a bit of pitch

Kraus publishes “Notizen” in Das Rendezvous, which contains an announcement of Maximilian Harden’s launch of his periodical Die Zukunft.

Maximilian Harden—the notorious “Apostata,” known for his critical work in Theofil Zolling’s Gegenwart—is founding a new periodical in Berlin, which shall be published by Stilke: Die Zukunft. Whoever knows Harden, and this number should not be few, shall know what to think of this new endeavor, which in its universality shall exceed all kindred journals. Such a periodical had to come about, and we gladly welcome its founding and wish Harden the best of luck. A shame, though, that everything great, modern, and epic in literature must ever come from Germany. In Austria, there is still nothing astir [my translation] (FS I 35).

Kraus dislikes the dishonesty he perceives as prevalent at Café Griensteidl. He writes a letter to Schnitzler:

I hated and hate this false, feigned “decadence,” ever self-indulgent; I fight and will always fight this posing, morbid, and masturbatory poesy! [my translation] (quoted in Schick 29).

Kraus publishes his review of Richard Nordmann’s Die Liebe where he juxtaposes Die Liebe with another play, which was also put on at the Deutsches Volkstheater, Roberto Bracco’s Pietro Caruso. Kraus writes:

The performance had surely done its part in contributing to the flop [the production of Die Liebe], but it is of more literary import than Roberto Bracco’s success will ever be [my translation] (FS II 53).

Kraus writes to his oldest brother, Richard, to inform him that he has written to their father to wish him happy birthday. Kraus also thematizes the familial conflict and suggests that it was of a general nature characterized by fundamentally incompatible dispositions: writer and businessperson, art and commerce. Kraus writes:

Because I am in the happy position that my reason revolts from time to time, I am supposed to believe that I have some defect of the mind? It is owing to the smartest and most tender of policies which I adopted some two years ago that I have been curbing my temperament and doing everything I can not to let the divide between our family sphere and my endeavors get any larger than it already is. You will not believe me when I assure you that carrying out these tactics is often tantamount to martyrdom for me. You and the others can, of course, find common ground with father, in commerce; even differences, insofar as there were any, could at worst be of a singular and specific nature [my translation] (quoted in Marbacher Katalog 34-35).

Kraus writes to Die Welt, a Zionist weekly published by Theodor Herzl, seeking a correction to a previously published candidate list for the “Zionistencongress” where Kraus’s name was included. Erwin Rosenberger, a co-worker of Herzl’s, refuses to print any correction and reports that Kraus was

disgruntled because his correction request was not published in Die Welt. Disgruntled and uneasy. Could it not be possible that people will actually come to believe that Karl Kraus is a party member of the Jewish State movement? … That had to be avoided [my translation] (Rosenberg, quoted in Aus großer Nähe 52-53).

Harden responds and advises against the spring for various reasons and proposes that the fall would be more conducive to any new journal. Harden goes on to advise not just on material and substantial matters (paper, title, introductory article, etc.), but on the Neue Freie Presse’s offer to Kraus. Harden writes:

Spitzer II: not to be dismissed. Suggest to [Moriz] Benedikt that you write one article a month from now forward. And then do the Laterne as of 1 October (without telling Benedikt of course) [my translation] (quoted in Marbacher Katalog 39).

Kraus writes to Harden. Kraus informs Harden, among other things, that he would have followed the latter’s advice if the publisher had only given in and that the publisher did not want Kraus to worry about administrative matters. Kraus goes on:

[the publisher] is guaranteeing everything, says that the prosperity of any journal in Austria (if it is not a review) is dependent upon other factors than in Germany and—is publishing Die Fackel on either Tuesday or Wednesday. […] You will be getting the first printed copy of Die Fackel. No. 1 will contain a foreword, then an article showing how I came to Die Fackel and sketching the milieu in which I have hitherto been active (Wage, etc.). Then 5-6 political notes, further 1 big article on the Viennese clique/brood nesting between press, theater, and society. At the end, theater and various other glosses, reviews, etc. [my translation] (quoted in Marbacher Katalog 40).