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PARTISAN REVIEW
sions that existed in that society and because of the fact that the
intelligentsia of the Soviet Union acted and thought in opposi–
tion to standard and official opinions.
It
seems to me that the
Russian writing that I've read, mostly the emigre writers, some
of whom are represented here (and induding Solzhenitsyl', of
course), has more energy, more vitality, covers a wider range of
human interest, a wider range of political questions, of intellec–
tual curiosity, than a good deal of American writing. Much
American writing, except at its very best, is preoccupied with
narrower subjects-with sex, the tensions in personal lives, in–
terpersonal relationships, whereas the Russian writing I've read
is concerned, not directly but indirectly, with the large questions
that determine our political and human fate in this world. I also
was surprised to see-and this seems to be a contradiction-how
many Soviet writers were aware of, and picked up, the complexi–
ties and subtleties of writing that are typical of the Western tradi–
tion; how far they've gone from the doctrine of socialist realism,
especially since, as we've heard today, many Soviet writers for a
long time were not aware of developments in American or Euro–
pean literature and criticism.
I have an announcement. We invited Andrei Sakharov, the
eminent Soviet physicist, who is now living in exile in Gorky, to
this conference. We sent a registered letter, which required some
kind of return notification that he had received it. We've received
no such notification. Our guess is either that he never was per–
mitted to receive our letter, or was not permitted to reply to it.
Also, we just receive? a message from Senator Paul E. Tsongas.
I'm pleased to learn of the efforts by the editorial staff of
Par–
tisan Review
in sponsoring the conference on dissidents in
the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. We all know about the
denial of basic human rights in these countries. The denial
of permission to emigrate is one facet of this oppression in
which the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe demonstrate
flagrant violations of basic human rights as set forth in the
Helsinki Accords. Let me assure you that I remain deeply
committed to the cause of human rights and will continue
my efforts on behalf of dissidents, refuseniks, victims of
human rights violations all over the world. With best wishes,
Paul E. Tsongas, United States Senator.
