How I Met Laura Palmer

A thought piece by our team member Maria Osep’yants

American culture and the post Soviet 1990s

American culture entered my life around the 1990s, and this statement rings true for many people from the so-called “post-Soviet space.” I can’t say that American books and films shattered any stereotypes I had about the USA; either I didn’t have those stereotypes, or I simply don’t remember them perhaps because I was practically still a child in the early ’90s. But did American films and books create stereotypes about the USA? I think so. You expect that when you arrive in New York, you’ll see Hollywood actors and actresses everywhere. Yet, common sense tells you that a newcomer will encounter regular people just like themselves.

Watching Hollywood from Makhachkala

In the ’90s, I lived in the coastal city of Makhachkala, where American films aired on a channel called “Platan” (I have no idea why it was named that). It seems that it was on this channel that I first saw “Ghost,” “Terminator,” and several other famous Hollywood films. Of course, they made a big impression. However, when it comes to American cinema, almost nothing compares to the films of David Lynch for me.

Discovering Twin Peaks

I remember an autumn evening in 1993 when my dad told me he had started watching some strange detective series: a detective conducts his investigation in a very unusual way, using intuition and dreams… I was intrigued and decided to watch the next episode of this amazing series with my dad. That’s how I first encountered “Twin Peaks.”

Why Twin Peaks hit so hard

Perhaps post-Soviet viewers were tired of socialist realism, which is why this mystical series made such a strong impression. It was something new! By the way, I still can’t imagine anything like it ever being made in Russia. Why? That’s a question worth pondering for a long time. But let’s return to Lynch.

Following David Lynch beyond Twin Peaks

After watching the tragic story of American high school student Laura Palmer, I realized that I wanted to see more films by this director. This opportunity came to me though much later. I watched “Wild at Heart,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Lost Highway,” “Dune,” “Inland Empire,” and many others… Not all of these films resonated with me equally, but some did very much. I still rewatch “Twin Peaks” regularly, about once every couple of years.

From Lynch to Nabokov and Lolita

And here, my story can smoothly transition from films to American literature. Specifically, to the Russian-American writer Vladimir Nabokov. The thing is, I first learned about this writer from a newspaper article about David Lynch. There was a parallel drawn: the director became famous through high school student Laura Palmer, while the writer became renowned thanks to another American high school girl.

Of course, I’m talking about the scandalously famous work “Lolita.” In today’s Russia, it’s probably best not to mention this book too often, but in the ’90s, during the era of freedom of speech, a newspaper article positively mentioning this work seemed perfectly normal. Interestingly, “Lolita” is often called immoral by those who haven’t read it or who haven’t finished it. Those who have read it know that there’s nothing immoral in this book; on the contrary.

Falling in love with Nabokov and American writers

Naturally, after that newspaper article, I wanted to familiarize myself with Nabokov’s work the famous American writer who wrote equally well in both Russian and English (I consider that a literary feat). Since then, I’ve read many of his books and poems. There’s “The Gift,” “Other Shores,” “The Defense,” “Pale Fire” the list goes on. Some of Nabokov’s poems I know by heart. Of course, there are many other wonderful American writers like Margaret Mitchell or Stephen King. But Nabokov holds a special place in my heart and my life.

How films and books shaped my image of America

What conclusion can be drawn from all of this? Have Lynch and Nabokov shaped my perception of the USA? I think they have. Although Nabokov wrote that he created his own America in his books, still, upon arriving in the USA, I would involuntarily start recalling lines from his works here and there. Or (returning to Lynch) I would subconsciously expect to encounter the familiar Agent Cooper on the streets of some American town dressed, as always, in a business suit. Or I would see Laura returning home from school. 😂

What overall image of the USA is created by these authors? Perhaps it is quite romantic, a bit mystical, mysterious, and alluring, evoking a desire to visit this country. Although there is much tragedy in the films and books of these authors, the image of America still emerges in this way it is perceived “between the lines.” This is how they saw America, how they loved it, and this is how they presented it to us, the readers and viewers. This is how we will always feel it whether we get the chance to visit it or if we never have such an opportunity.

Because the way we imagine a place is universal, even when our journeys are not.