Adorno in America PDF
Preview Adorno in America
A D O R N O ni A M E R I C A This page intentionally left blank A D O R N O ni A M E R I C A DAVID JENEMANN University of Minnesota Press Minneapolis London The University of Minnesota Press is grateful for permission to include materials from the following sources in this book: in chapters 1 and 2, from Central Files, 1891–1971, box 549/7–8, University Archives and Columbiana Library, Columbia University (including materials from Paul F. Lazarsfeld Papers); in chapters 1 and 2, American Jewish Committee Archives; in chapters 1, 2, and 3, from Rockefeller Archive Center; and in chapters 2 and 3 and the Coda, from the Theodor W. Adorno Archiv and the Horkheimer/Pollock Archiv, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Copyright 2007 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published by the University of Minnesota Press 111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290 Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520 http://www.upress.umn.edu Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jenemann, David, 1971– Adorno in America / David Jenemann. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8166-4808-5 (hc : alk. paper) —ISBN 978-0-8166-4809-2 (pb : alk. paper) 1. Adorno, Theodor W., 1903–1969. 2. Popular culture—United States. 3. Germany—Intellectual life—20th century. I. Title. B3199.A34J46 2007 193—dc22 2006034691 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper The University of Minnesota is an equal-opportunity educator and employer. 12 11 10 09 08 07 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii INTRODUCTION: DREAMS IN AMERICA xi 1. THE MONSTER UNDER THE STONE: ADORNO AND THE RISE OF ADMINISTRATIVE RESEARCH 1 2. ADORNO IN SPONSOR-LAND: AUTHORITY ON THE RADIO 47 3.BELOW THE SURFACE:FRANKFURT GOES TO HOLLYWOOD 105 4. “IF THERE SHOULD BE A POSTERITY”: HIGH MODERNISM, HOROSCOPES, AND HEROIC SALESMEN 149 CODA: THEODOR ADORNO, AMERICAN 179 NOTES 193 WORKS CITED 223 INDEX 235 This page intentionally left blank ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In Minima Moralia,Adorno writes, “To say ‘we’ and mean ‘I’ is one of the most recondite insults.” Elsewhere in the book he also claims, “In many people it is already an impertinence to say ‘I.’” It strikes me that an author is uncomfortably situated between these two statements. While it feels presumptuous, and perhaps even underhanded, to implicate others in the possible failings of a work, it is no less hubristic and ungracious to sug- gest that one did it alone. I would like to express my deepest thanks to all those who lent their advice and support to the production of this manu- script without unduly besmirching their otherwise impeccable reputations. Since so much of this project involved ferreting out little-seen archival sources, I should Wrst say thank you to all the librarians and archivists who helped me hunt for the material cited in this book. The Interlibrary Loan staffs at the University of Minnesota and the University of Vermont were indefatigable in pursuing textual clues and rare documents, and I was often astonished by their ability to obtain even the most obscure book or pamphlet. The staffs of the various archives I visited and telephoned were also unfailingly helpful and kind; in particular, I mention Gunnar Berg and Fruma Morer at YIVO and Charlotte Bonnelli at the American Jewish Committee. Jochen Stollberg at the Max Horkheimer-Archiv in Frankfurt was a marvelous host, and I will always be grateful for his vii viii Acknowledgments afternoon coffees and endless patience with my requests. Henri Lonitz of the Theodor W. Adorno Archiv sent me some encouraging words and graciously allowed me to read an advance copy of the Wnal volume of Adorno’s and Horkheimer’s letters. One Wnal librarian deserves special thanks: my sister, Laura Jenemann, helped me negotiate the wheres and hows of archival research, and her counsel and moral support are lovingly acknowledged. Adorno in Americabegan as my Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Minnesota, where I was a student in the Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society Program. The interdisciplinary methods I absorbed in the pro- gram inform this book, as does the rigorous and kind training I received from such scholars as Paula Rabinowitz, Jochen Schulte-Sasse, John Mowitt, Tom Pepper, Cesare Casarino, and Robin Brown. I can only hope that this book