- 51
Celan, Paul.
Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
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Description
- Important late autograph letter, signed ("Paul Celan"), to Gideon Kraft, about his poetry and his relationship to Israel
- paper and ink
thanking him for a copy of "Die Stimme", which he had already seen, discussing the meaning of some of his poetic neologisms, declaring that it is his aim to give pleasure to his compatriots, at least those living in Israel, remarking that his poems imply a shared material and ideal place and time, as well as a certain indefinable something; in illustration of this Celan recalls his words about Gustav Landauer (on receiving the Georg Büchner Prize in 1960) whom he refers to as a spiritual constituent of his existence, referring to a Landauer quotation which no longer holds true, or will ever hold true, for 'any of us [trans.]'; at the end of the letter Celan refers to his poem "Denk dir", which he has read in a radio interview, and discusses the troubled reaction to it of Ruth Kaswan, as communicated to him by her in a letter, 4 pages, 4to (27 x 21cm), autograph envelope, inscribed by Celan with his name and address, Paris, 45 rue d'Ulm, 23 April 1968, horizontal and vertical folds, light creasing, tiny stain to first leaf
..."Poems, Noems": hier liegt, von dem von mir durchaus polemisch gemeinten "Genicht" = "Meingedicht" (wobei "mein" "falsch" bedeutet, wie in Meineid) her ein vom Autor des Aufsatzes in etwas durchaus Sinnvolles, also in "Poemata, Noemata" übergleitetes Mißverständnis vor. Die Übersetzerin, der ich ebenfalls danke, ging - zwangsläufig - daran vorbei. Nun, mir ging es, über manches andere mehr oder minder manifeste Mißverständnis hinweg, darum, mit meinen Landsleuten, zumal den in Israel lebenden und den über sie erreichbaren, die Freude zu teilen, Erinnertes und, wer weiß, Vor-Erinnertes, Gemeinsames also, wahrgenommen zu sehen, als Gedicht, auch von Fernen und Fremden, Ferneren und Fremderen. Denn meine Gedichte implizieren dieses Gemeinsame, materialiter und idealiter, Ort und Stunde, und, wer weiß, auch einiges nicht unmittelbar Nennbare...
..."Poems, Noems": hier liegt, von dem von mir durchaus polemisch gemeinten "Genicht" = "Meingedicht" (wobei "mein" "falsch" bedeutet, wie in Meineid) her ein vom Autor des Aufsatzes in etwas durchaus Sinnvolles, also in "Poemata, Noemata" übergleitetes Mißverständnis vor. Die Übersetzerin, der ich ebenfalls danke, ging - zwangsläufig - daran vorbei. Nun, mir ging es, über manches andere mehr oder minder manifeste Mißverständnis hinweg, darum, mit meinen Landsleuten, zumal den in Israel lebenden und den über sie erreichbaren, die Freude zu teilen, Erinnertes und, wer weiß, Vor-Erinnertes, Gemeinsames also, wahrgenommen zu sehen, als Gedicht, auch von Fernen und Fremden, Ferneren und Fremderen. Denn meine Gedichte implizieren dieses Gemeinsame, materialiter und idealiter, Ort und Stunde, und, wer weiß, auch einiges nicht unmittelbar Nennbare...
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
A remarkable letter dealing with various aspects of Celan's writing, his relationship to the German anarchist Gustav Landauer (1870-1919) and his connections with Israel.