num_pages: 95
description: The first edition of Dmitry Aleksandrovich Prigov’s 50 Drops of Blood was published in Moscow in 1993, in a volume that also contained his series “In the Sense of” and nearly three dozen sketches linked to the two discrete poetic cycles. This series is composed of 44 free verse poems ranging from four to seven lines that each contain some iteration of the phrase “drop of blood." The inherently absorbent medium of the book form presents readers with snapshots of Prigov’s conceptual roadmap of Russian history, socio-political machinations and, as is often the case with his writing, language considering language. Originally trained as a sculptor at the Stroganov Institute, Prigov’s work in the written word—“Texts” (as he referred to them)—involved constructing objects from language while simultaneously dismantling the stifling and toxic ideologies of the Soviet state.
language: English
title: Fifty Drops of Blood
titlecomplete: Fifty Drops of Blood
genres: Poetry
ratings_count: 21
publisher: Ugly Duckling Presse