To put it in plain language, Russia is that country where the name of a writer appears not on the cover of his book, but on the door of his prison cell.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that in Russia, writers face severe oppression, where their works are overshadowed by their imprisonment rather than celebrated.
Joseph Brodsky's quote highlights the harsh reality for writers in Russia, where the act of writing can lead to persecution, and instead of receiving recognition for their literary contributions, their names are associated with confinement and suffering. This reflects the oppressive political climate and the dangers faced by those who express dissenting views.
In practice
During a speech about freedom of speech, one might say, 'As Joseph Brodsky put it, in Russia, the name of a writer is found on his prison cell rather than his book cover.'
Basically, it's hard for me to assess myself, a hardship not only prompted by the immodesty of the enterprise, but because one is not capable of assessing himself, let alone his work. However, if I were to summarize, my main interest is the nature of time. That's what interests me most of all. What time can do to a man.
One always pulls the trigger out of self-interest and quotes history to avoid responsibility or pangs of conscience.
On the whole, infinity is a fairly palpable aspect of this business of publishing, if only because it extends a dead author's existence beyond the limits he envisioned, or provides a living author with a future he cannot measure. In other words, this business deals with the future which we all prefer to regard as unending.
The invention of ethical and political doctrines, which blossomed into our own social sciences, is a product of times when things appeared manageable. The same goes for the criticism of those doctrines, though as a voice from the past, this criticism proved prophetic.
Try not to pay attention to those who will try to make life miserable for you. There will be a lot of those - in the official capacity as well as the self-appointed.
I remember myself, age five, sitting on a porch overlooking a very muddy road. The day was rainy. I was wearing rubber boots, yellow - no, not yellow, green - and for all I know, I'm still there.
There is a guilty conscience behind every brazen word and act and behind every manifestation of self-righteousness.
The Convention thought it wrong to admit in the Constitution the idea that there could be property in men.
The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.
I got tired of doing battle with people thinking I was a little weird because I wasn't in a band making happy, stilted music. The only people who really seem weird to me are people who think they're normal. People who think it's possible to be normal just by doing the same things that most people do. Is there a most people? I don't know. Television makes it seem like there is, but I think that might just be television.
Man has always been half-monster, half-dreamer.
Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be.
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