In 1995, Lisa Dickey set out on what she thought would be a once in a lifetime trip. Along with photographer Gary Matoso, the writer headed to a lighthouse at the border of Russia and North Korea, and then voyaged inland for more than 5,000 miles. Along the way, they met a broad spectrum of Russians and spent time getting to know a few standout characters, including a farmer, members of an isolated Jewish community, and a rap star.
In 2005, and again in 2015, Dickey decided to relive this epic journey. She gathered those narratives in a new book “Bears in the Streets: Three Journeys Across a Changing Russia" (St. Martin's Press/2017).
Host Frank Stasio speaks with Dickey about the country’s social and technological changes over three decades and how Russians’ relationships with Americans continue to shift. Dickey speaks at The Regular Bookshop on Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m.