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TheWritingofAsjaLacisSusanIngramIn1971,thechiefeditoroftheBerlinjournalAlternativeHildegardBrennerwrotethat:"[t]henameofAsjaLacisshouldhavebeenmen-tionedtwodecadesagobythosewhoknewofthehistoricalconnec-tions.
Thisdidnothappen.
The1955publicationofBenjamin'sSchriftensawtheremovalofthededicationofOne-WayStreettohis'girl-friendinRiga';thenameofLacisasco-authorofthe'Naples'essaywasalsostricken.
"'Anotherthreedecadeshavepassed,andLacishasyettoreceivetherecognitionshedeserves.
Creditgivenherasco-authorof"Naples"inBenjamin's1978collectionofessays,Reflections,linkedhernameirrevocablywithBenjamin's.
2ShewouldnowseemtobefirmlyensconcedinBenjaminstudiesasthefemmefataleresponsibleforseducinghimwithMarxistmaterialismawayfromhisJewishheritageandfaithfulwife.
Theblurbonthebackofthe1986EnglishtranslationofBenjamin'sMoscowDiaryoffersasuccinctsummationofthismyth:PerhapstheprimaryreasonforthistripwashisaffectionforAsjaLacis,aLatvianBolshevikwhowouldremainanimportantintellec-tualanderoticinfluenceonhimthroughoutthetwentiesandthirties.
31.
HildegardBrenner,"Nachwort,"AsjaLacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf"BerichteiiberproletarischesTheater,iiberMeyerhold,Brecht,BenjaminundPiscator,ed.
Hilde-gardBrenner(Munich:Rogner&Bernhard,1971,1976)113.
AllquotationsfromLacis'sworkaremyown.
2.
WalterBenjaminandAsjaLacis,"Naples,"Reflections:Essays,Aphorisms,AutobiographicalWritings,ed.
PeterDemetz,trans.
EdmundJephcott(NewYork:SchockenBooks,1978)163-73.
3.
WalterBenjamin,MoscowDiary,ed.
GarySmith,trans.
RichardSieburth(Cambridge&London:HarvardUP,1986).
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions160TheWritingofAsjaLacisItgoesontohailthediaryas:ononelevel,theaccountofhismasochisticloveaffairwiththiselu-sive-andratherunsympathetic-objectofdesire.
Onanotherlevel,itisthestoryofafailedromancewiththeRussianRevolution.
TheparallelisminthispassagebetweenBenjamin'sromancewithbothLacisandtherevolutionsuggeststhattheformerhasbeenfashionedtofitthenarrativeofa"failedromance.
"Theforcesbehindthecreationofthis"elusive-andratherunsympathetic-objectofdesire"remainunex-plored.
Anobituaryandabookreviewrepresenttheextentoftheinter-estLacishasthusfargeneratedinEnglish.
4Thepurposeofthisarticleistomakeknownthestoryimmersedundertheweightofstereotypicalref-erencestothis"LatvianBolshevik.
"Itarguesthattheway"AsjaLacis"figuresinBenjaminianaistheproductofveryspecificlinguistic,ideo-logicalandindustrialforces,anditshowshowrewritingpracticeshaveformed,informedanddeformedourviewofBenjamin.
5OneneednotlookfartouncovertheelementsofBenjamin'slifestorythatmadeitripeforcultification.
"Ifitwereaphotograph,"LindaHavertyRugghaswritten,"thestoryofWalterBenjamin'slifewouldbeinthesepiatonesofnineteenth-centuryimages,imbuedwiththecolorwehavecometoassociatewithnostalgiaandregret.
"6MichaelAndreBernsteinhasfurthernotedthat:Curiously,Benjamin'scompulsiontoactagainsthisowninterests,andsometimesevenagainsthischancesforsurvival,hasonlyenhancedtheglamorofhisposthumouscanonization.
Hislifeand4.
HeinzUweHaus,"InMemoriamAsjaLacis,"TheBrechtYearbook12(1983):141-47;andPattyLeeParmalee,Reviewof"RevolutioniirimBeruf,"NewGermanCri-tique2(1975):163-66.
