Regarding the book “Body Memory” by Michael Epstein
He had already stopped searching for the truth, this
a cheesy substitute for desire.
Mikhail N. Epstein
Having published dozens of books and hundreds of articles in the humanities devoted to the search for truth, Michael Epstein (or is it his lyrical hero?) realized that all this activity is only a miserable substitute for desire and wrote The Memory of the Body. A brilliant move!
But since the intellectual legacy always stays with you, this memory itself has taken on very strange forms. The “body” has soaked into the “spirit”, giving rise to something centauric, or at least chironic: the biological nature of sex has become so intertwined with its meaning that the book as a whole sets a new level of comprehension of a seemingly well-trodden topic. It is very far from romance with its serenity and ethereality, and from pornography with its earthiness and primitiveness.
Sex is the universal, most important stimulant and at the same time tranquilizer in a man's life; the one thing that one categorically does not want to lose as long as one is alive. It has always seemed to me that only because of the universal availability of this simple remedy for everything
after all, masturbation is possible under almost any, the most atrocious conditions of existence, society somehow still endures the hardships of existence.
Whatever the system, whatever nasty things the authorities may throw out, no matter how poor you are, this joy is always with you. Sex is the most democratic of all the elements and the most spontaneous of all the democratic concepts that permeate society. Its language, unlike
from any other, understood by all. What Epstein does in his book is to try to bring his elitist ideas into this purely egalitarian field: to add to sex an intellectual intensity of communication, something not inherent in it by nature. Then you get a kind of erotica of a completely different class....
What Are the Objectives of the Award?
The primary goal of the Award is to support authors and promote Russian-language literature worldwide. We welcome all who write and read in Russian, regardless of citizenship or place of residence. We aim to foster a Russian-language culture free from political and imperial influences.
How Is the Award Process Conducted?
The Award is given annually. The jury votes, with each member selecting between one and three works. The winner is the author whose work receives the most votes. Additionally, a reader’s vote (Crowdfunding) is conducted on the Award’s website, where readers can vote for authors and support them financially.
What Awards Are Provided?
The winner of the Award receives a grant to translate the work into English, French and German. Also, as part of the reader's vote, all collected funds are transferred to the authors for whom the readers voted.
When Does the Submission Period for the Competition Start and End?
Прием заявок на конкурс второго сезона премии начнется 1 сентября 2025-го и закончится 15-го октября 2025 года.
When will the list of finalists and winners be announced?
В январе 2026 года Совет Экспертов объявит список финалистов. Читательское голосование начинается в тот же месяц. В феврале-апреле члены жюри читают книги-финалисты, а победителей Премии и читательского голосования объявят в мае 2026 года.
What are the conditions for the nomination of a book for the award
В конкурсе второго сезона могут принимать участия произведения, изданные в 2024-м году. Произведения (роман, повесть, сборники рассказов и эссе, документальная проза), вышедшие отдельными изданиями или опубликованные в журналах. Номинировать на премию имеют право как издательства и редакции журналов, так и сами писатели или третьи лица (с согласия и письменного подтверждения автора). Тексты подаются к рассмотрению в электронном виде. Премия «Дар» открыта для всех авторов. Учитывая главные цели премии: продвижение современной русскоязычной литературы за пределами РФ и характер самого вознаграждение (грант на перевод) - приоритет будет отдаваться авторам, чьи произведения ранее не переводились на английский, французский и немецкий языки.
