J. Bernlef:
Pseudonym for Hendrik Jan Marsman.
(Sint Pancras, January 14, 1937 – Amsterdam, October 29, 2012).
Dutch writer, poet, and translator. From 2002 onward, he published under the pseudonym Bernlef (without the initial J.), sometimes as Henk Bernlef (he previously translated works as Jan Bernlef).
He also wrote under the pseudonyms: S. den Haan, Cas den Haan, and Cas de Vries.
It is important to our friends that they believe we are completely honest with them, and it is important to the friendship that we are not.
J. Bernlef, a well-known Dutch writer (1937–2019). The quote comes from his novel Publiek geheim (Public Secret, 1987), a book that revolves around the fragility of relationships and the question of how much truth people can (or want to) tolerate from each other. The quote is sometimes attributed to Mignon McLaughlin because of its philosophical nature.
