Eugene Dubnov (born Zalman Dubvov, rus, Евгений (Юджин) Дубно́в he, יוג'ין דובנוב; 2 November 1949 – 5 August 2019) was a Jewish-born Russian and English poet, novelist and memoirist.

Life and career

Eugene Dubnov was born on 2 November 1949, in

Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...

(then a part of the former

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

). His mother tongue was Russian, and he spoke English fluently since his childhood spent in Riga, Latvia (then a part of the former

). He studied at the Moscow State University, at the Bar-Ilan University, Israel, and at the

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree- ...

where from he was graduated (psychology and English Literature). He then worked on his PhD thesis in the

(

Russian Literature Russian literature refers to the literature of Russia and its émigrés and to Russian language, Russian-language literature. The roots of Russian literature can be traced to the Middle Ages, when epics and chronicles in Old East Slavic were c ...

and

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

) but did not bring it to a close. In 1971, Eugene Dubnov repatriated to Israel, served in the

Israeli army The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branc ...

and settled in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

where he had been living and teaching English to the day of his death, with a break for education in United Kingdom in middle 1970s. Dubnov was a holder of the Israeli Presidential Merit Scholarship in 1972, 1974, and 1999. He also was a scholar of the Tel Aviv Literature and Art Foundation in 1975 and 2001.Евгений (Юджин) Дубнов, авторы журнала ''Заметки по еврейской старине''
/ref>сайт Евгения Дубнова (narod.ru)
/ref>сайт Евгения Дубнова (co.uk)
/ref>Справочник Союза русскоязычных писателей Израиля, стр. 81–83 Изд. Федерации союзов писателей Израиля, 1990, Тель-Авив

Publications

Eugene Dubnov published his poems and short stories in Russian magazines, almanacs and newspapers in Israel, Europe and worldwide; among them, in ''

Kontinent ''Kontinent'' was an émigré dissident journal which focused on the politics of the Soviet Union and its satellites. Founded in 1974 by writer Vladimir Maximov,Tatyana ShvetsovaAfter word to the epoch of Nikita Khrushchev PAUL GRAY. THE SEVEN D ...

'' (Paris), ''

La pensée russe ''Russian Mind'' (; French – ''La Pensée Russe'') is a pan-European sociopolitical and cultural magazine, published on a monthly basis both in Russian and in English. The modern edition follows the traditions of the magazine laid down in 1880 ...

'' (Paris), ''22'' (Tel Aviv), ''Novy Zhournal'' (The New Review, New York), (Sagittarius, New Jersey), ''Novoe russkoe slovo'' (New Russian Word, New York),

Vozrojdénie ''Vozrojdénie'' (russian: Возрождение, 'Renaissance') was a Russian language daily newspaper published from Paris, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It ...

(The Renaissance, Paris), ''Vremya i my'' (We and Our Time, US), Grani (Frankfurt am Main), etc. 1982 Dubnov in Pushkin Club poster

He also published his original and translated poems, novels and memoirs in numerous English language issues all over the world, among them, in ''

The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication i ...

'', ''The Canadian Journal of Poetry and Critical Writings'', ''

Poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

'' (Chicago), ''

Chicago Review ''Chicago Review'' is a literary magazine founded in 1946 and published quarterly in the Humanities Division at the University of Chicago. The magazine features contemporary poetry, fiction, and criticism, often publishing works in translation and ...

'', ''

Yale Literary Magazine The ''Yale Literary Magazine'', founded in 1836, is the oldest student literary magazine in the United States and publishes poetry, fiction, and visual art by Yale undergraduates twice per academic year. Notable alumni featured in the magazine whi ...

'', ''

Poetry London ''Poetry London'' is a literary periodical based in London. Published three times a year, it features poems, reviews, and other articles. Profile Adopting the title of an earlier bimonthly publication which ran from 1939 to 1951, ''Poetry London' ...

'', ''

The London Magazine ''The London Magazine'' is the title of six different publications that have appeared in succession since 1732. All six have focused on the arts, literature and miscellaneous topics. 1732–1785 ''The London Magazine, or, Gentleman's Monthly I ...

'', '' North American Review'', '' Poetry Ireland Review'', ''

New England Review The ''New England Review'' is an American quarterly literary magazine published by Middlebury College. It was established in 1978 by Sydney Lea and Jay Parini. From 1982 till 1990, the magazine was named ''New England Review & Bread Loaf Quart ...

'', '' Oxford Poetry'', ''

Mid-American Review ''Mid-American Review'' (''MAR'') is an international literary journal dedicated to publishing contemporary fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and translations. Founded in 1981, ''MAR'' is a publication of the Department of English and the College of Ar ...

'', ''New Wales Reader'', ''Canadian Literature'', ''The Massachusetts Review'' , ''Poetry New Zealand'', ''Mississippi Review'', ''Westerly'', ''Chapman'', ''Mediterranean Poetry'', ''

St. Petersburg Review ''St. Petersburg Review'' is an American literary magazine whose mission is to provide a forum for cultural and literary exchange reflective of current social, political, and literary landscapes. The magazine is based in Concord, New Hampshire. I ...

'', '' The Jerusalem Post'', ''Grain'', and others.