InGerman,FritzMierau'sRusseninBerlin:Literatur,Malerei,Theater,Film,1918-1933(Leipzig:Reclam,1991)andHansMayer'sDerZeitgenosseWalterBenjamin(Frankfurt:JiidischerVerlag,1992)engagewithherinalessthanstereo-typicalfashion,akintoSusanBuck-Morss's.
ThestandardmonographonLacisisinLatvian:M.
Miglane,etal.
,AnnaLacis(Riga:Liesma,1973).
Alsoofinterestisthe"MommyDearest"memoirbyherdaughterDagmaraKimele,Asja:RezisoresAnnasLacesdekainadzive(Riga:Liktenstasti,1996).
5.
Iintendtheterm"rewriting"asAndreLefeveredoesinTranslation,RewritingandtheManipulationofLiteraryFame(London&NewYork:Routledge,1992)toincludethemanypracticesinfluencingreceptionandcanonization,suchastranslation,anthologization,historiography,criticismandediting.
6.
LindaHavertyRugg,PicturingOurselves:PhotographyandAutobiography(Chicago:UofChicagoP,1997)162.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram161hisworkshaveacquiredtheauraofalegend,andthedecisiveturning-pointsinhiscareer,fromhissemi-deliberatefailuretosecuretheHabilitationcertificationrequiredforteachingataGer-manuniversity,tohissuicideaftercrossingthePyreneesandreachingPortBouinSpaininSeptember1940,havebeendescribedsooftenandwithsuchreverencethattheybegintoseemlikeset-piecesfromanorthodoxhagiography.
7ThewayBenjaminhascometobeconstructedas"thelastGerman-Jewishintellectual,"8"awandererwhoburiedhimselfinbooks,"9"anarchetypalOldWorldintellectual.
.
.
anoutsiderforalltimes-includingourown,"10and"anintellectualcultfigure,aphilosophicalsaint.
.
.
[who]sixtyyearsafterhissuicide.
.
.
seemspoisedtobecomeapop-cul-tureicon"11hascertainlyresonatedintheAnglo-Americanculturalimagination.
OnecouldpointtosuchcultifyingspinoffsasJayParini'sfictionalBenjamin'sCrossingandLarryMcMurtry'sautobiographicalmusingsinWalterBenjaminattheDairyQueen,toShadowtime,anoperabasedonBenjamin'slifeandwritings,12ortoTrilectic,arecordbyJewliaEisenberg,thelyricsofwhicharebasedonBenjamin'swrit-ings.
AsthisstudyofAsjaLacisdemonstrates,themythologicalparame-tersoftheironicherothathavecontributedtotheriseinBenjamin'spopularityhavealsosubstantiallyinfluencedthefashioningofhissup-portingcast.
ThefirstsectionofthisarticleintroducesLacisasshewasintroducedtoscholarswestoftheIronCurtainintheheadydaysofthe'68ers,whileasecondsectionqueriesthecanonicalviewofherasittakesshapeinBenjamin'sMoscowDiaryanditsinter-texts.
Afinalsec-tionthenoffersanalternateviewofLacisbasedonmaterialhithertounaddressedinwhatMarkKingwallhasdescribedas"oneofthoseweirdconfluencesofthepopularandthescholarlythatourcultureproduces7.
MichaelAndr6Bernstein,"One-WayStreet,"NewRepublic217.
23(8Dec.
1997)accessedviatheinternetdatabaseAcademicSearchElite.
8.
GeneShaw,"BookReviews:Arts&Humanities,"LibraryJournal124.
10(1Jun.
1999):111.
9.
FredInglis,"AWandererwhoBuriedHimselfinBooks,"TimesHigherEduca-tionSupplement1430(7Apr.
2000):24-25.
10.
OnthedustcoverofJayParini,Benjamin'sCrossing(NewYork:HenryHolt,1997).
11.
MarkKingwall,"ArcadianAdventures:WalterBenjamin,theConnoisseurofEverydayLife,"Harper's300.
1798(Mar.
2000):70.
12.
