Dr. Boris Briker just came back from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, where he participated in the International Festival, Meridian Czernowitz. This festival began five years ago as a series of poetry readings, inspired by the fact that the great German language poet, Paul Celan, was born in and grew up in Chernivtsi (then Czernowitz). Now the festival has evolved into a superb international festival of culture, books and poetry . http://www.meridiancz.com/en/about-the-festival/
It is especially significant now given the bloody conflict on the South-East of Ukraine. Together with Dr. Briker’s colleague, Anatoly Vishevsky from Grinnell College, he presented and participated in a public discussion of the book that they compiled and edited, Chernovtsy Tales. They also authored one of the book’s six chapters which featured writers with different styles and a range of genres, the book presents the city, Chernovtsy, during the post-World War II Soviet period. The presentation of the book took place outside, on the main and the most beautiful street of the city.