Mastodawn

Walter Benjamin in 1936, in exile, published a small book, Deutsche Menschen (German Men & Women), a collection of letters by German literary figures of the past. He wanted to hold up examples of honest writing in a time when it seemed that all language had turned false.

Here's a letter from Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-87), written after the death of his wife:

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"My wife is dead. Now I have had that experience, too. I am glad there cannot be many more such events in store for me --- that lightens my spirit. It is also a comfort to rely on your condolences, and those of our other friends in Braunschweig."
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What a letter! Benjamin quotes it as an example of the humanity of laconic style. The call to laconism may be even more urgent in today's world of oversharing and automated eloquence.

#laconism #GottholdEphraimLessing #WalterBenjamin #DeutscheMenschen #letters

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the roamer Jan 13

@richardcarter

Great story, and it's fascinating to see Darwin's diary next to the captain's.

"The same sea filled our decks so deep, that if another had followed it is not difficult to guess the result." Charles Darwin, Beagle Diary, 13 Jan 1833.

Dry laconic understatement here, beautiful in its rhythm and its trusting collusion with the reader. We can picture such a passage in Daniel Defoe or Laurence Sterne.

#CharlesDarwin #HMSBeagle #CapeHorn #laconism

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the roamer Sep 5, 2024

@samuelpepys

"My aunt Kite is sick ready to die and sends for my uncle and me to come to take charge of things, and to be entrusted with the care of her daughter."

The loss of a family member, the acceptance of a major new responsibilty, all collapsed into a single straight sentence. If an entry describes matters of consequence, then brevity and simplicity will only ever add weight to it.

#Pepys #diary #style #laconism