For an (ordinary) journalist, the importance of using one or more of his (journalist's) sketches in creativity of a great writer is infinitely great.
Yet, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, how powerful is the creative flow, the flow of creative energy! How diverse this mastery!
How diverse are the ways of coming, entering the literature!
For example, someone enters the literature through wanderings, pilgrimages, travels, various kinds of trials, through the formation of a person's reputation with a "bitter" fate.
Someone passes through participation in military operations and through their description.
Someone gradually increases creative potential, aims to develop capabilities.
Probably, cooperation with publishing company "Znanie" also was for someone the road to literature...
But if - hypothetically imagine - a person who firmly decided to become a writer, without any organizational or governmental support, without the support of patrons or relatives, became a co-author or a sub-coauthor of a great writer, - then this resolute and persistent person - becoming a co-author - entered the literature.
He does not become "friend", "drinking companion", "bootlicker", "footman"... He, I will add, does not try to become permanent "speechwriter" ("writer of literary sketches"). What for? He resolved to become a writer. He uses the force the mind. He makes subject sketches and writes letters.
He waits! Waits, waits and waits.
He uses organizational opportunities of the post service. And he - is a coauthor (sub-coauthor) of the great writer. He confidently entered the literature.
I am surprised to variety of this world and those ways which creative energy is opening for itself.
I switch, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, to other reflections on the of Jack London's literary career.
Let's move on, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, to a higher level of generalizations. Kindness. Kind person. His defenselessness. His fate. Bitterness. Anger.
One of heads of construction of the extraordinary house so remembered about Jack London: "Jack was the best of people. I have not met anyone more humane. He was kind with all, you will never see him without smile. He was a real democrat, noble person, gentleman; he loved family, he respected the workers". The same approximately estimates in memoirs of other people.
The kind person approximately in 1913, apparently, in a minute of psychological depression, at the moment of exasperation writes in one of letters to one of addressees: "Will burst a thunder, and then you'll have to beg not one day a forgiveness and to bow before the whole world; and when you will become ashes, echoes of this thunderstorm will reach those who are not now born, and you will make the coup - into your coffins".
Is it possible for me , dear Ivan Alekseyevich, to ask you what you think of kindness, of defenselessness, and of the fate of an abstract kind man, what you think of bitterness, anger ... These questions may be sound as naпve: eternal themes. Nevertheless, if there is a mood, write me about them...
I returning, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, to one of formulations of subjects of my letter: "to write and work and to act or refrain from writing and working and action?".
There will be time, write Your answer, expound Your reflections.
Your Maxim Gorky (Alexei Peshkov)."
After reading the text of the letter, Gorky meditated some moments.
- Eternal themes! - he said.
Having sighed, he wrote on a top margin of the first page of the letter: "The drafts!".
Gorky returned to giving out the books to readers of the Cafй-Library.
- What author, what book are interesting for you ? Again Jack London? We have in the catalog a section "American Literature". You can choose to yourself more authors.
He clarified the words, been heard from the reader:
- A little later? Do you plan then - Dreiser? And now you want to - Jack London? But yet after reading, look the catalog ...
May 13, 2017.
Translation from Russian into English: 28 October 2017 - 29 October 2017.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Сказка о не отправленном письме М. Горького И.А. Бунину'.
4. The dialogue about Peter the Great
- Mr. Ivanov! - Florenty Fyodorovich Pavlenkov (Florence F. Pavlenkov) invited writer to talk.- In the series "Life of remarkable people" is scheduled for publication the biographies of statesmen.
Reader's interest and the reader's demand is currently such that the biographies of Russian writers - are the maximally popular.
Author, invited to talk, nodded, agreeing.
Pavlenkov continued:
- Now that the nineteenth century is coming to an end, in Russia is difficult to reach agreement on the issues about the evaluation of those or other Russian historical figures.
- Yes, - Ivanov reacted.
- But readers relate to our series with confidence. Paying heed to their trust, their desire to obtain basic knowledge of history of Russia, Russian state figures, we have to publish a biography of Peter the Great.
Ivanov nodded again, agreeing.
- How do you think Mr. Ivanov, is it correct to see in the biography of Peter the Great two biographies: his personal biography, characterizing his life's path, and the biography of the Russian Empire? - Pavlenkov asked.
- In 1721 Peter I declared the Russia as an Empire, - Ivanov reacted. - There are scientific definitions of the concept of "Empire". The empire is defined as a vast state that includes the territories of other peoples and states. Discussions are held about the content of the scientific definition.
In the ordinary consciousness - an Empire is a powerful, "brilliant" state.
The fates of Peter the Great and the Russian Empire are interrelated.
The processes that led to the emergence of the Russian Empire, began long before Peter I.
There are challenges, that facing any government. For example, state must to ensure the independence, security, development, trade and cultural relations with other countries.
