'Every book is a part of life'

Abstract

© 2019, I. A. Ermakova. In her interview with the critic and scholar A. Skvortsov, the poet I. Ermakova discusses modern poetry, its authors and processes. Starting as a conversation about the poet's artistic evolution and mentioning her work as a translator, author of regular publications in various think journals, and her numerous poetic prizes, the interview gradually moves on to examining the contemporary poetic reality, which Ermakova describes as 'the era of Oleg Chukhontsev'. She argues that the value of Chukhontsev's poetry lies in its absolute precision of word choice and accurate and truthful depiction of familiar reality. In such an attempt to display the world undistorted, modern poets turn to related art forms, up to the cinematic, however few reach this level. The interview, therefore, provides Ermakova's assessment of the contemporary literary environment, her views on how one can join the literary process, and contemplations about the problem of the reader of modern poetry: whether they exist, and who they are.