Vladislav Otroshenko is a writer, the author of books including “Drama of a Snowy Night: a novel-investigation into the fate and criminal case of Suхovo-Kobylin,” “Gogoliаna,” the novels “Appendix to the Photo Album,” and “A Person Outside Credibility.” Winner of “Yasnaya Polyana” and the Italian literary award Grinzane Cavour.
“The heroes of this book—mysteries of their destinies and creations—made me do things I never planned to do. Catull made me study Latin to uncover the secret of his famous love novel with Lesbia; Khodasevich pushed me toward hydrological research of the Brenta River; Nietzsche forced me to wander through Venice to understand how his thinking was arranged; Thomas Wolfe made me feel what it’s like to stand with a .45 Colt pistol pointed at you, aimed at you by an unforgiving critic… Each of them directed me as they saw fit, while I lived through his life and secrets.” Vladislav Otroshenko