Svetlana Alexievich and the Polyphonic Translation Model of Literary Journalism

Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich's books, like literary journalism itself, defy definition. However, her longform, polyphonic "translations" of her sources' stories are powerful accounts of some of the twentieth century's most horrific events, including the fall of the Soviet Union, the Soviet-Afghan War, and the Chernobyl catastrophe. The works, which she calls "novels," push the boundaries of what can be defined as journalism due to the fact that they are often written from the point of view of her subjects but in the author's own elegant prose. They are also in many ways the opposite of literary journalism, which often privileges the voice of the author and relies on anecdotes or images that may or may not be indicative of the larger whole. As such, Alexievich's techniques, this essay argues, should be taught as an alternative that can help students avoid some of the ego-driven pitfalls of literary journalism. Instead, if students look at each source they interview as a facet of a narrative prism, that prism will not be dependent on one source or story. Even if Alexievich's techniques prove beyond the ability and resources of student journalists to fully understand, exposure to her work will shore up students' journalistic skills and maybe even teach them to listen.