24 April 1938, Sunday – 28 April 1938, Thursday

Drogobych. Bruno Schulz writes a letter to Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz.

Schulz replies to Witkacy’s letter, which is filled with despair after the latter’s break-up with Czesława Korzeniowska. The reply did not survive.  We may only guess that Schulz, who was also tormented by existential dilemmas at that time – about which he writes in a letter to Zenon Waśniewski on 24 April: “It is our common sorrow of growing old, disappointment, a bare skeleton of truth”1 –, did not mention his problems to Witkacy.

The letter probably fulfilled its therapeutic function, which is confirmed by  Witkacy himself, who, in two letters to Jadwiga Witkiewiczowa – from 29 April and dated 31 (sic!) April – highlights the following: “I got a wonderful letter from Schulz” and “I received a great letter from Bruno Schulz”2. Romana Halpern also refers to the problem, writing on 15 May to Schulz about a meeting with Witkiewicz: “yesterday Witkacy paid me a visit, to whom I remarked that you were feeling bad. He became worried and said that you recently wrote to him in high spirits”3. (ts) (transl. ms)

 

See also: 23 April 1938*. 

  • 1
    Bruno Schulz, Dzieła zebrane, volume 5: Księga listów, compiled and edited by Jerzy Ficowski, revised by Stanisław Danecki, Gdańsk 2016, p. 92 (a letter to Zenon Waśniewski, I 49).
  • 2
    Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Listy do żony (1936–1939), appendix:  Jadwiga Witkiewiczowa Wspomnienia o Stanisławie Ignacym Witkiewiczu, edited by Anna Micińska, compiled and annotated by Janusz Degler, Warszawa 2012, pp. 229–231 (letters 1211 and 1212).
  • 3
    Bruno Schulz, op. cit., p. 275 (a letter to Romana Halpern, III 7).