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PARTISAN REVIEW
about some advantages for the writers: it killed our naive illusions
and Don Quixotic dreams, and, at the same time, it renewed our
memory, revived those old hidden wounds which were necessary
for the next step in our writing. Needless to say, not all writers
have dared to take the next step, and those who did not extended
their self-indulgence to a recipe for supreme happiness.
Not very long ago, I watched on Moscow TV a ceremony hon–
oring some talented writers and artists with highly distinguished
state awards, formerly known as the Stalin awards. I was struck
by a statement made by one of those honored, a former friend of
mine: "The supreme happiness for any creative man is reached
when his intentions coincide with the intentions of his govern–
ment." This is a really fresh , fruitful idea, isn't it?
If
you tried to
develop it from different positions, you would find, surprisingly,
a utopian core. But eventually you would get tangled up in a
number of contradictions. I really thank the rulers of my country
for making their intentions and deeds so ugly that I never had any
desire to make my intentions coincide with theirs. I used to con–
sider myself a Western type of writer-a storyteller, an entertainer,
a belle-Iettrist rather than a master of thoughts in traditional
Russian fashion. Thanks to their bloodthirsty slogan-"Those
who are not with us are against us" -many authors became
more Russian in regard to the "civic emotions."
What about politics? Unfortunately, you cannot avoid it if
you are a Russian writer. Whatever we write turns into politics–
if it is not "with them." On the other hand, thanks to their
hyperbolic stupidity, it becomes advantageous to develop that
wonderful sty Ie of "the empty page." Here is one of the newes t
jokes from Moscow, via satellite: One fellow decided to spread
anti-Communist leaflets in Moscow. But, when he was captured
by the KGB agents, the leaflets turned out to be empty. "Why
didn't you' put down anything in your leaflet?" he was asked by
an interrogator. "What for?" he shrugged. " Everybody knows
everything. "
By the beginning of the seventies, this period of frustration
was over; a new style of leadership was found. It was named "the
highl y developed and ripe socialist society." And once again we
had an occasion for more thanksgiving. Thank you for crossing
t
's and dotting
i's,
dear comrades. We used to think that your fa–
vorite activity was tightening screws; now we realize that you are
