I am so happy to share an essay written by my dear friend and co-author Anastasia (Nastya) Arkhipova. For many years we have been sharing similar passions and interests – eventually, our lifetime friendship culminated in a book The Era of TV Series OR How the Masterpieces of A Small Screen Changed Our Lives. This is what our manifesto is about – our creative relationship that stretches through space and time.

Nastya is an expert in many fields, including literary studies, mass culture, opera, ballet, and other kinds of arts; but most importantly, she has an exceptional ability to see and perceive these arts through the lens of Lacanian psychoanalysis, revealing their hidden mechanisms and often helping us to understand more about our own personality. The essay that I am sharing here has been initially written by Nastya for the premiere of Orlando ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre (Moscow); later, she turned it into this piece, centered on Virginia Woolf, her biography, and different encounters that contributed to her unique style. The essay was translated by Arseny Maximov, also an accomplished Barcelona-based therapist.