On Wednesday, April 20, our Antithesis guest was Tetiana Stus, an author of books for children, an expert in children’s reading, and the founder of “BaraBooka,” a project to promote national literature.
Tetiana Stus is from the Luhansk region. She comes from a family of teachers and is a teacher of the Ukrainian language and literature by training. Her loved ones are currently in the area of active hostilities.
Tetiana’s husband, Dmytro Stus, is the son of the prominent Ukrainian poet and dissident Vasyl Stus, a symbol of Ukraine’s struggle for freedom.
Hosts Ivan Tsyperdiuk and Viktoriia Dubinets anchored adult talk about children’s and russian literature, the war, and the meanings.
We are highlighting our guest’s key quotes.
“Literature is and should be therapy. Not every pill will work for everyone exactly as the manufacturer intends. The same goes for books. Therefore, it’s important to find a book that will resonate with the child at this particular moment and, very importantly, with the adults.”
“I think those who’ve grown up to be murderers most likely didn’t do their reading.”
“For the longest time, I thought that the Luhansk region had pushed me out, kicked me out, because neither my poems, my works, my Ukrainian language, nor my profession (at the time, a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature) were in demand. But eventually, I did have enlightenment after answering someone for the millionth time that Ukrainian is spoken in the Luhansk region. Just look how many writers there are in the Luhansk region, in Donbas, in Slobozhanshchyna, I mean Ukrainian-speaking writers. It dawned on me that “no,” we’re not really exiles from the Luhansk region. We’re the proponents, and we’re the representatives saying to the whole Ukrainian world: “No, this is Ukraine.” It can be none other than Ukraine.”
“When I talk about books for adolescents and their parents, I immediately think of the book “Letters to my Son,” a reprint by the publishing house Ranok. It’s a gorgeous and elegant book you surely won’t lose, which will decorate your shelf and fit in your backpack. You can carry it around with you. These are the letters that Vasyl Stus wrote to Dmytro, which will never lose their relevance. On the contrary, now they have special relevance.”
“I guess this surgical operation that’s being performed on humanity and Ukraine playing a unique historical role, and also russia playing an extraordinary historical but very disgusting role, must change the entire world.
“I can’t say I’m a clairvoyant or something. I’m only saying I believe that our victory will change the world forever. Our children, this new generation, will have more strength and confidence. Because if we take my generation, or my sister’s, and so on, their right to express themselves freely was constantly suppressed, abolished, eliminated, and violated. These children, by default, have the right to be free and the right to express their opinion.”
You can watch the broadcast on Souspilnist Foundation’s Facebook page and our partner media platforms: KURS, Reporter, and TRK RAI.
