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Department of Special Collections
Washington University
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Washington University in St. Louis
Finding-Aid for the Vladimir Nabokov Papers (WTU00088)Finding aid prepared by:
Special Collections Staff
Summary Information
Vladimir Nabokov Papers
Nabokov, Vladimir, 1899-1977
1958-1964.
8 items
WTU00088
Language: English
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO 63130
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Biography
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was born into a wealthy, landed family on April 23,
1899, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Educated at Cambridge, spending most of the his
twenties and thirties in Berlin, Nabokov came to America in 1940. Already the author
of a handful of novels written in his native Russian, he struggled to find a
publisher for what would become his most famous novel, Lolita . After finally finding a publisher in the Olympia Press in Paris
(1955), Nabokov went on to write many other celebrated novels, including Ada , Pnin , and Pale Fire . An accomplished translator in his own right,
Nabokov not only translated some of his own Russian-language novels but also Russian
classics, like Pushkin and Gogol. He spent the final fifteen years of his life in
Switzerland, where he died in 1977.
Collection Scope and Content Note
Scope and Contents Note
Collection consists of correspondence, interviews, and articles. 1958: March 12. Vera
Nabokov to Peter Russell writing on her husband’s behalf to inquiry on potential
Nabokov materials for Russell’s Russian issue of Nine .
Includes explanation of varying editions of Lolita in
translation and expresses Nabokov’s opinions on translation, i.e., that he no longer
believes in rhymed translations but on the literalness alone. Relates availability
of other titles, etc. TLS, 1 p. 1958: May 19. Vera Nabokov to Russell thanking him
for his letter and translation from Mandelshtam, etc., and reiterating that her
husband believes only in absolutely literal prose translations. Adds comment that
husbands believes Pound to be an exceptionally poor translator. TLS 1 p. 1959: June
7. Vera Nabokov to Russell announcing that her husband appreciates the spirit with
with Russell accepted criticism of his translations and wishes him the best in his
Russian efforts. Ms. addition to bottom of page in Vera’s hand denoting two word
equivalents, Russian-English, indicating that one is used as husband’s title to a
Gogol story. TLS 1 p. 1964: August 18. Ts. interview with Vladimir Nabokov by Jane
Howard, Life magazine. Very heavy ts. and ms. revision
and correction. 7 pp. Also ts. quotations by Nabokov as background material for
Life article. Extremely heavy revision and
correction. 8 pp. n.d. Ts. fact sheet on Nabokov’s current projects and publishing
data. 1968: March 26. M. Cohn to William Matheson, explaining the origins and hand
corrections in the interview ts. of Jane Howard. TLS[photocopy] 1 p. 1964: November
20. Clipping Life magazine article, "the Master of
Versatility -- Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita, Languages, Lepidoptera." Includes
photographs of Nabokov, wife, and son. 5 pp.
Subject Terms
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