This article examines the correspondence between two well-known Estonian writers, Jaan Kaplinski (1941–2021) and Bernard Kangro (1910–1994), which lasted throughout the years 1981–1994. Kaplinski initiated the correspondence, apparently prompted by Kangro’s collection of memoir essays entitled Arbujad. Märkmeid, mälestusi, mõtisklusi (Soothsayers. Notes, Memoirs, Reflections) published in 1981. Kangro was already an important writer for Kaplinski at a very young age. According to Kaplinski himself, he lived under the prevailing influence of Kangro’s writings until he turned 20. Their correspondence shows that thereafter Kangro remained a writer whose poetry Kaplinski appreciated. It inspired Kaplinski, who considered himself a continuator of the literary style of the Soothsayers.
While Kaplinski was at the midpoint of the course of his life when he started writing to Kangro, Kangro’s life work had largely been completed: thirteen collections of poetry and two selected collections had been published, along with fifteen novels, a collection of plays, reviews, and essays. Editing the periodical Tulimuld and his work at the Cooperative of Estonian Writers continued to take up Kangro’s time and energy, requiring him to be in continuous correspondence with Estonian expatriates who had ended up in many different countries. Kangro also corresponded actively with Estonians in the occupied Estonian homeland: his most voluminous correspondence was with Oskar Kruus. There are nearly a couple of hundred letters from Kruus to Kangro at the Estonian Cultural History Archive. Kangro also corresponded closely with Valmar Adams, Laur Tamm, Leo Tiik, Eerik Teder, and many others. Kaplinski in turn sought contacts outside of Estonia: in addition to Kangro, he corresponded with Hellar Grabbi, Arvo Mägi, Ivar Ivask, Ivar Grünthal, Vello Salo, Ivo Iliste, Urve Karuks and Paul Reets.
Kaplinski’s correspondence with Kangro stands out from their correspondence with others primarily due to their discussion of the oeuvre of those poets published in a collection put together by Ants Oras in 1938 entitled Arbujad. Valimik uusimat eesti lüürikat (Soothsayers. A Selection of the Newest Estonian Lyric Poetry). The oeuvre of the Soothsayers and its meaning is the main theme of Kaplinski’s first letter. The two writers develop that theme further in their subsequent letters. There is a total of nineteen letters and cards from Kaplinski to Kangro at the Estonian Cultural History Archive. Three of them are copies. There are eleven letters and cards from Kangro to Kaplinski at the archive. Eight cards and letters from the initial period of their correspondence have been selected for publication in this article. Here the two writers mainly discussed the Soothsayers but also allowed each other insights into the inner workings of their creative processes.