GRGR(16): a thing so awesome Even Dzambul could not sing it

[Jeremy Osner]

Is the Kirghiz light a nuclear explosion? -- Because it sure sounds like
one. But what I want to know is, who would be setting off nuclear
devices in central Asia in the early days of WWII? Or am I mistaking the
time frame of Tchitcherine's Kazakh sojourn? -- Because I wouldn't think
the Soviets would have testable A-Bombs until after 1945...

The Aqyn's Song is wonderfully written. Does anyone know if
transcriptions (and translations) of actual Kazakh folk poetry are
available? In part I am interested to know what resources P would have
had for researching this section; I am assuming he does not speak
Kazakh.

--
The right-hand, still untasted part of the novel, which,
during our delectable reading, we would lightly feel,
mechanically testing whether there were still plenty
left (and our fingers were always gladdened by the
placid, faithful thickness) has suddenly, for no reason
at all, become quite meager: a few minutes of quick
reading, already downhill, and -- O horrible!

Invitation to a Beheading
Vladimir Nabokov
http://www.readin.com/books/invitationbeheading/