Books

* Е. Дубнов. ''Рыжие монеты'' ("The Auburn Coins"), poems, (Goldfinch Press, London, 1978), * Е. Дубнов. ''Небом и землею'' ("By Heaven and Earth"), poems, Amber Press, London, 1984).
Eugene Dubnov. ''Thousand-Year Minutes'' (Shoestring Press, UK, 2013).

Eugene Dubnov. ''Never Out of Reach'' (memoirs) (Clemson University Press, USA, 2015 and Liverpool University Press, UK, 2015).

Eugene Dubnov. ''Beyond the Boundaries'' (Shoestring Press, UK, 2016).

Quotes

"Rich in texture, poignant, subtle, and beautifully made, the poems of Eugene Dubnov are long overdue for a collection in English." —
X.J. Kennedy X. J. Kennedy (born Joseph Charles Kennedy on August 21, 1929, in Dover, New Jersey) is an American poet, translator, anthologist, editor, and author of children's literature and textbooks on English literature and poetry. He was long known as ...
. In: Eugene Dubnov. ''Never Out of Reach'' (memoirs) (Clemson University Press, USA, 2015 and Liverpool University Press, UK, 2015).

"Eugene Dubnov’s poetry is remarkable for its tight structure and dense, complex texture." —
W.D. Snodgrass William De Witt Snodgrass (January 5, 1926 – January 13, 2009) was an American poet who also wrote under the pseudonym S. S. Gardons. He won the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Life Snodgrass was born on January 5, 1926, in Beaver Falls, ...
In: Eugene Dubnov. ''Never Out of Reach'' (memoirs) (Clemson University Press, USA, 2015 and Liverpool University Press, UK, 2015).

"Over thirty years ago, when Eugene Dubnov was mulling over a doctoral thesis on Mandelstam, I first read his poetry and was astonished that such a genuine talent was subordinating itself to analyzing others' talents. But a Russian poet in post-Soviet space or exile has few of the paths to recognition available to an earlier generation — being imprisoned, shot or deported. This volume (''Beyond the Boundaries'') has Dubnov at his best, and with each poem beautifully mirrored in English, too. It is still clear that he is an heir to Mandelstam (and to Joseph Brodsky, as well), but his is an original voice, moulding the Russian language with finesse and sensitivity." — Donald Rayfield, Professor Emeritus, University of London. In: Eugene Dubnov. ''Beyond the Boundaries'' (Shoestring Press, UK, 2016)).

"The poems of Eugene Dubnov are poignant, subtle, and beautifully made. At home in several cultures, Dubnov is a true original." —
X.J. Kennedy X. J. Kennedy (born Joseph Charles Kennedy on August 21, 1929, in Dover, New Jersey) is an American poet, translator, anthologist, editor, and author of children's literature and textbooks on English literature and poetry. He was long known as ...
. In: Eugene Dubnov. ''Beyond the Boundaries'' (Shoestring Press, UK, 2016)).

"A real gift." — Prof. John Bayley, Oxford. In: Eugene Dubnov. ''Beyond the Boundaries'' (Shoestring Press, UK, 2016)).

"To the religious believers, to artists or merely to sensitive readers with a profound feeling for nature, these daring poems of faith will confirm Eugene Dubnov's importance as a poet in exalted tradition of Dante, Blake, George Herbert, Father Hopkins and W. B. Yeats."—
Anne Stevenson Anne Stevenson (January 3, 1933 – September 14, 2020) was an American-British poet and writer and recipient of a Lannan Literary Award. Life Stevenson was the first daughter of Louise Destler Stevenson and philosopher Charles Stevenson and w ...
. In: Eugene Dubnov. ''Beyond the Boundaries'' (Shoestring Press, UK, 2016)).

Literature

* Lea Vladimirova. "…All kind of thirsts I’ve quenched by my word…" (on Eugene Dubnov poetry collection 'By Heaven and Earth', 1984). Novyi Zhurnal / The New Review No. 183, 1991, New York, pp. 389–396 (in Russian). *
Chris Newman. Eugene Dubnov poems 1979–90. With German transl. by Gisela Gronemeyer & C. Newman. MusikTexte. Edition Musiktexte. 1993.

''Stand'', Winter 2017/2018)Stephen Pimenoff. Review.

Yuri Kolker. In memoriam Eugene Dubnov (1949–2019). ''Masterskaya'' 24.09.2019 (in Russian)
* Lea Grinberg-Dubnov (Ed.) "The Voice of my Life..." In memory of Eugene Dubnov. Articles about the work of E. Dubnov. Memories of friends. Prose and poetry". Aleteya Publishing House, Saint Petersburg, 2021, 570 p.(in Russian)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dubnov, Eugene 1949 births 2019 deaths 20th-century English poets 20th-century Russian poets 20th-century English novelists 20th-century Russian short story writers 20th-century Israeli poets 20th-century Israeli novelists Russian Jews Russian male poets Denaturalized citizens of the Soviet Union 21st-century Russian poets 21st-century English poets 20th-century Russian translators 21st-century Russian translators Translators from English Russian emigrants to the United Kingdom English people of Russian-Jewish descent Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom English Jews 21st-century English translators ''Strelets''