Chapter forty-five: what’s the point?

“The tragic depression, the constant and inexplicable terror”: ST to AB, November 24, 1996, SSF.

“definitely not malignant”: ST, note, May 1, 1993, YCAL, Box 95. In a note written by AB and published in Italian with ST’s letter of March 30, 1998, AB writes: “During his final visit to Überlingen (1995), routine blood tests unexpectedly revealed the presence of tumorous activity … The doctors [in NY] called Steinberg’s case ‘indolent,’ meaning that it was progressing very slowly. ‘You will not die of this,’ they told him.”

A second CT scan confirmed: Reading of CT scan taken October 20, 1995, YCAL, Box 71; second CT scan taken October 27, 1997, YCAL, Box 90.

“I have a feeling”: Medical diagnosis of Dr. Jatin P. Shah, M.D., copy in YCAL, Box 71.

“medullary carcinoma”: Medical diagnosis of Dr. Jatin P. Shah, February 29, 1996, YCAL, Box 71.

“He has had suicidal ideation”: Dr. Jeffrey Tepler, M.D., to Dr. Chaikowsky, August 6, 1996, copy in YCAL, Box 71.

Although most of his close friends were aware: I base this on interviews and conversations with HS, AB, Claire Nivola, Charles Simic, Drenka Willen, Cilla and Norman Manea, IF, and many others.

“austerely private self”: Muriel Murphy to ST, January 4, 1990, YCAL, Box 87. Although written earlier, I cite it here as the best example of the concern that had been building among ST’s friends throughout the 1990s.

She made another journey to Mali: A telegram from ST to SS in Bamako, Mali, tells her he read about “roads crowded with refugees from Nigeria. Please be wise. Come Home”; YCAL, Box 113.

As this amount would vary: ST to Neuberger & Berman, January 11, 1996, YCAL, Box 112.

“Why can’t you be proud of me?”: SS to ST, February 27, 1996, YCAL, Box 113.

“Prudence became the brick”: HS, interview, October 24, 2007.

Steinberg thought Prudence would be: Information that follows is from PC, in documents prepared for this book, December 6, 2010.

On November 5, 1996: A copy of the last will and testament, dated November 5, 1996, with a letter from John Silberman dated November 12, 1996, is in YCAL, Box 70.

He left $50,000: William Gaddis predeceased ST, dying on December 16, 1998. ST wrote to his son, Matthew, on February 3, 1999, that he was honoring his initial bequest “in the name of friendship” by leaving the money to Gaddis’s children. ST signed his letter “with strong emotion and love, Saul”; YCAL, Box 70.

“For an hour, in silence”: ST to AB, July 9, 1996, SSF.

Steinberg kept a daily diary: YCAL, Box 82.

The official death certificate: Copy in YCAL, Box 113.

Sigrid left two letters: Copy of SS’s letter to Ursula Beard and copy of her handwritten suicide letter, YCAL, Box 113. I have followed her spelling and punctuation. ST later made multiple photocopies of the letter and sent it to many of his friends. Other unsent copies are scattered throughout YCAL boxes and are in collections of his correspondence with (among others), AB and IF, both SSF, and Claire Nivola, in her possession. HS put her copy into the large dictionary where she stored “the things that are important to me.”

he called Hedda: In a telephone conversation, September 22, 2007, HS said she remembered calling Muriel Murphy, William Gaddis, and Ruth Nivola.

In a state of emotional paralysis: Ruth Nivola, diary, September 25, 1996, and interview, September 22, 2007; Hedda Sterne, telephone conversation, September 25, 2007.

He also called the Riverside Memorial Chapel: ST, diary-datebook, September 25, 1996, YCAL, Box 82. The two unidentified names are “Caroline” and “Tad Soltesz.”

“Tangible property”: YCAL, Box 113, folder pertaining to SS’s cremation.

Although he told everyone: IF, interview, October 12, 1997.

Sigrid’s will brought another round of shocks: Copy of SS’s last will and testament, March 15, 1989, YCAL, Box 113.

Steinberg had to apply separately: In a handwritten note to her lawyer, YCAL, Box 34, “Sigrid Folder,” SS specified that ST’s art should go to the New York Public Library. Since it was not witnessed, it did not override her official will and Ursula Beard retained possession of the art and other personal possessions. Beard tried to sell them through the Pace Gallery, which chose not to represent her. Subsequently, however, the Galerie Bartsch & Chariau in Munich and the Adam Baumgold Gallery in New York mounted shows. The Galerie G & B held the show “Sammlung Sigrid Spaeth, 45 Originalzeichnung 1950–84,” September 13–November 8, 1997: Adam Baumgold’s show, “Saul Steinberg,” was December–February 1998. It was reviewed in Artnews, May, 1998, pp. 170–71. The review began: “When graphic designer Sigrid Spaeth died in 1996, her estate included more than 40 works by Saul Steinberg, dating from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. Collected here, they made for a small enchanting survey of Steinberg’s career.”

“an almost inaudible deep voice”: Ruth Nivola, diary, September 26–October 24, 1996. All of Nivola’s comments that follow are from this portion of her diary.

“Saul was preparing himself”: Charles Simic, Drenka Willen, and Dore Ashton, in separate interviews, all used this expression. IF remarked that ST was “suicidal” after SS’s death.

“practically catatonic with grief”: AB, interview, June 19, 2008. Ruth Nivola used the same expression in her diary entry for October 16, 1996.

Arthur Danto wrote: Arthur C. Danto, November 30, 1996, YCAL, Box 59; Benjamin Sonnenberg, n.d., YCAL, Box 59.

Peter and Maria Matthiessen: Peter and Maria Matthiessen, n.d., YCAL, Box 65; information about ST’s response from AB, interview, June 19, 2008.

And Uschi Beard’s letter: Ursula Beard to ST, October 1, 1966, YCAL, Box 71.

“This is the place”: SS, letter on pink paper, Saturday July 16, 1994, YCAL, Box 113.

On November 7, with the assistance: PC, in a mss. note, 2011, said she tried to arrange a session with Dr. Virginia Goldner but the meeting never happened. Instead, Dr. Goldner suggested a male colleague, whom ST saw only once.

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