From Russia, With Love: Morristown’s Hoyt Translates Russian Poetry for Eager Audience

On Sunday afternoon, ’s schoolroom gallery was packed with Morristownians enjoying an unusual Valentine’s Day event.

Longtime neighbor and museum member Henry M. Hoyt presented a reading of a novel in verse, "Eugene Onegin," which he translated from the original Russian into English.

Macculloch Hall’s executive director, Carrie Fellows, introduced Hoyt, saying Hoyt spent time at the museum as a child when it was still a family home, playing with Macculloch descendant Oliver Post.

At the start of the reading, Hoyt explained why the eve of Valentine’s Day was an appropriate choice for the program.

“We’ll be reading a love story,” he said, "albeit a frustrating one.”

The story, written by Alexander Pushkin, is one of rejection and regret, featuring unrequited love and a dramatic duel. The title character is a dandy from St. Petersburg who moves into the countryside. His relationships with his new neighbors result in tragedy and heartbreak.

Although the story is not well-known in the United States, Hoyt said that in Russia, Pushkin’s reputation is similar to that of William Shakespeare.

Hoyt related the story to the history of the program’s setting, mentioning that the country gentry lifestyle described in the novel probably closely resembled that of Morristown. Hoyt also showed the audience a picture of an estate called Petrovskoe, which was built by Pushkin’s great-grandfather and which resembles Macculloch Hall.

Hoyt focused his reading on perhaps the most intriguing and suspenseful section of the novel in verse, in which Onegin, who has been challenged to a duel by his friend Lensky after flirting with Lensky's fiancé, fatally injures his friend.

“Duelling was illegal, but absolutely essential for a person who has been offended to defend his ‘honor’ … honor in quotes,” Hoyt said about the history of the duel.

After the reading, Hoyt answered audience members’ questions, fielding queries about Pushkin and the translation process.

“I translated it over 10 years,” Hoyt said during the question and answer session. “On index cards.”

The trick to sustaining one’s momentum during such a long and arduous project? Just don’t get bored.

“The main thing is, I didn’t get bored with it,” Hoyt said of the translation process. “I continued to be interested in it.”

Hoyt, who first started studying Russian when he was stationed in Canada during World War II, also explained why he chose to translate poetry.

“I think it’s more important to translate poetry because so much is concentrated into so few words,” he said.

Another popular translation of "Eugene Onegin" was written by Vladimir Nabokov, best known for writing "Lolita." Hoyt said that it was that translation that inspired him to write one of his own.

“Nabokov omitted the meter, but kept the rhyme,” Hoyt said. “I thought to leave the rhyme out, but follow the meter, which Nabokov didn’t do. I figured it would be an interesting experiment, to see if it would work. And I think it did.”

The audience at Macculloch Hall seemed to agree; many guests lined up after the program to purchase copies of the translation and have them signed by Hoyt.

Sue Hulme, who works as a desk docent at the museum, was pleasantly surprised at the large number of visitors; the schoolroom gallery was filled to capacity.

“We had about 67 visitors today, and I would say about 55 came for the presentation,” Hulme said. “A great majority were here for Henry.”

 “I enjoyed it,” said Morristown’s Ann Verdesca, who is one of the museum’s trustees. “He was very thorough. And what a great turnout.”