The New American.
Sergei Dovlatov in his speech at the Conference on the Third Wave in 1981 noted the following paradox: "самая большая по объему газета в мире на русском языке выходит не в Москве, не в Ленинграде, не в Волжских степях, а на углу 35–й стрити 8–й авеню в Нью Йорке. Эта газета –– 'Новый американец', вот она." (Matich, 164).
Noteworthy
Vol. I, 1 (February 8-14, 1980). 75 cents. 24 pages.
"Мы выбрали свободу, и теперъ наше счастъе –– в наших руках."
Note Mikhail Morgulis was associated with the paper from the beginning as was Boris Metter.
I, 2. Chairman Arthur Goldberg, President Boris Metter, Vice President Evgeny Rubin, Sec. and Treasurer Alex Orlov.
1, 14. This issue marks Dovlatov's emergence as Editor in Chief.
I, 39. Begins to call itself "American Jewish Russian language Weekly."
1, 42. (26 November- 2 December 1980.)The paper expands to 40 pages.I, 44. (1-16 December 1980). Now has three sections and forty pages vs. earlier thirty two. There had been an article in #42 or #43 by Genis and Vail' called "Ответственность." This article had discussed emigre literature. It had in turn provoked a response in issue 44 by Aleksandr Baslov and Aleksandr Zajats. "Следствие ведут знатоки." p. 26. Apпаrently Genis and Vail' has criticized Viкtor Urin and and Evgeny Liubin of the Club of Russian Writers.
Check Новое русское слово in late November, early December 1980 for articles criticizing Новый американец.
i, 43 (December 3-10, 1980). The paper now contains a literary supplement in Section 3. (I, 45, 17-23 December 1980). pp. 30-31. Il'ja Suslov"Безответственность" a reply vs. Genis and Vail'.
II, 53. 10-17, 1981. Celebrating the first anniversary page one has a lovely picture of teh contributors in a hot air balloon.(II, 61). This is the first issue with blue and red colored page one.
Get New York Daily News, Wednesday (February or March?)18, 1981 Manhattan section, pp. 1, 2. "The Russians are Here."
Around beginning of April 1981 Sedykh has article in НРС entitled Три эмиграции."
II, 58 March 17-23, 1981 notes move from Jersey City to 500 8th Acenue, NY NY.II, 64 3-9 May 1981. Mikhail Blank husband of Ksana works for paper. She is half-sister of Dovlatov (same father). Read story "Мы и Запад" by Aleksandr Zinov'ev.
II, 65 10-16 May 1981. pp. 8-9. Dovlatov replies against Sedykh's article "Кому это нужно" in НРС 28 April 1981. Dovlatov charactereizes the Third Wave as distinct from earlier ones.
p. 8 "Мы не хуже и не лучше старых эмигрантов. Птосто мы –– другие." Apaprently НРС had refused to place ads for НА and forbidden its writers to particiapte in the newspaper. The incident occurs after a fire had destroyed the offcies of НРС. According to Lena Dovlatov this was a disgruntled former employee of that newspaper. See also letter to the editor in НРС May 2, 1981.
НА in these months (May, June July) is publishing translations of W. Somerset Maugham, The Traitor, and Mario Puzo's The Godfather.
II, 77. 1-8 August 1981, pp. 26-27. Long discussion of a scandal in which Mark Popovskii had been expelled from the Ассоциация инвалидов и ветеранов Второй мировой войны." He had published articles in НА #73 and 75 considered libelous by the organization's leadership.
II, 83 (13-19 Septemnber 1981. Dovlatov answers his critics p. 11 "Пора мой друг, пора!" Polemics make the paper popular among the itnelligentsia; they need to survive commercially.!
II, 89-96. During this time Dovalteov had left the paper and founded an alternative Новый свет. For eight issues it was an alternative, until Dovlatov returned with issue 97. Issue 101 (30 March - 5 Aopril 1982) was the last one edited by Dovlatov. An explantion for the original conflict is provided in Новый свет, 1, 24-30 October 1981, p. 1.
II, 98 (25-31 December 1981), pp. 14-15. "Не долларом единым" Mark Popovski, argues that the need to create is as strong as the need for fiancial good fortune among the emigrees.
131 17-23 August 1982. Issue dedicated to the 50th birthday of Vasily Aksyonov. I have a complete photocopy of the issue that provides insight into the elements of the paper. The newspaper and its legacy require fuller documentation and work.
Elena Dovlatova has written about the paper and its trials and tribulations in her introduction to the latest version of Колонки редактора, С. Довлатов (М: ?). I have spoken with her by phone and in person in the spring of 2007. Their daughter is now residing in Moscow working with the Sergei Dovlatov Foundation. They are others interested in preserving his memory and legacy.
She recalls that idea for a paper arose in 1979 as Sergei arrives in February 1979. He meets another journalist on the street, and within a few months Boris Metter, a former TV journalist, who spoke English, registers the corporation which included Evgenij Rubin, Boris Metter and Sergei Dovlatov. The idea had been to provide information with a fresh language and offer something new for the increasing numebrs of the Third Wave. Also invited was Aleksej Orlov. Rubin worked out of his kitchen in Jackson Heights, and Sergei was entrusted with the cultural affairs side of the venture. Rubin became editor. The title Новый американец was provided by the designation they had been given by NAYANA. The key here was "новый". All the papers Новое реусское слово, later Новый свет adn Новая газета always stressed the "new" Lena was a typesetter. But she continued to work at Новое русское слово to provide a source of income that the new paper couldn't provide. It was Metter who was in charge of fund raisinfg, who found the attorney to register them, produce business cards, staitonery, etc. The first individual whom they contacted actually absconded with the funds to buy a composing machine. They did open an office at Times Square 1, more a closet than a room but it had a telephone.
