Eva Mayer is a bright new name in the world of Russian poetry.
Bom in Siberia, in a family where Russian, Ukrainian and Jewish blood were so closely interwoven, Eva – despite her youth – has managed to come long way. Her journey included the search for oneself, disappointments and transformations, the path of escaping others and finding meaning; all of these rises, falls and journeys shape the intriguing canvas of texts and artwork, albums and paintings, where – in a sometimes naive, sometimes deep and piercing manner – one finds the genuine sincerity and purity of feelings, that will resonate deeply with everyone who ever knew love and loss, who searched and found true value in life.
In Eva’s own words, after her divorce, after quitting several jobs, after years of searching “I stopped searched. I accepted myself the way I am, and the world – the way it is. I decided that a there is place in the world for the white crow”.
In both Russian and English, the Russian poetess uses the Latin transcription of her name – Eva Mayer – since the acronym, reversed, shapes the word “ME”. Usually in Eva’s texts, paintings and albums, one finds the double inscription: Eva Mayer // ME.
Her debut took place in 2019, in the last year of relative peace, before our planet plunged into the pandemic and other, more tumultuous, trials. It is a well-known truth that in such times, the voices of young poets gain greater resonance.
In her – still brief, yet undoubtedly bright career, which deserved the acclaim of both the critics and the public, Eva Mayer released five musical albums – About Love, MUZA, ME, The Smartest and Masks Off – in which the young poet and artist, in her own unique way, gives the audience a chance to delve into the world of her poetry. Her single To Stay Alive («Выжить»), released in the spring of 2020 in collaboration with the DJ Legroni, earned speci acclaim. Eva’s favored genre is blank verse – the genre that casts aside the strict mathematical rhythms and forces us to listen into the living voice of the author, rather than to merely – and blindly – follow the pace. Vers libre gives us a chance to engage in meaning, instead of simply guessing the next rhyme. Eva Mayer’s poetry encompasses a kaleidoscope of transformations, changes of rhythms, imagery and tones; she is not afraid to engage in direct dialogue with her partner, with the reader. This poetry is akin to an overflowing vessel, to the untamed force of nature; and these exact qualities allow us to come face to face with sincere, real, genuine images and fresh, unhindered, yet eternal perceptions of the world, of each other, of loss and of love.
The book that you are holding in your hand is the first full-scale publication of Eva Mayer’s work, combining her poetry, prose and unique illustrations. Divided into five parts, the book allows us to go on a heart-clinching journey, which is evident in the title of every “compartment” of this literary ship: “Strength”, “Weakness”, “Pain”, “Growth”, “Reward”.
It’s not just a collection of poetry, it’s a hero’s (or heroine’s) journey which – like a breath of fresh air – will allow us to rid ourselves of weariness, to discard the mundane, to fall in love with sincerity, and unveiling the sincerity to fall in love with ourselves once more, regardless of whether we’re searching for our independence in solitude or are looking for a person, with whom we can share our warmth and true happiness.
Если ты закоренелый практик —
ты забыл навыки полёта, навыки любви, чувств
и, возможно, даже свои мечты.
Если ты умеешь летать —
ты непрактичен.
А если тебе не хватает практичности в этом мире —
ты всё время выживаешь.
Моё творчество – это навигационная карта
выживания непрактичного лётчика.
If you are adamantly practical —
Then you’ve forgotten how to fly,
to feel, to dream, to love.
If you can fly —
Then you’re impractical.
And if you lack in practicality within this world —
you’re forced to constantly survive.
My art – is a navigation map, that paves the way
for the impractical pilot to survive.