People and Holidays. Saints of Culture

Alexander Genis “Dovlatov and the Surroundings”, “Return Address”, “The Bookman's Kamasutra” turned to a new genre — calendar, or “saints of culture”. The birthdays of beloved writers, artists, directors, as well as radio, the internet, and the iPhone he considers personal holidays and includes in the list both common and quirky celebrations. Genis does not compete with Wikipedia and carefully avoids the trivial, offering the reader a fleeting, yet original thought, an unexpected metaphor, an unhackneyed joke, a revealing definition. Gradually, from the calendar mosaic, a panel emerges that reflects the author's traits without his will. “The culture that this book worships does not save the world. But it preserves those who cannot live without it. By maintaining this layer, it forms a universal, multilingual, and anachronistic brotherhood of spirit, which anyone who wants to avoid being lost alone can join.” Alexander Genis