“A man is, after all, what he loves. But one always feels cornered when asked to explain why one loves this or that person, and what for. In order to explain it - which inevitably amounts to explaining oneself - one has to try to love the object of one's attention a little bit less.”

Russian poet and essayist of the 20th century, Brodsky was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1972 and later awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987. He is known for his sharp, lyrical essays on art, politics, and the human condition, blending intellectual rigor with poetic precision. His work often explores themes of exile, freedom, and the search for meaning in an indifferent world.