The Literate One

The Literate One is Mikhail Iossel's first book since becoming a permanent resident of Canada. A collection of short stories, Iossel's work is articulate, culturally engaged and wickedly intelligent. From a peculiar tale of a savant speller, to an eloquent rant about Sully Prudhomme, to a beautifully digressive elegy for his own father, Iossel at once illuminates and challenges the reader with his unique and expertly rendered syntax. These texts are wise and playful, and at times reminiscent of his early adult years in Leningrad where he was a seminal figure in the Samizdat underground literary scene.