Boris Pasternak (1890–1960) belongs to the outstandingly gifted group of poets (including Mandelstam, Tsvetaeva, and Akhmatova) who were writing in Russia just before and after the Revolution in 1917. Many would say that he is the greatest among these. This book is an anthology of all his most important prose writings on art and creativity. These include articles, speeches, notes, the long autobiographical work A Safe Conduct, and important excerpts from his famous novel Dr Zhivago. All the material has been translated especially for this volume. Dr Livingstone provides introductions and notes, and in a concluding essay offers fresh insights into Pasternak's ideas on language, history and culture.