Hydra, 1 October 1961

Typed letter signed (“Leonard”) to Marianne Ihlen ("My dear Marianne"), Hydra, 1 October [1961].

Two pages, 330 x 200mm, with an autograph correction.

Writing from Marianne & Axel’s home in Hydra as he awaits the impending dissolution of her marriage and her eventual return to Hydra. He is at turns pained and bitter while on an errand for Marianne, readying the space for a guest (despite the overall tone of the letter, he kindly notes that he has "tidied a bit" and can "lend her sheets and towels"). “Here I am in your high white house, at Axel’s dusty machine with the strange å and ö that separate me from all of you, the language code I never did break or maybe didn’t want to. This room again, this intimate place where I held you for a time and fought ikons, dog-gods, whips.” He compares the room to a school room, “a miniature room where Marianne and Leonard played house and pretended to change the baby’s diapers. Why so cruel? Because we are not together, because I climbed this damn hot road alone, because I am like the rest of them, the names in the anthologies, talented and poor, making a lonely indecisive mess of my life like the rest of them." He calls the space "the happiest and worst room I've ever known," and remarks that "it makes me shut my eyes and smash my fists on the table."

Marianne intended to remain in Oslo until "everything is settled," and he comments "I suppose you won't come here this winter." On The Favorite Game, he tells her that it "should be finished soon. It's good, some places very good, a failure of course, but a significant failure. I will come to Oslo this Spring, maybe earlier. This I promise you."

By descent from Marianne Ihlen.