Lou Andreas- Salome

A study of Rilke requires a deep look at Lou-Andreas Salome, an
incredibly strong influence on him. Today, I receive a difficult to
obtain book, "Looking Back Memoirs, The Intimate Study of Her
Friendships with Nietzsche, Rilke & Freud." You can imagine my
delight.  Nietzsche said of Salome, "I found no more gifted or
reflective spirit... Lou is by far the smartest person I ever
knew."   And this book offers me a chance to better know her,
to hear her thoughts.  I am excitement.



The book begins with a page with this quote by Lou Andreas - Salome.





         Human life - indeed

         all life - is poetry.

        It's we who live it,

    unconsciously, day by day,

        like scenes in a play,

  yet in its inviolable wholeness

     it lives us, it composes us.

  This is something far different

      from the old cliche "Turn

    your life into a work of art";

         we are works of art -

       but we are not the artist.