Towards an Acoustic Biography of Bruno Schulz: Auditory Experiences

Abstract

The article analyzes the potential sonic experiences of Bruno Schulz. The numerous references to music in his prose inspire questions about Schulz’s attitude towards music. Based on the testimonies of his family and friends, it is impossible to determine Schulz’s opinion on the art of sounds, or whether he was musical and what kind of music he listened to. The ‘acoustic biography’ presented here becomes a metaphor for Schulz’s probable auditory experiences. Arranged in the chronological order, it respects the principles of probability, and is based on the historical and cultural context of 19th- and 20th-century Poland.