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[MARIETTA SHAGINYAN’S FIRST COMMENTARY ON THE UNAUTHORIZED FILM ADAPTATION OF MESS-MEND] Kak ya pisala Mess-Mend: K postanovke «Miss[!]-Mend» «Mezhrabpom-Rus’» [i.e. How I Wrote Mess-Mend: On the Production of “Miss-Mend” by “Mezhrabpom-Rus”]

Shaginyan, M.

Item #2387

Moscow: Kinopechat’, 1926. 16 pp. 17,3x13,1 cm. In original publisher’s constructivist wrappers. Light soiling, but otherwise near fine.

Scarce. First and only edition. Text in Russian. With constructivist wrappers showing Marietta Shaginyan, her cat, and the movie stars, including Boris Barnet.

A striking Constructivist-style brochure and Marietta Shaginyan’s first public critique of Miss Mend, one of the highest grossing Soviet films of the 1920s, loosely based on her novel Mess-Mend. Issued by the Russian State Publishing House Kinopechat, the brochure was released in 1926 shortly after the film’s premiere (directors Boris Barnet and Fedor Ozep). In the essay, Shaginyan reflects on the novel’s creation, exploring its authorship, plot development, character origins, and the surprising role her cat played in selecting the title. She also comments on Mess Mend’s film adaptation (produced by Mezhrabpom-Rus’), expressing frustration that the filmmakers neither consulted her nor sought her permission to adapt the novel. Notably, the exclamation point in the booklet’s title after Miss may hint at her additional irritation over the film’s decision to alter the original title without her approval.

Mess-Mend, or Yankees in Petrograd, first serialized in 1924, marked a turning point in Soviet literary history. Inspired by Nikolai Bukharin’s call to integrate Western detective fiction into Soviet literature, Shaginyan crafted a gripping tale of a capitalist plot to undermine Soviet power, ultimately thwarted by brave Russian and American workers. The novel captivated Soviet readers, standing at the height of Soviet pulp fiction while advancing revolutionary ideals.

Marietta Shaginyan, a Soviet writer, historian, and activist of Armenian descent, was part of the 1920s “fellow travelers” movement led by the Serapion Brotherhood. Known for her satirical and fantastical fiction, she became one of the most prolific and experimental writers of early Soviet literature.

Overall, a constructivist brochure with Marietta Shaginyan’s critique of Miss Mend.

Worldcat shows copies of the edition at Yale University Library, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.

Price: $950.00