Reading Tolstoy With Friends

A Misfit Lit Zoom Call (and a Russian Tea Cake recipe)

Hey All!

Here is the recording of today’s Zoom Call where we discussed Tolstoy’s Resurrection—a mammoth piece of literary humanity. A huge thank you to those who joined in, and a big welcome to those of you watching now!

TLDR; Tolstoy is a master. Read this book.

We will meet again on Weds, April 22nd at 1pm (EST) to launch Q2’s Misfit Lit Book Club pick (take poll below). The link for that meeting is [HERE], but I’ll send it out beforehand too!

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The Summary of today’s call:

Tolstoy wrote Resurrection as a moral indictment of the criminal justice and prison systems of his time (1890s). More than a century later, the unsettling questions he lobs over the fence still remain unanswered.

Firstly, let us consider his title—

Why do you think Tolstoy named this novel ‘Resurrection’?

I promise that it was mere coincidence that we have ended this novel just days before Good Friday and Easter—the pinnacle of the Christian Church calendar. For the record, Tolstoy had developed life-changing internal conflicts with the Big C church, and he was openly wrestling with the orthodoxy. He found himself, as is clear in this book, far more invested in his own self-inquiry and moral action rather than institutional rigmarole.

Tolstoy chose to end this book with a reading of Christian texts. Why? Was it helpful to you in driving his points about morality home? Or nah…

When a “system” causes harm, who is responsible?

Every system is made up of the human parts which make it function. Courts are manned by human beings, laws are written and re-written by human minds, juries are made up of twelve homo sapiens and their human opinions.

If a “court” then gets something wrong, who should be held responsible? Not the judge (who has immunity), nor the lawmakers (who have immunity), nor the juries (who have immunity and anonymity). Essentially, in our model, no one will ever be responsible for taking someone’s life from them wrongly or pronouncing false/harsh/misguided penalties.

In the book, we read about Katyusha being sentenced to hard labor in Siberia over a clerical mistake. A brief misunderstanding in sentencing guidelines results in her being sent away for brutal punishment—and this still happens every day in this country. Who is responsible for wrongful convictions or for abuses in prisons? Could it be us, the taxpayers, who pay to keep it going?

What was the most impactful social encounter of this novel for you?

We have so many options from which to choose—

1. The rich people eating so grossly, concerning themselves with frivolity, indulging only their senses.

2. The jury.

3. The poor kid who breaks the law out of necessity.

4. Encounters at the prisons.

5. The brother-in-law scene.

6. The visit to the peasants.

7. The exiles who are dropping like flies on the march to Siberia.

8. The visits to officials for help.

9. Insert your own ______________.

Personal Reflection

For me— it was the discussions about prison conditions with “good people” who were “just doing their job.”

A large chunk of this book witnesses Nekhlyudov (a respected person in society) petition authorities, political acquaintances, and corrections staff for reasonable interventions, visitation, and policy clarifications—and he is met with roadblock after roadblock at every turn.

This part of the book is not fiction!!

It often feels like no one really cares when it is your incarcerated loved one who needs someone to intervene with human care. My son went three years without dental intervention, in spite of pain, in spite of him asking for help through proper channels, and in spite of me petitioning from the outside on his behalf through both legal and medical channels.

Over and over again, my concerns fell on deaf ears at the prison level. When I visited the Capitol and met with elected officials about my concerns, they referred back to the hapless D.O.C. for answers. The heads of our D.O.C. will not reply to any requests and the pencil pushers and PR people below them are indifferent, aloof, and rude—on their best day.

IMO, Tolstoy accurately characterizes each of the law men, overseers, officials, and prison employees I have known. They (and their families) will tell you that they are “good” and “just” people doing society a favor by upholding policies. After all, they’re “just doing their job.”

But rules books are not moral, in and of themselves.

Laughing at an inmate in pain is not justice. My son literally had an corrections officer point at him from the control panel of his pod and laugh like a kindergartener would—he said it was a na-na-na-boo-boo moment, a grown man in uniform pointing and laughing. My son was then cuffed up and sent to the hole for telling him to “grow the fuck up.”

So, yeah, coming to work and choosing to treat people less than you does not make you society’s best—I don’t care what badge nor experience you hold. Looking away when someone needs help isn't honorable. In case it needs saying, beating handcuffed and isolated people is low-life behavior—and is far too common for me not to mention in the wake of this book.

Tolstoy knew it in 1899, and ain't shit changed.

Resurrection suggests that the biggest problem isn’t bad laws or prison conditions, but rather the moral indifference of ordinary people.

Other considerations we touched on:

1. Jury deliberation: Even good people on a jury can be instructed wrongly. What moral responsibilities do we have as citizens to be informed jurists? What moral responsibility does the court have to correct errors/delays in sentencing (in real-time, not years later)?

2. Bureaucratic Indifference: People are being paid to look away. When and how do we hold our elected officials accountable for high recidivism rates, death rates, drug smuggling by prison officials?

3. Continued Social Biases: Why did the Oscars snub The Alabama Solution? Why do we still support the death penalty when it has not deterred crime?

4. Prison Failure: “Prison cannot guarantee our safety, because those people don’t stay inside forever. They let them out. It works the other way round: these institutions drag men down to the lowest levels of depravity and vice, and this increases the danger.” Part II, Chapter 34, 1899

Russian Tea Cakes Recipe

And now, for the fun part.

I have had this recipe for over twenty years, thanks to my incredible chef-friend Karina. It is a worthy throwback this week—to simpler times in my life, to imperfect messes in the kitchen, and chats over [coffee] tea. Here is the OG recipe card:

Note the batter-splats—my pure love.

Photo by Deisy S.

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter, softened

• 1 cup powdered sugar (plus more for dusting)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon almond extract

• 4½ cups flour

• 1½ cups nuts (pecans, if you have them)

Instructions

1. Cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and light.

2. Gradually mix in the flour, salt, almond extract, and nuts. The dough will thicken—let it.

3. Form into a ball, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

4. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 400°F for 8–10 minutes, until just lightly golden.

6. While still warm, dust generously with powdered sugar.

Mostly, enjoy with a friend who lets you be you.

*Gluten free? Dairy Free? → Try [this beautiful recipe] instead.

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Our Next Book—

If you haven’t noticed, we read differently here.

The Misfit Lit Book Club is an option for people who want to dig a little, question some things. This is a small group of readers who endeavor to change the world.

Our next book will not be Russian Lit but I promise it will be impacting, nonetheless. If you're interested, you’re welcome to check it out next round. Please take a second to vote for what you would like to read next time (touch the answer you want to vote).

The reveal is coming!

If you think you might want to join in next quarter, reply ‘book club’ or email me to be included in future book club updates.