Babel, Isaac
We’re doing a BIC-sponsored writing workshop for high school kids today and we want to read them a great short story. But which great short story? We looked at our favorites by John Cheever, Saki , Shirley Jackson, J.D. Salinger, Tobias Wolff, Guy de Maupassant, T. Coraghessan Boyle, Ernest Hemingway, Irwin Shaw, James Salter, and then we remembered a short story we read because Salter called it essential (and it involves another writer of classic short stories). Of course we can’t pass up the opportunity to introduce schoolchildren to the work of Isaac Babel.
Babel was not one of the great Russian novelists Natalya described as having been doomed to a living death. Stalin’s secret police killed him. He was 44 and his final request was to be allowed to finish his work. That request was denied.
Guy de Maupassant
A Story by Isaac Babel
In the winter of 1916 I found myself in Petersburg with forged papers and without a kopeck to my name. Aleksei Kazantsev, a teacher of Russian philology, gave me shelter.
He lived on a frozen, reeking, yellow street in Peski. To increase his meager income, he did Spanish translations—in those days the fame of Blasco Ibáñez was on the rise.
Kazantsev had never been to Spain, not even once, but his whole being was flooded with love for the country—he knew every Spanish castle, park, and river. Besides myself, a large number of men and women who had fallen through the cracks of life flocked to him. We lived in dire poverty. From time to time our pieces on current events appeared in small print in the popular press.
In the mornings I lounged about in morgues and police stations.
The full story at Narrative (one-time free registration required).
P.S. Just reread the story. Contains boobs, lust, adultery, and something that could ruin their sex lives if handled incorrectly. Will require a history of Jews in Russia. Too much guidance required for the 30 minutes we were planning to spend on the story. Will go with Vanka by Anton Chekhov.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
October 17th, 2012 at 09:30
When I was in high school, I read an unforgettable story that stayed with me my whole life, a story that had a punch-in-the-gut impact on me, taught me empathy, and could still make me look far off in the distance with a glazed look in my eyes just by thinking about it.
I’m referring to “Flowers for Algernon,” by Daniel Keyes.
As Neil Gaiman once said, stories have power.
Good luck to your workshop.
October 17th, 2012 at 20:42
One of the greats. Too long to read out, but will recommend it to the kids.
While watching The Bourne Legacy we heard ourselves thinking, “Ah ganon, fuma-Flowers for Algernon ka ngayon.”
October 18th, 2012 at 18:57
There’s Death of a Government Clerk, The Huntsman (that ending is heartbreaking), and The Lady with the Pet Dog. I have also just read a brilliant Guy de Maupassant piece, “The Meeting”. All, unfortunately, requiring a sensibility more mature than your typical high-schooler’s.
October 26th, 2012 at 16:38
this comment is probably late but i’d like to share my thoughts on the subject : the best short story i’ve read in my life and is still the subject of many discussions, is one by japanese short story writer ryunosuke akutagawa. the short story is called ‘in the grove’.