel What Is Told were presented by Yuliya Tkachuk, master’s degree student at Kyiv Mohyla National University. In the course of further discussion, Mr. Melnyczuk chose to carefully dispel excessive enthusaism that might have arisen after he had made his report, “You may gain an impression that American authors only write about Ukraine. I can assure you this is not so. I found only three out of the 3-4 thousand books that have come out in the past few years, that deal with Ukraine.”
Yet, when asked by M. Zhulynsky, Mr. Melnyczuk expressed the optimistic view that Ukraine would take its rightful place in world culture. He also courteously agreed to grant a small interview to The Day:
“Mr. Melnyczuk, are you in Ukraine for the first time? What impression has your historical homeland made on you?”
“I am visiting Ukraine for he second time. I first came here in 1990 for the Golden Voices conference. At that time, the impression was positive. Now I have an opportunity to see how Kyiv has changed over the past 12 years...”
“Are you going to use what you have seen and heard as material for your new books about Ukraine?”
“You know, what pleased me very much is the high level of this conference. This is very important for culture and science, both yours and ours. I was just struck by the fact that Ukrainians take such great interest in American books. As far as materials are concerned... All that an individual sees or does becomes part of his experience and becomes material for a future work.”
“What is Ukraine for the American reader: soemthing exotic or just another theme? How popular are books about this country?”
“It is too early to expect popularity. There are so far only three Ukraine-related books in modern American literature. But this is a big step forward. Although Ukraine has just begun to mount the world literary scene, it has already secured a place as firm as never before. In contrast to the early 90s, the American reader is now prepared and able to view Ukraine as a state.”
“Are you familiar with modern Ukrainian literature? What is your vision of its future? What should it orient itself to?”
“I like and very much respect Oksana Zabuzhko and her work. I am absolutely sure that Ukrainian literature will attain a high-profile place in the realm of worldwide litterature. All you have to do is take a bold look at yourself and reflect the past and present-day situation.”
