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Collecting Mandelstam caxtonian JOURNAL OF THE CAXTON CLUB VOLUME XIV, NO. 11 NOVEMBER 2006 Collecting Mandelstam R. Eden Martin source of this divine new harmony, which we call the poetry of Osip Mandelstam?”1 rguments about who was the greatest Sir Isaiah Berlin, who was fluent in both Abaseball player in the history of the Russian and English, singled out Mandel- game are entertaining, in part because there stam from other Russian writers as a “man are no “right” answers—only opinions. But of genius.”2 there are at least data. We know how many One of the best qualified to judge was home runs Ruth hit, and we can look up Ty Joseph Brodsky, the 1987 Nobel Laureate Cobb’s batting average. in literature. Brodsky, like Nabokov, was When it comes to the arts—painting, supremely accomplished in both Russian music, poetry—there are fewer relevant and English. In 1964 he was prosecuted in things to measure, and no yardsticks for Russia for “social parasitism.” Expelled in measuring the things which are most rele- 1972, he lived in the United States until his vant. No one would dream of judging the death in 1996. Because of his unique talent quality of a pianist by how fast he plays and perspective, it is better to quote him at Liszt, or how many recitals he played in a length than a dozen others. He called Man- year. Whitman’s greatness as a poet cannot delstam “the child of civilization” and be captured by measuring the length of his “Russia’s greatest poet in [the 20th] lists, or by counting the lines he wrote or century”3 : the books he sold. Mandelstam was a Jew who was living in Yet it is tempting to muse about the capital of Imperial Russia, relative greatness in the creative arts. whose dominant religion was Who was the greatest poet writing Orthodoxy, whose political struc- in English during the 20th Century? ture was inherently Byzantine, and whose alphabet had been Who was the greatest poet writing devised by two Greek monks.4 in any western language during the 20th Century? Many would answer: The Revolution brought on for Osip Mandelstam. But because him “a terrifying acceleration”: poetry cannot be translated into Its sublime, meditative, caesuraed another language—only recreated in flow changed into a swift, abrupt, it—and because relatively few pattering movement. His became people in the West (outside Russia) a poetry of high velocity and exposed nerves, sometimes read Russian, it would be hard to cryptic, with numerous leaps over work up much enthusiasm for either The poet in 1910 (ABOVE) and in the mid 1930’s the self-evident with somewhat side of the argument anywhere in abbreviated syntax. And yet in the United States, except possibly at a these Russian poets were greater artists this way it became more a song than Russian literature faculty cocktail party. than any poet writing in America at the ever Russia produced many excellent poets time, including Frost and Stevens. And before....5 during the past century. Cab drivers in some experts in a position to make such Brodsky pointed out the obvious—that Petersburg regularly quote Pushkin at judgments believe that Mandelstam was the translations of such music are utterly inade- length. The very best Russian poets of the greatest of them all. quate: 20th Century would certainly include Akhmatova wrote,“Mandelstam has no The English-speaking world has yet to Akhmatova, Blok, Mandelstam, Pasternak, teacher. That is something worth thinking hear this nervous, high-pitched, pure and Tsvetaeva—and one could make a case about. I don’t know a similar case in all of voice shot through with love, terror, for dozens of others. I believe that many of world poetry... [W]ho can show us the See MANDELSTAM, page 2 o MANDELSTAM, from page 1 guage, the ornate and twisted speech of an autodi- memory,culture,faith—a voice trembling, dact, where normal words are intertwined with CAXT ONIAN perhaps like a match burning in a high wind, the ancient philosophical terms of Herder, Leib- yet utterly inextinguishable. nitz, and Spinoza, the capricious syntax of a Tal- Book dealers cannot be held to the same critical mudist....”Osip’s mother,Flora,was a piano standards as academicians; and collectors under- teacher and intellectual who “loved to speak and The Caxton Club, Founded 1895 stand that salesmanship is an element of book- took joy in the roots and sounds of her Great Junie L. Sinson, President selling. Nevertheless, because book dealers have Russian speech, impoverished by intellectual Adele Hast, Vice-President Jane F. Carpenter, Secretary many books to sell and they cannot all be the clichés.” Gerald Bauman, Treasurer “greatest,” the relative level of enthusiasm about an Osip’s father moved the family to Petersburg Michael Thompson, Past President author or a book may hint at some underlying when Osip was six