In 1835, Nikolai Gogol, desperate to make his comeback in satire, wrote to Alexander Pushkin seeking inspiration in the form of an "authentically Russian" anecdote. Pushkin's reply translated into a play called The Government Inspector, better known as The Inspector General — a story set in a small Russian town whose corrupt officials have been alerted of an incognito inspector's visit where the suspect turns out to be a con man.

Jeff Goldberg