Dinner with Catherine the Great

Overview

Providing a rare and creative sense of authority’s various faces, this collection of poems travels from intellectual and artistic power to philosophical, military, and imperial power; and above all, personal influence. The verse introduces the persuasiveness, complexities, and intrigues of “table talk”—a European tradition of informed and enlightened conversation that has virtually disappeared from the experience of North American culture. Commanding and informed in their own sense of purpose, these pieces evince a gentle curiosity for greatness, creating an engaging portrait of simple humanity, powerful minds, and memorable ideas.

Reviews

“His disposition is to always be at work making something new that interacts with what he feels are his artistic and literary landmarks.”  —Ewan Whyte, reviewer, Books in Canada and Globe and Mail

Author Biography

Vladimir Azarov is an architect and a poet. He is the author of Imitation, The Kiss from Mary Pickford, Of Life and Other Small Sacrifices, and Voices in Dialogue. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.