The Confession of an Irresponsible Reader

Abstract

David Iakovlevich Dar was born in Leningrad in 1911. Although he received no formal higher education and was trained as a shipbuilder, in 1929 he became a journalist and he is known especially for his broad and sensible knowledge. During the siege of Leningrad he served as the commander of an independent reconnaissance unit, received several decorations, and spent several years recuperating from severe wounds. From 1948 through 1960 he served with the literary young workers' collective, The Voice of Youth, and this job, plus his many books and stories for young people, has gained him a surprisingly warm following of young Russians. In 1944 his first book, Stories of Friends in Battle, was published and this was followed by The Tale of Tsiolkovsky (1948), 10,000 Kilometers on Bicycles (1960), There, Beyond the Bend (1962), and Beyond Kuk-Karauk (1963). His most recent book is Dunya Divine and Other Unbelievable Stories (1964), and these stories have just appeared again in the journal Neva. His children's translation of Moby Dick, co-translated with Slava Paperno, has just appeared. The present essay, originally titled "Letter to a Young Friend," was printed in The Star [Zvezda] in December 1966, and is aimed at his own young-worker following.