That it's easier to find Borges in Nabokov's writings than the reverse is
one of my recent observations. And yet,after reading one or two of J.L.Borges'
latest short-stories (sometimes considered his "geriatrica"), with
their recurrent elaboration of loss, search for essences instead
of cotidian minutiae and an almost didactical approach to some of his
passions: ancient poets and language, I was tempted to reconsider
my view.
While I was reading "The Bribe" 91975) I began to suspect Borges
knew more about Nabokov than he'd admitted in his interviews, even though his
references to cosmic jokes, Ultima Thule, Vikings, The
Eddas, Elphinston, immigration, German-department policies, and
etc, were a part of his normal experience as a teacher of English
literature (he learned English before he could speak Spanish).
Jorge Luis
Borges was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in August 24, 1899 and died in
Geneva, Switzerland, in June 14, 1986, two interesting items shared by both
authors ( year of birth and the country in which they died) - and I
vaguely remember they vaguely met during a series of
lectures.
I decided to share this impression with you by a few excerpts from "The
Bribe" ( that's not by far my favorite story):
"The story I shall tell is about two men, or rather about an incident in
which two men played a part [...] Both were vain, though in very different ways
and with very different results. The anedocte [...]took place a short time ago
in one of the states of the United States. In my opinion, it couldn't have
happened anywhere else [...] Dr. Winthrop was a professor of Old English (
he didn't approve of calling it Anglo-Saxon, which suggests an artifact cobbled
together out of two separate pieces).[...] His colleague Herbert Locke [...]gave
me a coppy of his book Toward a History of the Kenning[...] He is
an integral part of my story.
I come now to the Icelander Eric Einarsson, perhaps the true protagonist. I
never saw him [...] In 1970, Yale published his copiously annotated
critical edition of the ballad of the Battle of Maldon. The scholarship of the
notes was undeniable, but certain hypotheses aroused some controversy in the
virtually hermetic shperes of academe [...] He proposed emendations for several
reading in Elphinston's edition. In 1969 he had been given an appointment at the
University of Texas.As we all know, American universities are forever sponsoring
conferences of Germanists [...] Winthrop chaired the previous conference [...]
The head of his department [...]asked Winthrop to suggest a person to chair the
next one, in Wisonsin. There were really only two candidates to choose between -
Herbert Lock and Eric Einarsson.
Einarsson appeared in Ezra Winthrop's office. He had come to say good-bye
and thank him. One of the windows overlooked a diagonal, tree-lines wlak and the
office was lined with books. Einarsson immediately recognized the
parchment-bound first edition of the Edda Islandorum [...] I owe you an
explanation, Dr. Winthrop. I left my homeland in late 1967. When a man decides
to leave his country and go to a distant land, he inevitably assumes the burden
of 'getting ahead' in that new place[...] The ballad (Maldon) records a
Scandinavian victory, but as to my claim that it influenced thelater Icelandic
sagas, I believe to be an absurd and even unthinkable idea. I included it in
order to flatter English readers[...]You and I, my dear friend, know that
conferences are silly, that they require pointless expenditures, but that they
are invaluable to one's curriculum vitae.
Winthrop looked at him quizzically.He was intelligent, but he tended to
take things seriously, including conferences and the universe, which could well
be a cosmic joke[...]
"My first Viking," said Winthrop, looking him in the eye.
"Another romantic superstition. It isn't Scandinavian blood that makes a
man a Viking [...] In my family, so far as I know, there has never been a man of
the sea."[...]
"You've come to my office to throw in my face your ingenious stratagem; I
gave you my support so I could boast of my integrity."
"But there is something else, "Einsarsson responded. " Our nationality. I
am an American citizen. My destiny lies here, not in Ultima Thule. You will no
doubt contend that a passport does not change a man's nature."
[pg.73-79, "The Book of Sand and Shakespeare's Memory",
translated by Andrew Hurley (!), Penguin Classics,
2007]