a Kind of Refugee / 10.08.2023
Dear Readers, Dear Friends,
That I’m far from Ukraine is not the only reason for my silence here over the past few weeks.
I’ve signed a book contract to publish a collection of writings from a Kind of Refugee with the Ukrainian Voices series (ibidem Press)! The book is scheduled to appear early next year.
Yes, I feel ambivalent that I began writing urgently and in earnest only after witnessing the deaths of my compatriots and friends; after accepting my own mortality; and after losing whatever sense of permanence I had ascribed to the fabric of relationships and routines that hold my life together.
Making a book is just as real as the missiles that have struck Zaporizhzhia, Pokrovsk, Odesa.
Rereading the dispatches I published on Substack last year, I’m struck by the relevance of many passages to the present day. I’m not talking about having hit upon timeless wisdom. But rather that speaking is something you need to do again and again and again and again… What does it take for a person to hear?
August will be a quiet month on a Kind of Refugee as I prepare the book manuscript for publication.
PS I’ve had many beautiful, nourishing moments with old friends and family in the US, but I can’t wait to be back in Ukraine!
Regina and I are still working to raise $3000 to help the 24th mechanized brigade ramp up its FPV drone operations. Without the tireless (and vacation-less) efforts of the members of the Ukrainian armed forces, we would not be able call Ukraine home at all.
You can help us help them protect us all.
Paypal: Larissa.babij@gmail.com (Note: FPV)
Congratulations, that is GREAT. I am happy that you when you look back at some of the things you wrote, you are happy with them. That is a sign of quality. Your writing has a lot it. Often when one looks back on what one wrote, we are not happy with our prose. And yes, it might not be as powerful as sending a missile. But with time, I have found that one of the few things that lasts over the years is art, when it is of quality. So yes your writing will have an impact.
Your writing is powerful. Your translations are important too. I hope you get permission to share the translations you shared with us in your book. It’s important the world knows what it’s like to live in a war zone, about the lives lost and destruction of property.
Enjoy the time with your family and friends. Rest well and write lots-- a time to consolidate and revitalize. Take care.