{"product_id":"in-the-jaws-of-the-crocodile","title":"In the Jaws of the Crocodile","description":"Emil Draitser dreamed of becoming a writer. Born to a working-class Jewish family in the USSR on the eve of World War II, he came of age during the Brezhnev era, often considered the nadir of Soviet culture. Bored with an engineering job, he found refuge in writing, attracting the attention of a Moscow editor who encouraged him to try his hand at satire. He spent the next decade contributing to \u003ci\u003eThe Crocodile\u003c\/i\u003e, the major Party-sponsored magazine known for its sharp-tongued essays and cartoons. After he got in trouble for criticizing an important Soviet official, he began weighing the heavy decision of whether to emigrate.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this captivating memoir, Draitser explores what it means to be a satirist in a country lacking freedom of expression. His experience provides a window into the lives of a generation of artists who were allowed to poke fun and make readers laugh, as long as they toed a narrow, state-approved line. \u003ci\u003eIn the Jaws of the Crocodile\u003c\/i\u003e also includes several of Draitser's wry pieces translated into English for the first time.","brand":"University of Wisconsin Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55555021570392,"sku":"9780299329006","price":29.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780299329006.jpg?v=1778910369","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/in-the-jaws-of-the-crocodile","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}