Ostanovka v Pustyne [A Stop in the Desert].

New York, Chekhov Publishing House, 1970. . First edition; 8vo (21.5 x 14 cm); original printed wrappers, a very good copy; 228pp. First edition of Ostanovka v Pustyne [A Stop in the Desert] Brodsky's second book of poetry in Russian to be published in America. Described as his first 'real' book, it is primarily new work together with some of his best verse to date. It is the first Russian-language edition of his works for which Brodsky made the main editorial decisions. At the time of publication he was still in the Soviet Union (he was exiled in 1972) and his translator George Kline acted as the de facto editor of this book covertly, for Brodsky's safety. Akhmatova lauded Brodsky as the most gifted voice of his generation and in 1987, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the fifth Russian-born writer to do so. In an interview he was asked, 'You are an American citizen who is receiving the Prize for Russian-language poetry. Who are you, an American or a Russian?' 'I'm Jewish; a Russian poet, an English essayist – and, of course, an American citizen', he responded.