There Is A Place For Books In War - October 24th 2023

October 24th 2023

Yuriy shares tales of generosity and connections that transcend borders. From snacks and a cherished Vietnam War unit T-shirt sent by a listener to the unexpected arrival of signed books from musician and author Alan Paul, these gestures remind us of the importance of maintaining a connection to civilian life during challenging times and the power of reading to combat loneliness and despair.

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TRANSCRIPT: (Podbean app users can enjoy closed captions)

 It is October 24, 

Even in war, even in the darkest times reason for joy emerge. A few months ago, my listener from the United States, Thomas sent me a whole box of snacks and a t-shirt with the logo of the unit he served with in Vietnam. We are still enjoying with snacks, stretching them out, taking a bit at a time. I proudly wear the T-shirt when I'm not on duty and have the right to change the clothes. I can't express enough how grateful I am to Thomas for these gifts. They are truly important; they make you realize you are not alone, that you have a connection with other people who value and support you. 

And yesterday my daughter received another package at the post office. Two books from Alan Paul, a musician, journalist, and writer from the United States. Mr. Paul specializes in research in American music, particularly my all time favorites, The Alman Brothers Band when I was a journalist. I even interviewed him for my show and since then we've kept in touch. At the beginning of the year, he released a new book and sent it to Kyiv in my daughter's name for her to receive while I'm at war.  

The package took six months to arrive, but it did. Just when I had lost the hope that it would ever make it. Mr. Paul sent me two books right away- one about the Allman Brothers Band and another about Stevie Ray Vaughan released a few years ago, both signed by the author with warm wishes and the new book even marked as an advanced reader copy.

That means it is from the very first print run, not for sale, but for distribution to a select group of readers chosen by the author. 

I honestly didn't believe the package would make it, but yesterday my daughter even sent me photos of both books with author's signatures. These books are now waiting for me at home. I promised the author they would be the first ones I read after the victory, when I can finally return home for good. These things are incredibly important when you are in the military. They really help maintain a connection to civilian life and prevent falling into despair even when things are really tough. To be honest, I ask for letters with questions because it also serves as feedback, giving me the chance to understand that there are people who are interested in communicating with me, who care about me. 

Unfortunately, I can't take physical books with me. They are too heavy. Take up a lot of space and quickly deteriorate in the field conditions. So I read the book gifts after the victory. By the way, there are already a few accumulated aside from the two books from Alan Paul, there's also a massive volume from my acquaintance, a history professor from Jerusalem. It is dedicated to the emergence of Judaism and its first centuries of existence. It's a precious thing for me. It took several months to arrive and reached Kyiv when I was in Bakhmut. Now this volume with a heartfelt inscription from the offer is also waiting for me at home. 

In my free time, I continue to read eBooks on my small Chinese Kindle analog. I am aiding new books to my e-library, thanks to the money you sent me. Thank you very much for that because reading truly saves from depression, from despair, and from loneliness.