Glagoslav Publications has presented a new book by Alexander Korotko — “Stus. A Narrative Poem”. This project organically continues the poet’s long-standing creative trajectory and at the same time becomes a major cultural event, re-articulating for the world the figure of Vasyl Stus alongside contemporary Ukrainian poetry.
The editor of the international journal “Vsesvit”, Dmytro Drozdovskyi, congratulated the author with the following words:
“Oleksandr Shymonovych, I sincerely congratulate you on this day on the release of another wonderful edition! This is truly a tremendous event!”
About the Book
This profound philosophical poem is dedicated to a legendary figure of twentieth-century Ukrainian literature — the poet and dissident Vasyl Stus. He became a symbol of the indomitable Ukrainian spirit. His life and poetry today are perceived as part of the narrative of Ukraine’s resistance to imperial aggression and dictatorship. Stus continued the line of spiritual resistance initiated by Taras Shevchenko in Ukrainian literature.
In poetic visions, Alexander Korotko reconstructed Stus’s inner struggles and masterfully conveyed the amplitude of his heroic will and stoic resistance against the Soviet system.
The volume includes Korotko’s original text and its translations into Ukrainian, English, German, and Polish.
Why This Book Matters
- Vasyl Stus is a key figure of twentieth-century Ukrainian culture, a symbol of resilience and spiritual freedom.
- Alexander Korotko is one of the contemporary Ukrainian authors who addressed Stus in the language of great poetry, creating an epic narrative of his life and struggle.
- The international format of the publication makes both the theme of Stus and Korotko’s work accessible to a global readership.
“Stus. A Narrative Poem” is a book-event. It unites two poetic figures, different in time but close in spirit, and reaffirms: the Ukrainian word is capable of being the voice of world literature.
Critical Reviews
East-West Review (Kate Pursglove): “…as in Goya’s Disasters of War — how can an artist experience such depth of suffering and at the same time retain the strength to convey it so precisely and emotionally? Part of the answer for Korotko is love, which lives on despite the pain.”
Calderonia (Patrick Miles): “…if you want to know what war is for a Ukrainian of flesh and blood, a poet of international stature who knows his people, read this book. Despite its unevenness, it is a masterpiece that will be read and reflected upon in the future.”
Details about the publication and copies of the book are available on the publisher’s website: Glagoslav Publications