post or contra Tolstoy?

[Michael Denner]

Jane,

They are legion. 

There are many starting places, but I can recommend Peter Ulf Moller's
really excellent historical investigation, _Postlude to the Kreutzer
Sonata_, which follows the reverberations and counterpoints to that
piece in Russia, China, Japan, USA, etc. 

The Tolstoy Studies Journal in the last issue had an article by Ron
LeBlanc: "Saninism Versus Tolstoyism: The Anti-Tolstoy Subtext in M.
Artsybashev's _Sanin_." That issue also had an interview with filmmaker
Paul Schick on his really excellent short film "Alyosha the Pot." The
previous (2005) issue had an article by Barbara Henry on Gordin's play,
_Di Kreytser Sonata_, his "response" to Tolstoy's novella. 

A quick flip through past issues of the Journal will surely turn out
dozens more examples. 

If you're feeling multi-media friendly, you could also poke through a
filmography I put together a few years ago of films based on LNT's
works:
http://www.utoronto.ca/tolstoy/filmography/filmography.htm

One final suggestions: Chekhov's only novel, _The Duel_, is perhaps more
Tolstoyan than Tolstoy (well, a certain bent in the late Tolstoy, at
least). It was written in direct response to Tolstoy, I think, and
certainly under his (indirect and problematic) tutelage. It is,
furthermore, my favorite piece of Russian fiction.

~mad

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
   Dr. Michael A. Denner
   Editor, Tolstoy Studies Journal
   Director, University Honors Program
   
   Contact Information:
      Russian Studies Program
      Stetson University
      Campus Box 8361
      DeLand, FL 32720-3756
      386.822.7381 (department)
      386.822.7265 (direct line)
      386.822.7380 (fax)
      www.stetson.edu/~mdenner

-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
[mailto:SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jane Costlow
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 12:11 PM
To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU
Subject: [SEELANGS] post or contra Tolstoy?

Colleagues,

   I'm currently teaching a course on late Tolstoy (both fiction and 
essays), and would like to pair some other writers with L.N.'s more 
wonderfully outrageous pieces.  I'd welcome suggestions of short fiction

that is either directly influenced by Tolstoy (say, Kreutzer Sonata or 
Ivan Ilych), or is written in reaction/opposition to it.  (Suggestions 
that relate more to his non-fiction - we're scheduled to read sections 
of What Then Must We Do? and essays on non-violence - are also 
welcome.)  The writers don't have to be Russian.  (I've received some 
suggestions from the students themselves - so far suggesting Hunter 
Thompson and Edward Abbey after reading "I Cannot be Silent").

Thanks,

Jane Costlow (feel free to respond on- or off-list)

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