Joseph Brodsky “Working ABC. Joseph Brodsky

By chance, I came across a book for children by I. Brodsky, “Working ABC.” Publishing house Watercolor. This book is a collection of poems, each of which is dedicated to a particular profession. I was quite surprised when I read it.

AND.
friend of filled carriages
enemy of the empty-headed
lives on the platforms
RAILWAY WORKER.

Why enemy? The railway worker is the friend of all carriages. After all, carriages are the property of the railway, with the help of which railway workers earn their bread!
Option: "and empty ones."

L.
pulling the glove tighter
you without delay
from Russia to Kamchatka
delivered by PILOT.

Again nonsense, now geographical.
A possible option: “from Rostov to Kamchatka”.

M.
Waves move across the vest,
cigarette smoke,
the anchors shine on the buckle,
who goes? SAILORS.

The cigarettes can be removed, because it’s a nursery rhyme (according to A. Buryak’s comments. See review.). We get:

Waves roll over vests,
on rifles - dew,
the anchors shine on the buckles,
who goes? SAILORS.

R.
pulling roach and eel
in spite of the elements
from the stormy seas
FISHERMEN are dashing.

The vobla is pulled from the Volga, and the eel from the rivers and lakes of the Baltic region.
Option: "They pull saury and mackerel."

WITH.
so that the moon shines
samovar on the table
smelts metal
from steel furnaces.

The metal is smelted in furnaces from ore or scrap metal. There are two options here:
Or: “a steelmaker releases metal from the furnaces,” which is shown in the picture in the book.
Or: “a young (elderly) steelmaker smelts the metal.

E.
the lights have gone out, you can't see your fingers,
can you eat a cat alive?
swallow the needles from the hoop,
We call ELECTRIC.

There are no knitting needles in the hoop, no matter how hard you look for them.
Here, too, there is an option: “step on the circle from the hoop.”

YU.
I have piles of treasures:
and diamonds and sapphire.
Silver from emerald
distinguishes JEWELER.

Again nonsense. After all, even a child can tell silver from emerald!
A possible option: “peridot from emerald.” These stones are similar, it takes a jeweler to distinguish one from the other.

If the text is edited in the way I suggested, then the result will be an acceptable option for a child reader.

Reviews

Good afternoon glad about all this
balancing act and risk being
beaten, but I definitely won’t
search in children's poetry
washbasin brand in Moidodyr,
to buy the same one! Just
I love you and my granddaughter smiles!
Thanks for the reasons to speculate.
And I think the poet used
poetry-pretense,
to think. Otherwise, he believed that
looks stupid. Like everyone else.
Good luck! O.Y.

Sorry, but
"from Russia to Kamchatka" -
misleads children.
A "smelts metal
from the furnaces of the steelmaker" -
is not true.
Why fool children?

The daily audience of the Proza.ru portal is about 100 thousand visitors, who in total view more than half a million pages according to the traffic counter, which is located to the right of this text. Each column contains two numbers: the number of views and the number of visitors.

Brodsky I. A. Working ABC / Joseph Brodsky; artist Igor Oleynikov. - St. Petersburg: Watercolor, 2013. - 47 p. : ill. - (Wizards of the Brush).

It can be very disappointing when in an old family album
guests begin to look at exactly that photograph,
where you don’t recognize yourself...
I.L.

Perhaps the publishers of “Working ABC”, when planning their publication, knew for sure that Joseph Aleksandrovich Brodsky sincerely loved this particular children’s work, written by him in the years of his poetic youth, and, accordingly, would be extremely happy about the current appearance of a large multi-colored book. Maybe the publishers were sure that a big name is always the key to success. Anything is possible. But the main thing is the result, and it deserves close attention and serious doubts.

Let’s leave for a while the little children to whom, in theory, “The ABC” is addressed. Let's look at potential adult readers, without whom the book will still not reach children. If we have before us a person from the generation for whom Brodsky Almost all, such a knowledgeable person will probably raise an eyebrow with some bewilderment and begin to consciously decide whether he wants to show “this Brodsky” to his grandchildren. But if a young parent, not too experienced in Russian poetry of the 20th century, opens the book and reads a “verse” starting with the letter “I” or the letter “K” (and almost all letters), his surprise will probably know no bounds: Is this Brodsky?! The one I haven't read yet but have heard a lot about? The one who is the winner? And so that I can tell my child... We won’t talk about teachers, because the practical application of the text is very problematic: every “working” word of the “Working Alphabet”, that is, a word that signifies the required letter, is most often simply lost among other optional words.

Now, it seems, is the time to apologize for gross tactlessness and disrespect for authority. In any case, the editor-in-chief of the Internet resource “Papmambuk” Marina Aromshtam does not advise saying in an intelligent company that “Some of Joseph Brodsky’s children’s poems don’t sit well with me”. It’s better to remain silent, otherwise it will turn out indecent.

