Two Tragedies in 429 Breaths (1)

By: Susan Paddon

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Synopsis: Winner JM Abraham Poetry Award Chekhov's work and life fuse with a daughter's caring for her dying mother in this powerful debut. Two Tragedies in 429 Breaths is a book-length series of poems written from the perspective of a daughter who reads Chekhov obsessively while spending a spring and summer caring for her mother, who is dying from pulmonary fibrosis. Through the prism of the relationships in Chekhov's work and life emerges an honest, intimate, and even occasionally humorous portrayal of the energy we put into each other's lives during times of deterioration and suffering. A prismatic, memorable debut. ... In the early editions of Chekhov's letters, his editors removedanything that might stain his image or the imageof Russia. An ellipsis stands in for vulgar language,deleterious remarks, and the references to masturbationhe used, like little brooks across the page, but as far as I know,no one made confetti of his personal life.If it were up to me, I'd prefer to talk today. To askmy mother questions, finish half-told stories.— from "Yellow"