Jurgio Šaulio laiškai (1901–1907) Mortai Zauniūtei

Straipsnyje analizuojami Jurgio Šaulio laiškai Mortai Zauniūtei. Šie laiškai pateikia daug naujų duomenų apie jų gyvenimą, asmenybę, veiklą. Straipsnyje, remiantis laiškais, tiriama J. Šaulio naujojo tapatumo raida, paveikta Rytų Prūsijos kultūrininkų; aptariama jo, kaip „Varpo“, „Ūkininko“ ir „Naujienų“ redaktoriaus, veikla, leidinių kokybės siekimo pobūdis. Laiškų tyrimas parodo, kad J. Šaulį galima laikyti vienu iš autoritetingiausių XX a. pradžios literatūrinio gyvenimo organizatorių, veikusių to meto rašytojų kūrybos, pasaulėžiūros, apskritai literatūrinio, publicistinio lauko formavimą.

This article analyses Dr. Jurgis Šaulys letters to Morta Zauniūtė. These letters reveal plenty of information regarding their lives, personalities, and creative work. This article discusses the influence Dr. J. Šaulys had on the formation of the Lithuanian cultural sphere in the first half of the twentieth century. As evident in these letters, Dr. J. Šaulys can be viewed as one of the most authoritative organisers and critics of the literary life in the beginning of the twentieth century, who influenced the creative work of his contemporaries. All of the addressees discussed in this article viewed Dr. J. Šaulys as an expert of the Lithuanian language, emphasised his erudition, logic, and level-headed, unruffled demeanor, even during heated discussions. I have discovered that most of his letters are syncretic, where the professional themes regarding the cultural sphere merge with the personal on-goings. Letters between cultural figures were treated as public property among those involved with Varpas newspaper due to the growing importance of written Lithuanian. These letters contained not only exchanges of information but also were avenues for literati to articulate their thoughts and feelings in Lithuanian. Thus, they are important not only as documents of certain ideas that shaped the cultural history of Lithuania but also as documents of the developing identities of their authors. While analysing the used epistolary forms and the illustrations on cards, I have noticed the correlation between them and the emotional content of the texts. Most of these letters are concerned with the issues of the secular, culturally motivated intelligentsia, particularly with their attempts to further building their community, as well as their individual development as creators. Emotions are expressed through images of the body, of landscapes, often resembling literary texts. [...]