Collage 504

This is a horrifying scene. Prince Andrei has been severely injured during the battle. The doctors are performing "surgery". No drugs, no pain medication. "Two doctors -- one pale and trembling -- were silently doing something to the other man's leg, which was red. Having finished with the Tartar, over whom an overcoat was thrown, the doctor in spectacles, wiping his hands, came up to Prince Andrei." You an practically smell the fear and pain. A few sentences later, Prince Andrei sees Anatole Kuragin (who had seduced his finance Natasha) who had just had his leg amputated. "The wounded man was shown his cut-off leg in a boot caked with blood!"

Today we taught our first "Master Class" in collaborative collage-making. I was told just before the class began that they were expecting a TV crew. A few minutes later, I was told that in fact there were 3 TV crews waiting outside and a print journalist, and would I be willing to be interviewed!? Talk about pressure under fire! Within moments I was in front of them with a beautiful interpreter named Ina. Maybe it was better that I was informed at the last minute or I would have been way too nervous. After the interviews, they opened the doors and 40 people flooded into the room and eagerly took their places. It was an amazing experience. They loved it, and we loved them. --Lola

Lola Baltzell
from page 263-264, volume 2 of original text
collage, ink
made 5/6/11
Pevear/Volokhonsky translation page 813-814