Several national and international publications recently featured a new book co-edited by Stephen Blackwell, a UT professor of Russian in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures. Fine Lines: Vladimir Nabokov’s Scientific Art is the first full appraisal of renowned novelist Vladimir Nabokov’s contributions as a scientist.
Vogue magazine highlighted the book in this article. Blackwell’s book showcases hundreds of Nabokov’s illustrations of butterflies alongside essays exploring their relation to his literature and life.
Smithsonian Magazine noted that in the book Blackwell and his co-editor Kurt Johnson “lament that Nabokov was never taken seriously by professional scientists and entomologists because of his literary career.” Read the story online.
The United Kingdom-based Guardian featured the book and several Nabakov’s drawings in this article.
Financial Times also highlighted Blackwell’s book in this story.
Art News noted that Fine Lines “illustrates Nabokov’s sophisticated power of observation…Above all, Fine Lines may be viewed as a book about the act of seeing.” Read the story online.