Martina Napolitano explores the poetics of one of the most significant Russian authors of the
20th century. Sasha Sokolov's oeuvre represents a milestone in the development of Russian
literature his legacy can be traced in most prose and poetry appearing in post-Soviet Russia.
Taking as point of departure the studies and analyses written so far and considering the new
suggestions contained in Sokolov's last published book Triptych (2011) Napolitano further
examines the keystones and the theoretical framework that arise from a close reading of
Sokolov's works trying to systematize the findings into what can be considered as a structured
authorial theory of literary creation.The study demonstrates how Sokolov's oeuvre cannot be
fully understood but within the widened perspective of inter-artistic creation: In fact the
writer a failed composer as he admits in his literary work has tried to draw natural and
spontaneous connecting lines between the artificially categorized realms of art (word sound
painting performance). Finally the book sets forth the first solid analysis of Sokolov's
concept of proeziia not merely a genre nor style of his own invention but a more significant
theoretical reflection of the writer about the role and value of literature art creation and
finally beauty.
