July 05, 2007

Green Update


Sometimes, if you study something long enough, and get a little bit lucky, what seems hard is actually very easy.

We have decided to change printers for Russian Life. Starting with our next issue (September 2007), we will be printing the magazine in Missouri instead of Ohio, at Ovid Bell Press (founded 1924). A number of factors came into play, but not the least of them was the fact that we are able to shift the printing of our magazine to 100% recycled stock. That's right, 100%! This, as I wrote earlier, was our goal in a few years' time!

The stock (CyclusOffset) is top quality and very cool. It is made in Denmark, from 100% recycled office papers, all collected within 300 km of the plant. The paper plant itself is biomass fueled and run very green. And no awful bleaching processes using chlorine are used to whiten the paper.

The stock is a matte-coated, which I like much better, because a gloss-coated stock can be hard to read: it is so reflective. This paper has a nice, substantial feel, and holds colors well. I look forward to hearing what our readers have to say about it...

Of course, it is not the greatest environmental choice, in that it has to be shipped by boat from Denmark to the US and then trucked or trained to Missouri, where our printer is. But eventually some US or Canadian paper plant will catch on and realize they can make green paper more economically from waste paper than from trees.

Given this change, we have stepped up our overall plan for reducing our environmental impact. You can read the whole shpiel here.

Of course, what I am most excited about is that, from this, we will save over 530 trees, and cut our production of greenhouse gases and solid waste in half. Link to the full statement (courtesy the Environmental Defense Fund) as a PDF here.

While our small magazineâ??s changes will not reverse global warming or staunch mankind's relentless depletion of natural resources, our example does show that even a small company with limited resources can, through research and commitment, make the changes necessary to operate in an environmentally responsible manner.

Go figure.
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Some of our Books

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This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

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The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

A Taste of Russia
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A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Survival Russian
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Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

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Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
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The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
The Moscow Eccentric
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The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

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