But I don’t want to apologize and remain silent. For two reasons. Firstly, even during the period of samizdat, not all “intelligent companies” adopted reverence just in case. Secondly, there is a more important concern: the current magnificent publication of the “children’s Brodsky” makes us once again think about the principles of modern treatment of people and books of the past.

Classic is defenseless. This is not just a fact, it is the inevitability of our uncertain times. A reason for a dispute that is far from over. Let's leave alone the “redrawn” pictorial masterpieces or operas cut in half. The modest capabilities of our site are enough to meet Pushkin, clumsily retold for children “in his own words” (see: In detail: IMPROVED PUSHKIN), or, on the contrary, Turgenev, who benefited from the careful intervention of modern publishing professionals (see: In detail: Perrault Sh. Fairy tales). In our particular case today, we are talking only about choice. About the right to choose. About the right to represent the author with ANY of his works.

In Lev Losev’s serious and convincing book “Joseph Brodsky. The Experience of Literary Biography" is a reference to the fact that the first collection of poems, published in America with the best intentions, was never recognized by the poet Brodsky as his own, because the composition of the collection was not agreed upon with him, and the texts were not personally read by him. Yes, the poet Brodsky was proud, serious and proud. As befits a poet. So who would swear now that he would really like to reprint literally the following from an old magazine into a new book today:

Electricity, gas -
daily work
all conveniences for us
creates a MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT.

It becomes especially sad when (for the sake of decency?) a modern commentator carefully adapts even such texts to the usual ideology: “...Brodsky, in principle, did not like “labor” organized in the Soviet way...<…>...it is impossible not to feel the hidden mockery in these verses...<…>...the jokes already smack of dissidence..."(M. Aromstam). It is unlikely that Joseph Aleksandrovich Brodsky needs his not very successful, passable “childish” lines to be “justified” by political confrontation with the totalitarian regime. The question is what to do with such lines for the next generation of first publishers and then readers. Forget? Save for study? Raise the shield, “because it’s Brodsky”?

Listing the various life situations that befell a person born as a poet, Lev Losev writes: "Teaching(at American universities. - I.L.) sometimes it fascinated Brodsky, sometimes it was a burden to him, but he always treated his work conscientiously, just as he did not slack when writing children’s poems or texts for cinema in Leningrad.”. I would like to believe that this was the case. Not only believe, but look for concrete evidence. When in the middle of the same “Working ABC” a couple of lines suddenly flash: “There are no positions on Shch. / You’ll sweat all over looking for them”, - my soul immediately becomes lighter. You immediately remember not the anti-Soviet orientation of the author, but the fact that Anna Andreevna Akhmatova called the young Brodsky simply “red-haired” (which he was until his hair turned grey).

You also remember what a wonderful result the intelligently selective publication of children's poems by a great adult poet leads to. This has been proven by the repeated publication of “The Ballad of a Small Tugboat”. This is proven by the collection “Elephant and Maruska”, the creators of which did not choose, but honestly put together everything “childish and Brodsky” that they were able to find. The result is a living book in which the young author feels differently: sometimes better, sometimes worse - like any poet in any collection. However, such a book is suitable for everything: to be read by children - not preparatory children learning the first letters, but older children, already ready for “red-haired” humor and poetic play; so that it can be read by adults who value every word, every sound, every drop of new knowledge about their favorite poet. Even the not-so-successful “Working ABC,” placed in the collection among other poems, seems more coherent. It `s naturally. If you do not insist with the help of a separate publication that this is the ABC, the “educational” effect subsides, and it becomes visible how Joseph Brodsky, twenty-three years old, a huge Brodsky, who by nature does not know how to think simply, is trying to smile at the children. In the proposed circumstances of real life, at the dawn of future mastery, he tries to smile as best he can. How did it happen...

Now we have to start all over again. The fact is that “Working ABC,” published by the publishing house “Akvarel” in 2013, looks like an original book by the artist Igor Oleinikov, which for some reason contains poems by Joseph Brodsky. There is also a publisher’s call to “Get involved in the game!” The game is simple: “Each page shows a variety of objects with the corresponding letter. Find them, and then test yourself at the end of the book...". Let's try to check the logic of what is happening. It's not very complicated either. Brodsky writes: AGRONOMIST. Oleinikov draws quite “agronomist” watermelons, oranges, apricots and, for some reason, a stork with a harp. Brodsky writes: PILOT. Oleinikov draws armor, a lemon, a fox, a frog. And so on. The drawings are huge, beautiful, inventive. If you wish, you can admire for a long time how they expand children’s horizons and help their mental activity. It remains to be understood why, for the sake of such a rather traditional developmental test with a check “at the end of the book,” publishers needed poems on a specific “working” topic and the efforts of an excellent artist, who as a result created his own parallel world, barely in contact with the text?