stands as evidence of the time and care they extended to my education—and my deep gratitude for their efforts. Likewise, numer- ous peers and friends at Minnesota helped me shepherd this book into existence; among these, Malcolm Potek, Gauti Sigthorsson, Cecily Marcus, and Brynnar Swenson deserve special thanks. At the University of Vermont, my colleagues in the English Department and the Program in Film and Television Studies have been extremely supportive. Sarah Nilsen, Hilary Neroni, and Todd McGowan each read chapters of the manuscript, and their criticisms and suggestions—as well as their friendship—have much enhanced the Wnal product. Val Rohy and Greg Bottoms have likewise been good friends and exceptionally sage about the process of writing, and their ideas have found their way into the book. Also at the University of Vermont, I had the good fortune to have Elizabeth Waysek for a research assistant. Elizabeth was a great sport and a diligent aid in tidying up permissions and tracking down sources, and her knowledge of German was an added—and much appreciated— boon. The director of the Humanities Center, Robyn Warhol, also deserves thanks for sending me to the 2005 English Institute at Harvard Univer- sity, where one of the themes was Adorno. There were many and varied productive discussions at the English Institute, and not a few of them have informed this book. Robert Hullot-Kentor’s advice and encouragement have been invalu- able; further, his generosity with the manuscript of Adorno’s Current of Music was an unforeseen and immeasurable boon. I feel quite lucky to have had the pleasure of getting to know him during the writing of this book. Acknowledgments ix I have also been fortunate to receive the comments of Max Pensky, who read the manuscript twice, each time offering ideas that helped me develop this project in exciting and unanticipated ways. One of Professor Pensky’s wiser counsels was that choosing a book title is like dressing one’s children. Books squirm and Wdget as you try to slip a title over their heads, and if an author chooses a title poorly, the book winds up looking mismatched and sloppy. As I allude in the introduction, this book tried on a number of titles, including “Transmissions,” “Where Anything Could Be Possible,” and even “Snug, New-Fangled, Sky-Rocket,” but while none of those looked quite right, they all shared the subtitle “Adorno in America, 1938–1953.” By the time my editors and I had decided to drop the dates in favor of the simplicity of “Adorno in America,” I had lazily forgotten that I was dressing my child in borrowed clothes. “Adorno in America” is the title of an essay by Martin Jay. I have never met Professor Jay, but he is the reason why I—and many Americans—can and do read Adorno today. I hope, therefore, that he not only can forgive my larceny but will also accept this book as a gesture of respect for the profound inXu- ence he has had on its creation. My editors at the University of Minnesota Press deserve thanks, Wrst for championing the book’s publication, and second for the expert devel- opment and aid they have provided. Richard Morrison, Heather Burns, Adam Brunner, and Laura Westlund made the thorny process of bring- ing a book to print almost painless, and it has been a treat to work with such a thoughtful, thorough team. Likewise, the book’s copy editor, Kathy Delfosse, was both rigorous and graceful, and each of her queries and sug- gested changes has markedly improved this text. No worthwhile idea develops without cultivation from one’s friends, and two friends in particular have seen this book grow from the germ of an idea to what it is now. Without their aid, guidance, and sometimes goading, this book would be severely impoverished. My teacher and men- tor Richard Leppert Wrst taught me Adorno, and he continues to teach me what it means to be a responsible scholar and writer. At each stage of this book’s development, he has been its—and my—most steadfast supporter, and I am extraordinarily fortunate to have had him in my corner. Likewise, my friend Andrew Knighton was a sounding board for most of the ideas contained here, and I count on him to deXate my wildest pretensions while at the same time encouraging me to strive for something exceptional. To the extent that this book succeeds, much of the credit lies with Richard and Andrew, and I can scarcely express how much I value their friendship.
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