Renewing the left : politics, imagination, and the New York intellectuals

Never have the New York intellectuals received a full-scale, critical history. Now Harvey M. Teres brings to life this vibrant world from the 1930s to the present, drawing pointed lessons for progressive politics today. From Morris Dickstein to Norman Podhoretz, from Irving Howe to Jack Kerouac (whose protagonist in On the Road, Sal Paradise, flees "the tedious intellectualness" of the city), writers of all varieties have blossomed under or strained against New York's left-wing intellectual culture. Teres is the first to bring scrutiny to this hothouse of intellectual controversy. In Renewing the Left, Teres illuminates the work and legacy of New York's leading intellectuals, beginning with the founding of the influential Partisan Review before World War II. He first looks at William Phillips and Philip Rahv, the founders and chief editors of the Review, and shows how they laid the groundwork for a revitalized Marxist criticism, one that rejected the dogmatism of the Communist Party, stressing instead the freedom of the intellectual and the importance of literary criticism. In so doing, they transformed radical left-wing criticism into a new approach to literary texts and culture, appropriating much of the early criticism of T.S. Eliot. Teres carries the discussion from the late 1930s through the 1940s, as such critics as Rahv, Lionel Trilling, and F.W. Dupee absorbed modernism to renew the American left on both cultural and political fronts. From poet Wallace Stevens to critic Dwight Macdonald, New York intellectuals led an almost prescient critique of doctrinaire Marxism, stressing the essential role of the imagination. But Renewing the Left is no paean to radical champions of the past: Teres explores the inability of these critics to keep up with changes in popular culture. New York radical circles, moreover, failed to recognize postwar writing by women and African Americans, and they launched defensive attacks on the Beats and the counterculture of the 1960s. The author also offers a revealing look at the strengths and weaknesses of New Yorkers' hostile reception of postmodernism--a term they themselves invented. He winds up with a challenging new assessment of Lionel Trilling, often considered a conservative critic, who strove nonetheless to humanize radical politics. New York intellectuals have transformed progressive politics and American culture in general--though they have often been depoliticized by their conservative admirers. In this seminal work, Teres returns these writers and critics to their radical context, drawing lessons on the role intellectuals can play in renewing the leftist movement. Renewing the Left is both a scholar's scrutiny of history and a radical's call to action. Both A Work Of Rigorous Scholarship And A Passionate Challenge To Today's Left, Renewing The Left Lucidly Argues For A Reassessment Of The Legacy Of The New York Intellectuals As A Basis For Transforming Both The Academy And American Politics In General. Teres Brings Fresh Thought To Such Crucial Matters As Race Relations, Jews And Blacks, Gender Troubles On The Left, Political Correctness, Values, Literary Quality, And Politics As A Means To Fulfill Personal, Spiritual, And Ethical Needs. Teres Deals With All Of These Matters As He Illuminates The Legacy Of New York's Leading Intellectuals, Beginning With The Founding Of The Influential Partisan Review During The 1930s. He Looks First At William Phillips And Philip Rahv, The Chief Editors Of Partisan Review, And Shows How They Laid The Groundwork For A Revitalized Marxist Criticism - One That Rejected Dogmatism And Narrow Materialism, And Stressed Instead The Importance Of Literary Criticism Itself And The Freedom Of The Intellectual. Teres Carries The Discussion Into The 1940s, When Such Critics As Rahv, Lionel Trilling, And F.w. Dupee Absorbed Modernism And Elements Of Trotsky's Analysis Of Capitalism And Culture In Order To Renew Progressive Culture And Politics. He Examines The Contributions Of Such Figures As Wallace Stevens (who Published A Number Of Important Poems In Partisan Review), Dwight Macdonald, Mary Mccarthy, Tess Slesinger, Elizabeth Hardwick, Susan Sontag, And James Baldwin. He Shows How They Mounted A Prescient Critique Of Doctrinaire Marxism, With Its Illiberal Habits Of The Mind, And Stressed The Essential Role Of Independent And Imaginative Forms Of Discourse. But Renewing The Left Is No Paean To Radical Champions Of The Past. Teres Explores The Inability Of The New Yorkers To Maintain Connections To The Everyday Lives Of Ordinary People, To Keep Up With Changes In Popular Culture, To Critique American Imperialism, To Develop Balanced Assessments Of The Beats And The New Left, And To Recognize The Complexity Of African-american Culture And Experience. Nevertheless, He Argues, The New York Intellectuals Did Challenge The Left To Overcome Many Of Its Perennial Problems, And This Aspect Of Their Project Remains Immensely Valuable For Leftist Renewal Today. Partisan Review And The Remaking Of Radical Criticism. 