“For Russians, to whom Pushkin's poem 'Eugene Onegin' is sacred text, the ballet's story and personae are as familiar and filled with meaning as, for instance, 'Romeo' and 'Hamlet' are for us. Russians know whole stretches of it by heart, the way we know Shakespeare and Italians know Dante.”

Robert Gottlieb is an American editor and literary critic. He spent decades shaping major publishing houses as editor-in-chief, including at Alfred A. Knopf and the New Press, and remains influential for his advocacy of literary nonfiction and social justice. His career spans six decades, marked by mentorship of writers and a commitment to public intellectualism.