This book brings together a lifetime of experiences told by a beloved member of the field of Slavic languages and literature Irwin Weil. During the Soviet era Irwin frequently visited and corresponded with leading members of Russias intelligentsia including prominent emigres such as Vladimir Nabokov Korney Chukovsky and Dmitrii Shostakovich. His deep love of the Russian people and their culture has touched the lives of countless students in particular at Northwestern University where he has ta