1. The Antinomies Of American Radicalism. 2. Partisan Review's Eliotic Leftism: 1934-1936. 3. Politics And The Autonomous Intellectual. 4. Modernism And The Autonomous Intellectual -- Wartime: The New York Intellectuals In Battle. 5. Modernist Renewal. 6. Notes Toward The Supreme Soviet, Wallace Stevens And Doctrinaire Marxism. 7. The Culture Wars Of The 1940s: Literature, Popular Culture, And The Battle Over A Usable Past -- The Limits And Uses Of Criticism. 8. The Dark Ladies Of New York. 9. Their Negro Problem: The New York Intellectuals And African American Culture. 10. Preserving Living Culture: The 1960s And Beyond. 11. What's Left Of Lionel Trilling? Harvey M. Teres. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Both a work of rigorous scholarship and a passionate challenge to today's left, Renewing the Left lucidly argues for a reassessment of the legacy of the New York intellectuals as a basis for transforming both the academy and American politics in general. Teres brings fresh thought to such crucial matters as race relations, Jews and blacks, gender troubles on the left, political correctness, values, literary quality, and politics as a means to fulfill personal, spiritual, and ethical needs. Teres deals with all of these matters as he illuminates the legacy of New York's leading intellectuals, beginning with the founding of the influential Partisan Review during the 1930s. He looks first at William Phillips and Philip Rahv, the chief editors of Partisan Review, and shows how they laid the groundwork for a revitalized Marxist criticism - one that rejected dogmatism and narrow materialism, and stressed instead the importance of literary criticism itself and the freedom of the intellectual. Teres carries the discussion into the 1940s, when such critics as Rahv, Lionel Trilling, and F. W. Dupee absorbed modernism and elements of Trotsky's analysis of capitalism and culture in order to renew progressive culture and politics. He examines the contributions of such figures as Wallace Stevens (who published a number of important poems in Partisan Review), Dwight Macdonald, Mary McCarthy, Tess Slesinger, Elizabeth Hardwick, Susan Sontag, and James Baldwin. He shows how they mounted a prescient critique of doctrinaire Marxism, with its illiberal habits of the mind, and stressed the essential role of independent and imaginative forms of discourse. But Renewing the Left is no paean to radical champions of the past. Teres explores the inability of the New Yorkers to maintain connections to the everyday lives of ordinary people, to keep up with changes in popular culture, to critique American imperialism, to develop balanced assessments of the Beats and the New Left, and to recognize the complexity of African-American culture and experience. Nevertheless, he argues, the New York intellectuals did challenge the left to overcome many of its perennial problems, and this aspect of their project remains immensely valuable for leftist renewal today. Renewing the Left Acknowledgments Contents Introduction Partisan Review and the Remaking of Radical Criticism 1 The Antinomies of American Radicalism II Ill 2 Partisan Review’s Eliotic Leftism: 1934-1936 3 Politics and the Autonomous Intellectual 4 Modernism and the Autonomous Intellectual Wartime: The NewYork Intellectuals in Battle 5 Modernist Renewal 6 Notes toward the Supreme Soviet: Wallace Stevens and Doctrinaire Marxism 7 The Culture Wars of the 1940s: Literature, Popular Culture, and the Battle over a Usable Past II VI VII VIII The Limits and Uses of Criticism 8 The “Dark Ladies” of New York 9 “Their Negro Problem”: The New York Intellectuals and African American Culture 10 “Preserving Living Culture”: The 1960s and Beyond 11 What’s Left of Lionel Trilling? Notes Index An examination of literary radicalism among the New York intelligentsia from the 1930s to the 1960s. The ideological underpinnings of the 1930s are discussed, with particular attention given to the Partisan Review together with the cultural battles of the 1940s and 1950s.