  kharrasova-ea-vestnik-2026-1.pdf |
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- Biographical antecedents of Raymond Carver’s minimalist prose
- Kharrasova E.A. Biographical antecedents of Raymond Carver’s minimalist prose. Vestnik of Kostroma State University, 2026, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 136–140. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.34216/1998-0817-2026-32-1-136-140
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.34216/1998-0817-2026-32-1-136-140
- УДК: 821(73).09”20”
- EDN: HKVITK
- Publish date: 2026-01-20
- Annotation: This article examines the biography and literary work of Raymond Carver (1938–1988), one of the most significant short fiction writers of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Key stages of his life are analysed – childhood and adolescence, the influence of family and social circumstances, the formation of his writing style under the guidance of John Gardner and Gordon Lish, and the subsequent development of his literary characteristics. Particular attention is paid to the interplay between personal crises, his abstinence from alcohol, and the development of minimalist prose, which combines attention to everyday life with psychological depth. The research methodological framework includes biographical analysis, a comparison of literary sources and critical materials, and an examination of Carver’s early and late short story collections. Particular attention is given to the influence of Gordon Lish’s editorial practice on the development of the minimalist style of the said writer and the gradual softening of this style in the later works. These aspects explore how social, psychological, and professional factors intertwine in Carver’s work, shaping his unique contribution to the development of the modern American short story.
- Keywords: Raymond Carver, American minimalism, short story, reduction, American short story, literary influence.
- Literature list: Kharrasova E.A. Povsednevnye realii amerikanskoj zhizni v rasskazah R. Karvera (na materiale sbornika «Vy ne budete tak dobry, pomolchat'?» 1976) [Everyday realities of American life in the stories of R. Carver (based on the collection “Would you be so kind as to keep quiet?” 1976)]. Kazanskij lingvisticheskij zhurnal [Kazan Linguistic Journal], 2022, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 25–36. (In Russ.) Meyer А. Raymond Carver. New York, Twayne Publ., 1994, 195 p. Saltzman A.M. Understanding Raymond Carver. Columbia, SC, University of South Carolina Press Publ., 1988, 190 p. Williams G. Raymond Carver. Western American Literature. Special Issue: A Sampler From Updating the Literary West. Texas, Christian University Press Publ., 1997, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 25–31.