Over a period of nearly 50 years I made more than 25 trips to the USSR, traveling all around the country, witnessing the collapse of Communism and its chaotic aftermath. My fascination—obsession, even—with Russia became a fertile source of inspiration for my books, articles and teaching. I spent many evenings at the Bolshoi Theatre for lavish performances of opera and ballet and wrote about them. In Moscow I made deep friendships, especially in the lively and embattled underground gay community, that gave me a rare insider’s view. My friends helped me negotiate and understand the Byzantine complexity of the Russian way of thinking, that strange combination of inferiority and arrogance.

How Russians and Soviet citizens have been viewed in the USA intrigued me, leading to my several books on that subject. I came to know Russian emigres living in America, and saw the enormous contribution many had made to the arts and culture in their adopted country.

I have written on many other subjects, of course, but Russia in all its stunning contradictions and cultural richness continues to beckon, to fascinate, to perplex—and inspire.