The Purpose of Poetry

The poet and critic Alexey Alyokhin — the founder and long-time editor-in-chief of the first and for a long time the only poetry magazine in Russia "Arion" (1994-2019), a promoter of contemporary poetry, fully aware of and feeling its movement and current state. The articles, essays, and reviews collected in this book cover almost three decades, from the mid-90s to the present day. They represent the judgments of a person who does not merely observe the poetic process attentively, but is also involved in it through his own literary activities and many years of working with young poets in workshops and seminars. The articles collected here are not only a perspective on contemporary Russian poetry but also, to a significant extent, answers to questions that often arise among young writers.