Flipping through the “Working ABC” is very strange, because the names of its authors seem to promise a completely different result. After all, just recently, a little over a year ago, the creative union of the poet Brodsky and the artist Oleinikov became a real event in children's literature: we have an absolutely harmonious, obviously classic edition of “The Ballad of the Little Tugboat”, published by the publishing house “Azbuka-Atticus”. After this happy book, somewhere out there, in the clouds, there flashed a real hope for creative mutual understanding between all the good people who lived and who are alive. She flashed and left again.

Probably publishing classics is a particularly difficult task.

Irina Linkova

Not long ago I discovered the Labyrinth online store. And once again digging through the assortment, I discovered a very interesting book. And I remembered it for myself; I planned to buy it a little later. But Library Night was not in vain) I saw this book in the “Read the City” chain store for... 293 rubles. (in the Labyrinth - 593 rubles), also in connection with the promotion, they knocked off 30% - 205 rubles. !!!

Meet Joseph Brodsky's "Working ABC".

Reviews for this book are very contradictory. On one side of the scale are beautiful illustrations and the publication itself, and on the other are the poet’s poems. After weighing all the pros and cons, I decided to buy it. But I'm still a little confused.) Let's figure out whether the ABC from the Nobel Prize laureate in literature is really that good.

Let's start with the publication itself.

The cover is made of thick cardboard, partially varnished.

Book size:

30.7 x 27.7 x 1 cm.

Publisher:

The book can honestly be said to be brilliant!

Artist Igor Oleynikov. The illustrations are very bright and interesting. In addition to the profession, it is necessary, in the form of a game, to find several objects on the spread for the corresponding letter. At first I didn’t pay attention to the footnote, so I was somewhat confused by the abundance of items that were not related in meaning (except for the first letter). But then you can get a taste for it and even begin to like this pun.

At the end, answers to all hidden objects are given, so you can test yourself. But the words are mostly complex, for example cyclamen, dinosaur, hooves, gannets, jerboa, etc.

I would like to note that the humor on the pages will be more understandable to an adult than to a child.

There are 48 pages in the ABC. Some letters are allocated a whole spread, and some only a page.

The first few letters did not cause me any complaints when we did not reach the letter “E”:

"The greed of letters is terrible, children!

I've traveled through all the countries

but in the world, ah, in the world,

there is no profession starting with E."

Probably a dubious assumption. Without even thinking, I remembered the Huntsman and the Egyptologist. (although maybe these are not professions at all...) By the way, there are no professions, according to Brodsky, also in Shch, Y (this is already clear))))

"Friend of filled carriages,

enemy of the empty-headed,

lives on the platforms

RAILWAY WORKER."

I read this verse several times while I figured out about the enemy, etc. But you will have to work hard to explain all this to the child)

Letter "I":

"In five minutes, break the clock

maybe my friend.

He is more cunning than a fox:

He's an INVENTOR."

Show me a cunning inventor... Usually these are eccentric people who are faithful to their work. Maybe Brodsky disliked some inventor?!

Letter "K":

"And the combine, and the horse,

and a flea at the end.

forges, without fire

not living, SMITH."

You need to be careful when reading, otherwise it will turn out that our blacksmith is not alive at all.)))

Also the last letter "I":

"This alphabet, friends,

I composed for you today."

And in key, the answer: I am Brodsky. It would probably be more appropriate to place praise for yourself with the letter “P” - poet. Well, that’s the author’s idea. We cannot judge him.

I gave examples of, in my opinion, the most controversial poems. But in general they are all constructed in such a complex language.

When I first started writing this review, I wanted to give it 3 stars, but I’ll probably raise it to 4. Oh, this Brodsky))) I will definitely show my son the ABC, but not as the only and main benefit, but as an additional one.

If you don't like to go beyond the norm, don't buy this book. There are plenty of familiar alphabets and primers in stores.

How did the book make you feel? It is very interesting to me)

Of course, first I fell in love with this book) Well, and then my son. Brodsky as a children's author captivated me with his “Little Tugboat”. My impressions of it can be read at the link Review of Joseph Brodsky’s book “The Ballad of a Small Tugboat”

Well, I’ll write about the Working ABC right now.

Very funny text. Captivates from the very beginning. Aunt Agronom is AMAZING) The quatrains are so catchy that my son has been trying to continue them since he was two years old.

Auntie is busy with oats,

and wheat and flax.

Aunt remembers everything.

This aunt is an AGRONOMIST.

My son especially loved the geologist when he was two years old)

Uncle goes for ore,

Uncle's path is long and long.

This guy with the beard

called GEOLOGIST.

And this is genius:

Gateways and corners,

smiling gravely,

janitor using a broom

will bring it to shine.

The dinosaur in the illustration impressed Leo

Mom enters kindergarten.

Cheeks flushed,

there are a hundred guys coming towards her.

This mom is a NANNY.

The other letters are also very good. Both the illustrations and the words are all top notch!

In general, this book (like all good books) develops a child’s speech very well. The quatrains are loud and bright, the illustrations are interesting, so the child’s various cognitive processes are immediately stimulated.

Well, I tell you, I constantly tell you, that “child development” is NOT ABOUT DEVELOPMENT!