Drohobych. Bruno Schulz replies to a letter from his former colleague Zenon Waśniewski, who invited him to cooperate with the monthly Kamena, where he was an editor.
Schulz cannot remember Waśniewski, he cannot “find in his memory a face that could be attached to this name”. Therefore, he asks a former colleague to send him a photograph or at least a detailed description of “his external presence”. He praises Kamena* for its high quality (“I would never have imagined that Chełm can take pride in such a monthly”). Particular attention is paid to the linocuts by Waśniewski, decorating this “delicious magazine”. Ultimately, he declares: “I would like to send you some prose pieces. They will not be in a bad company”.
The second main theme of the letter is an elaboration on the “analogy of fate” topic suggested by Waśniewski. Schulz sees many similarities between them: “We were both in a technical school, both of us did not finish it and ended up in the teaching profession. And in addition, a common soft spot for literature and painting! Do you also teach handicrafts? It nauseates me!”.
This letter inaugurates the exchange of letters, which would last until 1938. Twenty-five preserved letters from Schulz to Waśniewski constitute one of the largest collections of his correspondence. However, it is asymmetrical. None of Waśniewski’s letters survived to our times.
See also: March 24, 1934, April 2, 193[4], April 24, 1934, June 5, 1934, June 23, 1934, August 28, 1934, September 14, 1934, September 30, 1934, October 6, 1934, October 15, 1934, November 7, 1934, November 15, 1934, December 19, 1934, January 28, 1935, March 16, 1935, [March 25, 1935], June 24, 1935, July 13, 1935, August 3, 1935, [August 7, 1935], June 2, 1937, August 4, 1937, [5 January 1938], April 24, 1938. (sr) (transl. mw)
