A literary evening was held at the Ukraine House cultural center in Washington with the Ukrainian poet, essayist, and translator Vasyl Makhno, an author considered one of the most expressive voices in contemporary Ukrainian literature.
This was reported by the organizer of the event.
In a warm and intimate format, the author presented a two-volume collection of selected works: “Scheme” – the most complete and up-to-date collection of poetry in 30 years, which includes works written from 1993 to 2023, and “Chickens Don’t Fly” – a collection of essays written between 2002 and 2023. The poems included in the book belong to both the early period of his career and the later period after moving to the United States. The two-volume collection also includes the author’s memoirs, journeys into the past, and autobiographical stories. Some essays resemble short stories woven into a coherent canvas, while others are like a kind of journey through various spaces.
During the meeting, the audience had the opportunity to hear favorite excerpts from both books, reflect on the present with the author, discuss trends in literature and Ukrainian culture, and ask questions.
“The audience was impressed by his ability to create headlines that not only reflect his worldview, but also resonate with the realities of the modern world…Some essays combine autobiographical elements with fiction, creating a unique narrative style that is distinctly characteristic of Vasyl,” Ukraine House said.
The presentation also became an occasion to talk about literary communities, formative influences, and the author’s path – from his first poems in Ukraine to his work in emigration.
Ukraine House thanked Vasyl Makhno for his insightful and heartfelt presentation, as well as Irena Halupa, President of the Washington Chapter of the Union of Ukrainian Women of America, for moderating the evening.
Background
Vasyl Makhno is a poet, prose writer, essayist, and translator. He is the author of fourteen poetry collections, the most recent of which is “One-Wind House” (2021). He has published a book of short stories, The House at Baiting Hollow (2015), the novel The Perpetual Calendar (2019), and five collections of essays, The Gertrude Stein Park of Culture and Recreation (2006), The Bag Was Rolling (2011), The Neighborhood and the Borderlands (2019), The Ocean on a Bike (2020), and From Vowels and Consonants: An Encyclopedia of Names, Cities, Birds, Plants, and All Kinds of Stuff (2023).
In 2024, the Old Lion Publishing House published selected works in two volumes (Volume 1 – “Scheme” – poems, Volume 2 – “Chickens Don’t Fly”).
Makhno's translations include books by Polish poets Zbigniew Herbert "Struna světla" (1996), Janusz Schuber "Pijimany u sit" (2007), Anna Freilich "Im'ya batka" (2021) and Bohdan Zadura "Prosti istyny" (translated by Vasyl Makhno and Anna Gruver, 2024). He translated poetic works by Gottfried Benn, Raymond Carver, Philip Larkin. Czesław Miłosz, Vasko Pop.
Makhno's works have been translated into more than twenty languages. Separate editions were published in Israel, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Romania, Serbia and the USA. Participant in international literary festivals, meetings and symposiums. Winner of literary awards, including the Peter and Lesia Kovalev Foundation (2009), the International Serbian Prize "Povelje Morave" (2013), "BBC Book of the Year" (2015), the International Ukrainian-Jewish Prize "Encounter" (2020). Lives in New York.
Photo: Ukraine House, collage: VM
Author: Inna Mikhno