Today I Wrote Nothing The Selected Writing of Daniil Kharms

Daniil Kharms has long been heralded as one of the most iconoclastic writers of the Soviet era, but the full breadth of his achievement is only in recent years, following the opening of Kharms's archives, being recognized internationally. In this brillant translation by Matvei Yankelevich, English-language readers now have a comprehensive collection of the prose and poetry that secured Kharms's literary reputation--a reputation that grew in Russia even as the Soviet establishment worked to suppress it. A master of formally inventive poetry and what today would be called "micro-fiction," Kharms built off the legacy of Russian futurist writers to create a uniquely deadpan style that developed out of, and in spite of, the absurdities of everyday life in Stalinist Russia. Featuring the acclaimed novella "The old woman" and darkly humorous short prose sequence "Events" (Sluchai), Today I wrote nothing also includes dozens of short prose pieces, plays, and poems long admired in Russia, but never before available in English. Including a comprehensive introduction to Kharms's work and life and notes on the text, this bold look at the work of a neglected master is both an invaluable contribution for students of Russian literature, and an exciting discovery for readers of innovative writing everywhere.--Book jacket flap.