LETTERS ABOUT WRITING
373
them in science, in literature, amongst young people. I cannot there–
fore nurture any particularly warm feelings toward policemen,
butchers, savants, writers, or youth. I consider trademarks or labels
to
be
prejudices.
My holy of holies are the human body, health, intelligence,
talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom-freedom
from force and falsity, in whatever form these last may be ex–
pressed. This is the program I would maintain, were I a great artist.
However, I've run on too much as it
is.
Keep well,
Yours,
A.
CHEKHOV
To
ALEXEI SUVORIN·
January
7, 1889,
Moscow
... I would with great pleasure read an essay before the Literary
Society on whence came the idea of writing
Ivanov.
I would make
a public confession. I have long cherished the audacious notion of
summing up
all
that has hitherto been written about complaining
and melancholy people, and would have my Ivanov proclaim the
ultimate in such writing. It seems to me that all Russian novelists and
playwrights have felt a need to depict the mournful man and that
they have all written instinctively, without having definite images or
a point of view. I tried consciously to get on the right track, and
practically did so, but my manner of presentation
is
not worth a hoot
in hell.
It
would have been much better to wait! I rejoice that I
did not heed Grigorovich's advice two or three years ago and write
a novel! I can imagine how much good stuff I would have spoiled
if
I had listened to him. He says "talent and freshness will overcome
everything." Talent and freshness can spoil a great deal-that would
be more true. Besides an abundance of material and talent, other
qualities of no less importance are also required. What you must have
is
maturity-that's one; second, you must have a
feeling of personal
freedom,
and this feeling began kindling within me only a short time
ago. I hadn't had it previously; frivolity, carelessness and lack of re–
spect for my work had successfully served instead.
4 Alexei Suvorin (1834-1912) was the editor of the powerful, conservative,
St. Petersburg newspaper,
New Time.
His friendship with Chekhov broke up
in a quarrel over Zola and the Dreyfus case.
