Gorky gave out to readers books in the cafe-library.
The visitors of cafe-library, standing in a queue for new books, exchanged opinions.
- I have read two stories, - one reader has spoken. - One story "The Makar's Dream" ('Сон Макара'). It is written by Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko in 1883. The second story - "Makar Chudra" ('Макар Чудра'). It is written by Alexei Maksimovich Gorky in 1892. Both stories can be considered, in a sense, as a "startings" ones in the creativity of each of these writers.
- I have a bad memory, - the second reader admitted. - And I badly memorized the contents of stories. To my shame, I can't precisely remember what the story by Vladimir Korolenko begins with. And I remember the beginning of the story of Gorky: he and the old Gipsy man lay about a fire. Nearby - the steppe and the sea. Around there was darkness. Light of a fire fought against darkness. Wind lifted autumn leaves and threw them into fire. Leaves were flaring. But everyone has their own moods and memories.
- And I heard that the story by Gorky needs to be learned by heart. Any fan of literature after the publication of "Makar Chudra" had had an opportunity to read "the Gypsy spell" (more precisely - "legend"), to memorize this legend and - when it will been memorized, - be a free bird during all his long life, - the third reader said. - But I'm not inclined to memorize.
- At the time when Alexei Maksimovich began his career as a writer, Vladimir Korolenko was a major public and literary figure. But would we remember him now, if he was not an element of Gorky's creative biography? In 1920 Korolenko wrote a number of letters to Lunacharsky. If you read these letters, you come to a strange conclusion: the revolutionary events have led not to the situation, which hoped Korolenko. In 1921 Korolenko left this world, - the fourth reader reflected aloud. - Gorky was responsible for all Soviet culture, and - with all the nuances - in the USSR grew a generation of cultural, educated people.
- Gorky recalled his communication with Korolenko. Not only with Korolenko. It is difficult to be a beginning writer. Criteria of talent - indistinct, subjective. Moral support is useful to those who begins to write. For example Dmitry Vasilyevich Grigorovich, the writer famous in due time, - that, even without Chekhov's address, has sent to Anton Pavlovich the encouraging letter, has told that Chekhov has a talent and that Chekhov needs to treat the creativity seriously. "Twice he [D.V. Grigorovich] has begun to see in a beginning author a huge talent. In 1845 Grigorovich has admired the novel by Dostoyevsky "Poor people" at once. In 1886 - he seen Anton Chekhov in Chekhonte", - the fifth reader of a phrase from the book about Chekhov written by A. Kuzicheva (А. Кузичева) has quoted.
- Gorky has been constantly busy with communication with different writers, including, with beginners. He constantly read manuscripts, improved them. Korney Chukovsky remembered, for example: "To my shame, has to tell that when in the sixteenth year one beginning author has brought to me the composition written with extremely gross spelling mistakes, I have returned him his manuscript as hopeless. He passed manuscript to Gorky. Gorky has told me in several days:
- Fresh, efficient, good thing.
I have looked in this manuscript: almost every line was crossed out, and from above is written by Gorky's hand a new one".
- Each author has his own Makar. But each author has his own Makar, - the seventh reader has got confused in philosophical concepts.
Gorky continued to pass books without reacting to the opinions expressed.
Readers have received the books interesting them and have gone to the tables.
November 3, 2018 20:37.
Translation from Russian into English: November 16, 2018 15:12.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Рассказ о двух Макарах'.