Literatusa in Kryvyi Rih: a conversation about the novel Ukrainian Jonathan and the 27 Dead by Viktor Shepelev!

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When: September 6, 14:00Where: Knyharnia Ye (39 Heroiv ATO St.)

This is a play on the “great American novel” — spanning several generations of one family against the backdrop of historical events — but performed by Ukrainian emigrants in the United States. They befriend the last Native Americans (and teach them Ukrainian), open a label-printing shop during Prohibition, become silent movie stars, fight in World War II (dreaming of reaching the Old Country), and much more. All of this is narrated by Ukrainian Jonathan — an old former army cook, one of the last to remain living in the village of Horobtsi, Chattahoochee County, Georgia.
Participants of Literatusa will have the chance to discuss:
● how the novel works with the image of death and return to life;● why the narrative about 27 dead may serve as a metaphor for a society in crisis;● how “Ukrainian Jonathan” appears within the symbolic field of contemporary literature;● how literature can articulate painful experiences and provide meaning for a community.
Curator of the project: Roman Khomenko.
Literatusa is a series of conversations about books and texts that shape today’s intellectual and cultural landscape. We read, debate, and search for answers to the questions posed by our times.

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Photo: Inna Melenko

Kryvyi Rih Cultural Centre / KRCC is a civic initiative aimed at developing culture, art, and the creative industries in Kryvyi Rih. The mission of the Centre is to unlock Kryvyi Rih’s cultural potential by creating a stimulating environment for the creative industries through the activities of KRCC.