Maria Stepanova is one of the most powerful and distinctive voices of
Russia's first post-Soviet literary generation. An award-winning poet
and prose writer, she has also founded a major platform for independent
journalism. Her verse blends formal mastery with a keen ear for the
evolution of spoken language. As Russia's political climate has turned
increasingly repressive, Stepanova has responded with engaged writing
that grapples with the persistence of violence in her country's past and
present. Some of her most remarkable recent work as a poet and essayist
considers the conflict in Ukraine and the debasement of language that
has always accompanied war.
The Voice Over brings together two decades of Stepanova's work,
showcasing her range, virtuosity, and creative evolution. Stepanova's
poetic voice constantly sets out in search of new bodies to inhabit,
taking established forms and styles and rendering them into something
unexpected and strange. Recognizable patterns of ballads, elegies, and
war songs are transposed into a new key, infused with foreign strains,
and juxtaposed with unlikely neighbors. As an essayist, Stepanova
engages deeply with writers who bore witness to devastation and dramatic
social change, as seen in searching pieces on W. G. Sebald, Marina
Tsvetaeva, and Susan Sontag. Including contributions from ten
translators, The Voice Over shows English-speaking readers why
Stepanova is one of Russia's most acclaimed contemporary writers.
