I still haven’t met AIS, and since he just turned 88 and reportedly is having some physical problems, it looks like I might never have the chance.
BUT, in November 2006 I had an experience almost as good. Two online acquaintances of mine released a new anthology of Solzhenitsyn’s writings (“The Solzhenitsyn Reader”, at http://tinyurl.com/ws2nf ), and their publisher hosted a launch party in Philadelphia. I was able to wrangle an invitation to the book launch.
Making brief speeches at the party were Ignat and Stephan Solzhenitsyn, two of AIS’s three sons. I was able to speak briefly with each of them, which made for a quite remarkable evening!
Addendum Since Solzhenitsyn died in August 2008, this goal obviously will go unmet. I’m currently re-reading The Gulag Archipelago, though, as a way of “meeting” him intellectually.