As 1980 came to a close, Metter together with Arthur Goldberg of New Jersy provides financial advice and helps obtain a loan of $16,000. This was still insufficient. Any Phototype of 33rd Street, forms a partnership with the paper and they move to the 33rd Street for an office. Attempts to have an ad for the new paper in Новое русское слово were apparently thwarted by Andrei Sedykh, who though he ultimately published an ad, omitted the address and telephone numebr. As the first issue was published, Новое русское слово had several calls asking for that inforamtion. While the paper appeared regulary, the regulars were far from business people. The first 12-13 issues did come out from Any Phototype, but a dispute between Rubin and Metter resulted in the paper moving to New Jersy to the Sвобода "Liberty" typography. There were constant financial pressures. Lena described Rubin as a man of integrity. He has written his own book with unflattering memories of Dovlatov. He formed his own newspaper, Новая газета, that maintained in the beginning cordial ties to Новое русское слово (Rubin earned his salary there until НГ decided to become a daily). Several years laters Lena recalls that НРС became a better paper and actually benefitted from the competition.
The offices and place of publication moved about, from Union Square in Jersey City back to Manhattan at 500 8th Avenue. Thye acquired their own typestting and photoffset equipment. It was in her words "the happiest and and most unhappy moments and times." Finally Metter, not as businesslike as he had pretended to be, fired along with Orlov all the others. Metter then hires the eidtor of Время и мы V. Perel'man who promised to purchase the paper by covering its debts. For nine weeks the others offered an alternative Новый свет. At the end of the nine weeks, Perel'man was expelled and the others returned. At this point David Drisocll, Metter and Weinberg of НРС got together, Mark Popovski got иnvolved and Dovlatov withdraws. Petrunis is installed as editor in chief (with the support of Weinberg, and Weinberg begins to support Семь дней.
Bibliographic materials.
Committee for the Absorption of Soviet Emigrees.
1980-1984
Russian Serial Publication Serial Publication : Newspaper : Weekly v.
New York, N.Y. : Novy Americanetz, Inc.,
Title: Novyi Amerikanets =
New American.
Corp Author(s): Committee for the Absorption of Soviet Emigrees.
Publication: New York, N.Y. : Novy Americanetz, Inc.,
Place: United States; New York; New York; New York.; United States; New Jersey; Hudson; Jersey City.
Year: 1980-1984
Frequency: Weekly
Description: Vol. 1, no. 1 (Feb. 8/14, 1980)-no. 199 (Dec. 13, 1983).; v.
Language: Russian
Standard No: ISSN: 0274-998X; LCCN: sn 80-10799
SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: Russian Americans -- Newspapers.
Jews, Russian -- United States -- Newspapers.
Geographic: New York (N.Y.) -- Newspapers.
New York County (N.Y.) -- Newspapers.
Jersey City (N.J.) -- Newspapers.
Hudson County (N.J.) -- Newspapers.
Note(s): "America's only Russian language weekly," <May 9-18, 1980>./ "American Jewish Russian language weekly," <Nov. 5-11, 1980>./ "America's only Jewish Russian Language weekly," <Apr. 13, 1982>-Dec. 13, 1983./ Published in Jersey City, N.J., Jul. 5, 1983-Dec. 13, 1983./ Official publication for the Committee for the Absorption of Soviet Emigrees (CASE).
Class Descriptors: LC: Newspaper; AP51
Other Titles: Novyj Amerikanec; New American
Succeeding Title: NA; (DLC)sn 99058003; (OCoLC)41020321; 0274-998X
Material Type: Newspaper (new)
Document Type: Serial
Entry: 19800821
Update: 20060711
Accession No: OCLC: 6641266
Database: WorldCat
The Harvard library catalogue of the micrtofilm is as follows:
Location : Widener Newspaper Microfilm Reading Room Film NC 531
Reproduction Note : Microfilm. Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard College Library, Photographic Services Division, [1984- ] microflm reels ; 35 mm.
Holdings : 1(1980:Feb.),
8-9(1980:Apr.),
11(1980:Apr.),
13(1980:May),
15-16(1980:May),
28-46(1980:Aug.-Dec.)
47-66(1981:Jan.-May),
71-90(1981:June-Oct.),
68-69(1981:June),
92-96(1981:Nov.-Dec.),
98(1981:Dec.)
99-104(1982),
107-122(1982),
124-149(1982)
150-158(1983),
162-198(1983),
200-201(1983)
202-253(1984)
254-298(1985:Jan.-Nov.)
At Bremen there are actual papers as opposed to availble microfilms. As follows.
Vol. !, 1 (February 8-14, 1980). 75 cents. Note Mikhail Morgulis was associаted with paper in beginning as was Boris Mettter.
I, 2. Chairman Arthur Goldberg, President Boris Metter, Vice President Evgeny Rubin, Sec and Treasurer Alex Orlov.
missing issuesVol. I, 3-6, 10, 12, 14-15, 19-20, 22-23, 25-26, 40, 42-43, 47-48,
Vol II, 57, 59, 62,
I consulted a microfilm made by the Univerrsity of Washington, it began with issue 131 (17-23 August 1982 to 190 (October 3-9, 1983), by which time Petrunis is the editor. The Washington microfilm contains a few of the issues listed as missing in the microfilm at Harvard [The Library of Congress copy] Namely: 159, 160, 161,
I have extensive notes on the paper's issues from No 131 (17-23 August 1982) to 190 (October 3-9, 1983).
