Union of Joy and Sorrow

For many years, Bella Akhmadulina wrote literary portraits of people who, as she said, "influenced the course and fabric of my life." Among them are A. Akhmatova, B. Pasternak, P. Antokolsky, B. Okudzhava, V. Nabokov, V. Erofeev, S. Dovlatov, V. Vysotsky, A. Tyshler, M. Plisetskaya… On the pages of this book, there are not only contemporaries of the poet but also his predecessors – A. Pushkin, M. Lermontov, F. Tyutchev, M. Tsvetaeva. And of each person she knew or merely dreamed of knowing, B. Akhmadulina speaks with admiration and love, endlessly rejoicing that nature bestowed upon them unique talent. 
"I am one of those who believes that the gift of another person is a gift to all of us and to me,"  – she writes, generously sharing with readers her memories and reflections about wonderful encounters, unforgettable trips, and that unique cultural atmosphere in which she lived and which has now passed into eternity.