Early Modern Russian Letters Texts and Contexts [Paperback]

Early Modern Russian Letters: Texts and Contexts brings together twenty essays by Marcus C. Levitt, a leading scholar of eighteenth-century Russian literature. The essays address a spectrum of works and issues that shaped the development of modern Russian literature, from authorship and philosophy to gender and religion in Russian Enlightenment culture. The first part of the collection explores the career and works of Alexander Sumarokov, who played a formative role in literary life of his day. In the essays of the second part Levitt argues that the Enlightenments privileging of vision played an especially important role in eighteenth-century Russian self-image, and that its occularcentrism was profoundly shaped by Orthodox religious views. Early Modern Russian Letters offers a series of original and provocative explorations of a vital but little studied period.''In this essay collection, Levitt (Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Southern California) addresses works and issues that shaped the development of modern Russian literature, ranging from authorship and philosophy to gender and religion in Russian Enlightenment culture. Essays in the first part of the book explore the career and works of Alexander Sumarokov, who played a formative role in establishing 18th century Russian literature. In the second part, the author argues that the Enlightenment's privileging of vision as the principal means of understanding the world played an especially important role in the development of early modern Russian culture, and that eighteenth-century Russian occularcentrism was profoundly shaped by Orthodox religious views. Foreword. Part One: SUMAROKOV AND THE LITERARY PROCESS OF HIS TIME. Preface. 1. Sumarokov: Life and Works. 2. Sumarokovs Reading at the Academy of Sciences Library. 3. Censorship and Provocation: The Publishing History of Sumarokovs Two Epistles. 4. Slander, Polemic, Criticism: Trediakovskiis Letter from a Friend to a Friend of 1750 lƒ+