[D.Kuzmin]

In the article on Russian literature by Simon Karlinsky I have found two statements which are under great doubt in Russian philology, but Mr.Karlinsky posed them as undoubted facts:

1. [Gogol] committed suicide at the age of forty-three, after confessing his true sexuality to a bigoted priest, who ordered him to fast and pray day and night if he wanted to escape hellfire and brimstone.

2. [Esenin's] last poem, which was also his suicide note, was addressed to a young Jewish poet who had spent the night with him a few days earlier.

There are no textual evidences for both ideas, and they are no more than Mr Karlinsky's suspicions. I wonder if it is correct to include an information of this kind into encyclopedia.

[Lusor]

Undoubtedly, D.Kuzmin is absolutely right!
I see the aim of encyclopedia to suggest info about homosexuals, but true one! We can assure ourselves, that we're great & numerous, as much as we can, but it would be much wiser not to quote rumours. And not to turn this excellent project into a big heap of gossips...
Good luck!

[Adi]

[quote="D.Kuzmin"]In the article on Russian literature by Simon Karlinsky I have found two statements which are under great doubt in Russian philology, but Mr.Karlinsky posed them as undoubted facts:

1. [Gogol] committed suicide at the age of forty-three, after confessing his true sexuality to a bigoted priest, who ordered him to fast and pray day and night if he wanted to escape hellfire and brimstone.

Simon Kaslinsky has done a wide and well based research on Gogol. His interpretations could, of course, be a subject of doubt, and could be argues against. But in order to do so, one will fist have to read Kaslinsky's book on Gogol. This book was SITED in the end of the article, anyone interested can do some further reading.
As for 'suggestions or facts' here on this site- what are facts anyway? Every science is about versions, speculations and interepretatoions

[humpty]

Prof. Karlinsky's "findings" are too speculative. Using his strategy one may interpret almost any biography or work as indicating "latent homosexuality". Of course, "queer" interpretation of an artist's work is legitimate, as is Freudian or Marxist intrerpretation, but it can't pretend to discovery of historical facts.

[Adi]