years old.7 (St. Petersburg was Council reality. John Wronoski of Lame Duck Books to undergo several name transformations during Class of 2007 probably deals with more fine Russian literature Mandelstam’s lifetime—to Petrograd, then Bruce H. Boyer than any other American book dealer. In the fall Leningrad; today it is called Petersburg, which is William D. Mulliken William Drendel of 2005 he offered an inscribed copy of Mandel- the name I use.) Although they were Jews, neither Caryl Seidenberg stam’s first book, Kamen’ (“Stone”), 1913, which of Osip’s parents was religious, so he rarely C. Steven Tomashefsky he described as follows: attended synagogue. He remembered visiting his Class of 2008 paternal grandfather at his home in Riga: Anthony Mourek The first work of the greatest Russian poet Carolyn Quattrocchi after Pushkin (and one of the few indisputable My grandfather, a blue-eyed old man in a skull John Blew titans of twentieth century literature) the cap which covered half his forehead and with Barbara Denemark Long pathos of this rare and fragile book would the serious and rather signified features to be Edward C. Bronson require another Mandelstam to convey in seen in very respected Jews, would smile, Class of 2009 words. A holy relic. rejoice, and try to be affectionate—but did not Rob Carlson know how.... Suddenly my grandfather drew Kim Coventry So who was this Russian poet, Osip Mandel- from a drawer of a chest a black and yellow silk Ed Hirschland stam? And why write about him for American Wendy Husser cloth, put it around my shoulders, and made David Mann readers who do not read Russian? me repeat after him words composed of Appointed Officers Last question first. One does not have to read unknown sounds; but, dissatisfied with my Paul T. Ruxin, Programs Mandelstam’s work in the original to realize that babble, he grew angry and shook his head in 8 Paul F. Gehl, Archivist he led a fascinating and tragic life, which is of disapproval. I felt stifled and afraid. Hayward R. Blake, FABS interest apart from the artistic merit of his verse. Clarence Brown, his biographer, writes that Representative Frank J. Piehl, Historian Also, the story of his books—how and when they though Osip resisted learning the Hebrew lan- Committees appeared, the difficulties of getting accurate bibli- guage, his rejection of his Jewish inheritance was Robert Cotner, Development ographic information, and the travails of trying to not permanent. His upbringing also “probably William Drendel, Exhibitions collect these books today—will be familiar to col- intensified a striving after religious conviction.”9 Adele Hast, Finance lectors of great writers in English or any other During the latter part of the 1890’s, young Osip Ed Quattrocchi (Honorary Chair), J. William Locke, Dorothy Sinson language. But, more important, Mandelstam lived received tutoring at home. In 1899 at the age of 8 (Co-Chairs), Friday Luncheons and wrote under terrible hardships—censorship, his parents enrolled him in a fine school—the Dan Landt, Membership threats from Stalin’s government, incarceration Tenishev School—which offered a classical edu- Junie L. Sinson, Nobel Study Donald Chatham, Publications and torture, extreme poverty and hunger, and cation, combined with practical scientific and Martha Chiplis, Publicity internal exile. As awful as these conditions were commercial courses. The tuition expenses were a Wendy Husser, Web Site for ordinary Russians, they were probably even burden to the family, which was far from wealthy. Caxton Club Staff worse for Jewish intellectuals. How Mandelstam Osip’s program covered eight years—the Ameri- Dan Crawford, General Manager was able to create transcendent poetry in such can equivalent of the last six years of K-12, and Caxtonian wretched circumstances—and how his wife was the first two years of college. (Vladimir Robert McCamant, Editor able to preserve his work during and after their Nabokov—driven by the family chauffeur— Wendy Husser, Copy Editor Carolyn Quattrocchi, Copy Editor years of internal exile—is a story of the tri- began attending the Tenishev School four years Robert Cotner, Founder umphant human spirit. after Mandelstam had left.) Osip took the stan- Kathryn DeGraff, Matthew dard courses—including the classical languages, J.Doherty, Wendy Husser, Paul Ruxin, Florence Shay, Contributing sip (“Joseph”) Mandelstam was born in German, biology and chemistry.According to one Editors OWarsaw on January 15, 1891.6 His father, of Osip’s classmates, his grades were generally ©2006, The Caxton Club. The Caxtonian is Emil Mandelstam, was a leather merchant. Osip poor.10 published monthly by The Caxton Club, wrote that his father “had absolutely no language; But Osip found time to read the classic Russian whose office is in the Newberry Library.
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