April 9, 2015 (Jackson) - The Belhaven University English Department, along with Belhaven's chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, will host a special lecture by Dr. Michael R. Katz, distinguished scholar and acclaimed translator of more than a dozen Russian novels into English.
The lecture, entitled “The Tolstoy Family: Unhappy in Its Own Way,” will take place on April 13 at 7 p.m. in Barber Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Dr. Katz will discuss his new translation of Leo Tolstoy's controversial novella The Kreutzer Sonata. This unique volume, The Kreutzer Sonata Variations, contains previously neglected counter stories written by the author's wife and son in direct response to Tolstoy's provocative tale. A work unknown in world literature, Katz's translation has made these stories available to English readers for the first time. These conflicting tales, accompanied by excerpts from family letters, diaries, notes and memoirs, provide readers with a vivid and revealing case study of the powerful disputes concerning marriage, sexuality and gender roles that erupted within the cultural context of late-nineteenth-century Russian society-and within Tolstoy's own family.
The lecture will correspond with Dr. Don Hubele's 19th Century Russian Literature course, offered for the first time this spring. Dr. Hubele, Chair of the Belhaven English Department, said, “We are thrilled to host Dr. Katz and to highlight his incredible work, both for our students and for the community. He embodies the highest caliber of scholarship, combining deep learning with humility and grace. As a scholar and translator of Russian literature, Dr. Katz holds a place among the very best.”
The occasion presents a remarkable opportunity to showcase the richness of Russian literature through a major intellectual and cultural event.