From Somewhere Over There To Somewhere Over Here

This book is a collection of short stories of different genres, written at different times and in different countries. Some of them appeared in Moscow in the early 1970s. These stories reflect the author's realization of the absurdity of a country building its own version of communism.

In 1976, the final decision was made to flee the Soviet Union and get as far away as possible. "As far away as possible" turned out to be the United States, where my mother, a former actress at the Moscow State Jewish Theater, and I arrived in February 1979. My observations of immigrants from Communist countries and their new life under conditions of freedom, initiative, entrepreneurship, and personal responsibility provided material for funny and sad monologues, as well as for reflections on my own place in the new country, which I expressed in rhythmic prose. But even here I encountered elements of absurdity that seem to accompany our lives regardless of place and time.

Through many of the stories, monologues, and narratives runs the theme of Jewish, especially Russian, identity with the obvious and underlying burden of centuries of persecution of the Jewish people. The author tries to give the humorous monologues a Jewish accent. The Jewish tradition is also reflected in the parable elements used by the author in "The Sack Race", "The Wagon", "The House of Mirrors" and some others that are close to the scripts of the plays. Russian identity is also evident in some of the stories, especially those that contain elements of Russian folklore. A few true stories describe events that the author either participated in or witnessed.

Finally, the collection includes two short stories by the author's mother, Nehama Sirotina. This was done for two reasons. First, to preserve them in print, and second, to show the continuity of the gift through the generations. It is also a son's respectful bow in memory of his mother, whose short life was filled with suffering, and in gratitude to her.