SOURCE: "Yevtushenko's Revolution," in The New York Times Book Review, November 12, 1995, p. 53.

In the following review, Stanley situates Don't Die Before You're Dead in a contemporary Russian literary and social context, addressing the relevance of Yevtushenko's literary art.

It can take a while, but success and fame in Russia are always punished eventually. Throughout the 1960's, 70's and 80's and even up until the moment the statues of Lenin came tumbling down, Yevgeny Yevtushenko was the Russian "superpoet," worshiped by millions. They packed soccer stadiums to hear him recite his ringing, defiant verse, and in the West he was lionized for his talent and extravagant charm. Mr. Yevtushenko's stature was so inviolable it daunted even the KGB, which skittered between intimidation and clumsy attempts to flatter and co-opt him.

These days an iron curtain of indifference surrounds the 62-year-old Mr. Yevtushenko in his own country. He still has...