Self-Reflection and Poetological Sketches: The Journals, Sketches, and Notes

Abstract

The texts, which are mostly subsumed under the heading Journale (Journals), each bring together a sequence of self-reflections and observations by the author Handke, spanning the period from 1975 to the year 2015. Because they are marked with precise dates, they can be assigned to a chronological sequence, regardless of their actual date of publication. Das Gewicht der Welt (The Weight of the World) to the years 1975–1977, Die Geschichte des Bleistifts (History of the Pencil) to 1976–1980, Phantasien der Wiederholung (Fantasies of Repetition) record notations to 1981–1982, Am Felsfenster morgens (At the Mountain Window in the Morning) to 1982–1987, Gestern unterwegs (Travelling Yesterday) to 1987–1990, and Vor der Baumschattenwand nachts (In Front of the Walls of Tree Shadows at Night) to 2007–2015. A special role in a double sense is played by the Notizbuch, a preliminary form of the Journale and the fictional texts, whose records are limited to the year 1978, furthermore the writing Noch einmal für Thukydides (Once Again for Thucydides), which gathers miniatures comparable to the records of the other Journale and appeared in the years 1987–1989. Also playing a special role is Ein Jahr aus der Nacht gesprochen (A Year spoken from the Night) of 2010, a collection of notations that refers to that year alone but is limited to dream images.