On the debate between Pla and Estelrich
In a sharp critique published in a Catalan journal, Josep Pla aimed at a longtime friend and colleague, Joan Estelrich. The exchange appears in a collected volume of Pla’s correspondence and essays, offering a revealing look at how two major Catalan writers navigated the pressures of their era. What unsettled Pla was Estelrich’s public mood, a kind of lifelong pessimism that shadowed public life even as they both endured vast social upheavals. Pla’s words, though lengthy, are pointed and instructive. He describes Estelrich as someone who, despite a fondness for life’s pleasures, built a platform of gloom in the public sphere. The public frame, Pla argues, feeds a habit of catastrophe, inviting divinity and providence into every difficult moment. Pla contends that optimism should not collapse into denial or reckless cheer but should coexist with a sober appraisal of history. He envisions a personal stance in private life filled with restraint and honesty, while in public discourse he would favor optimism and a belief in progress. In Pla’s view, optimism is not a naive mask but a practical stance that keeps striving alive in the face of hardship and uncertainty.