January 22, 1931 Letter to Poul Knudsen -- Lili Ilse Elvenes

Transcription

Lindevangen 8-10

22-I-31

Kære store Paul -@Translator: KJ,

(d02) Tusind Tak for Dit Brev.

(d03) Jeg skal med Sorg rette mig efter Dit Ønske og forandre Heltens Navn.

(d04) Han kommer saa til at hedde Hjalmar Hvide. Du skal ikke forbavses over, at jeg skriver pænt og korrekt om en Ven – jeg hører jo ikke rigtig med i Lumskebugten her hjemme.

(d05) Hvor jeg glæder mig til at høre om Vibekes Triumpher I Julen! -@Translator: KJ

(d06) Den vidunderlige i Dresden hedder:

(d07) Prof. Dr. Kurt Warnekros

(d08) Det staar endogsaa skrevet med dobbelt W. i mit Hjærte – ja, er endogsaa deri graveret!

(d09) Det glæder mig meget at Herr Ervin Magnus -@Translator: KJ tror paa Bogen. Men jeg maa bede Dig forklare ham følgende:

(d10) Naar jeg ikke har skrevet Bogen som en Levnedsskildring, er det for at faa frem, at det drejer sig om to Personer Andreas og Lili , der sjæleligt ikke hører sammen.

(d11) Det fremgaar nok mest af sidste Del, at der [er] en Dualitet – eller var.

(d12) Det er først Andreas, der fortæller sine Erindringer til Poul, medens Andreas havde overtaget, hvorpaa Lili fortæller Erindringer til Poul fra den Tid, hvor hun begyndte at arbejde sig frem og fik Hovedparten af Aktiverne i deres Fællesbo – og til sidst Eneindehaver.

(d13) Det fremgaar tydeligt af sidste Del, at det endogsaa er en absolut Livsbetingelse for Lili, at hun aandeligt intet har at skaffe med Andreas – og det store Mirakel er, at hun føler sig nyskabt – ren og jomfruelig – og absolut ikke sjæleligt et Mandfolk, der er bleven til et Pigebarn!!!

(d14) Anden Del viser ogsaa, hvorledes Werner von Kreutz altid har holdt de to ude fra hinanden.

(d15) Det er Hovedpointet i Bogen, at der var to Sjæle i et Legeme – og at en genial Kirurg redder Pigebarnet ud af fælles Skibbrud. -@Translator: KJ

(d16) Saa er jeg tilmed bange for, at den anden Form skulde tynge Bogen, og jeg ønsker netop at faa frem, at jeg er koket, sorgløs, overfladisk og pjanket – og det har været mig om at faa frem, at hvad der er af kunstnerisk, af Livsvisdom og alvorlig mandig Viden, kommer fra Andreas, der var Kunstner og et honnet Mandfolk, medens min Indsats er en vis letbenet og tøset Filosofi! (Du ser, det er i Virkeligheden en Nedskrivning af Aktiverne) Bed Her Ervin Magnus -@Translator: KJ at ville høre med Sympathi paa dette mit Forsvar for Bogens Form.

(d17) Din stakkeles lille Veninde,
Lili Elvenes

(d18) Mille baisers à Vibeke

Translation

Lindevangen 8-10

22-I-31

Dear big Paul -@Translator: KJ,

(#d02) Thousand thanks for your letter.

(#d03) It is with regret that I will comply with your wish and change the name of the hero.

(#d04) He will then be called Hjalmar Hvide. You should not be surprised, that I am writing nicely and correctly about a friend – I do not quite belong to the in crowd at home.

(#d05) How happy I am to hear about Vibeke’s triumph in Julen!

(#d06) The wonderful person in Dresden is called:

(#d07) Prof. Dr. Kurt Warnekros

(#d08) It is even written with W. in my heart – yes, it is even there engraved!

(#d09) I am very pleased that Mr. Ervin Magnus -@Translator: KJ believes in the book. But I must ask you to explain to him the following:

(#d10) Since I have not written the book as a biography, it is important to emphasize that it is about two people Andreas and Lili , who do not belong together mentally.

(#d11) It might appear, especially from the last part, that there [is] a duality – or was.

(#d12) It is first Andreas, who tells his memories to Poul, while Andreas was dominant, whereafter Lili tells memories to Poul from the time where she began to work upward and got the majority of the assets in their common estate – and eventually became sole owner.

(#d13) It appears clearly from the last part that it is even an absolute foundation of life for Lili, that spiritually she has nothing to do with Andreas – and the big miracle is that she feels newly created – clean and virginal – and absolutely not mentally a man, who has become a girl!!!

(#d14) The second part also shows how Werner von Kreutz has always held the two separate from one another.

(#d15) That is the main point in the book, that there were two souls in one body – and that a brilliant surgeon saves the girl from a mutual disaster.

(#d16) So I am even afraid that the other form should weigh down the book and I really wish to show that I am coquettish, carefree, superficial, and giddy – and it has been important to me to show that what is of artistic, wisdom and seriously manly knowledge, comes from Andreas, who was an artist and a respectable man, while my contribution is a certain shallow and girlish philosophy! (You see, it is in reality a writing down of the assets) Ask Mr. Ervin Magnus -@Translator: KJ to listen with sympathy to this my defense of the form of the book.

(#d17) Your poor little friend
Lili Elvenes

(#d18) A thousand kisses to Vibeke