SeeCharlesBernstein,"11InterrogationsfromShadowtime,"boundary227.
2(Summer2000):73-81.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions162TheWritingofAsjaLacisnowandthen,"l13thatis,theBenjaminindustry.
Eschewingthetypicalbiographicalsketch,"BornonacountryestateinLatviain1891,AnnaErnestovnaLaciswastheonlydaughteroftrades-folk,"letmeintroduceLacisasHildegardBrennerdid.
Brennerhadcon-tactedLacisinRigaforinformationaboutBenjaminandtheresult,along,detailedletter,wasprintedinAlternative.
14Itbegins:"DearDr.
HildegardBrenner-AllofBenjamin'slettersarekaput.
Icanonlyofferyousomeobservations,"whichshethenproceedstodo.
15ThisletterwasfollowedupwithLacis'sreminiscencesofbuildingachildren'stheaterinOrelin1918andBenjamin's"ProgramforaProletarianChildren'sTheater,"16whichappearedinthetheaterjournalPerformance,in1973,theonlytimeanythingofLacis'shaseverbeenpublishedinEnglish.
17OnehastheimpressionthatBrennerwaspleasantlysurprisedtohavecomeacrosssuchawide-rangingsourceofinformation.
HerinitialrequestresultednotonlyintheAlternativeselectionsbutalsoinavol-umeofmemoirs,RevolutionirimBerufwhichwaspublishedin1971tocoincidewithLacis'seightiethbirthday,andwhichincludesanafter-wordbyBrennerenumeratingLacis'saccomplishmentsandrelevance.
ForBrenner,Laciswasanimportantlinkinreconstructingthecircum-stancesofintellectuallifeintheWeimarRepublicingeneralandoftheproletarianworker'smovementinparticular.
Thesubtitleofthevolume,ReportsonProletarianTheater,onMeyerhold,Brecht,BenjaminandPiscator,isindicativeofBrenner'sinterest.
Lacisconcentratesonwhatshewasabletoaddtoknowledgeaboutwell-known,left-leaning,male13.
Kingwall70.
14.
AsjaLacis,"BriefanHildegardBrenner,"Alternative56-57(Oct.
-Dec.
1967):211-14.
15.
TheendingoftheletterisalsoofinterestasitdrawsattentiontotheresponsivenatureofLacis'swritinginGerman:"OfcourseIhadastrongpoliticalinfluenceonW.
B.
andhebecamemoreinvolvedinthestudyofMarxism.
Butmyinfluenceonlyhadaneffectbecausethegroundhadalreadybeenlaid.
ItriedtobeasimilarinfluenceonWernerKrausbutIfailed:heremainedthereactionaryhewas.
RolfTiedemann'sassertionisridiculous.
IcouldwriteanentirebookaboutBenjamin-butI'llclosenow-perhapsyoudon'tneedsuchmaterialatall.
Respectfullyyours,AnnaLazis(calledAsja);14/XI/67Riga.
ps/WBvisitedmeandBernhardReichinMoscow(approx.
1927),hewroteonGoethefortheGreatSovietEncyclopediaandalsosomenewspaperarticles.
A.
L.
"16.
Lacis,"Das'ProgrammeinesproletarischenKindertheaters':ErinnerungenbeimWiederlesen,"Alternative59-60(Apr.
-June1968):64-67.
Furtherreminiscences,whichformedthebasisofhermemoir,werepublishedas"StaidteundMenschen.
Erin-nerungen,"SinnundForm21(1969):1326-57.
17.
Lacis&Benjamin,"BuildingaChildren'sTheater.
2Documents,"trans.
JackZipes&SusanBuck-Morss,Performance1(1973):22-32.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram163personalities.
BothLacis'spersonalcircumstancesandhertheatricalcon-nectionsaredownplayed,forexample,inglosses:"AdecisivestageformewasworkinginRiga.
(Personalcircumstanceshadbroughtmeback).
"18Whenthevolumewasreprintedin1976,scaledbackbytenpages,itwastheseareas-thechildhoodreminiscences,descriptionsofrelativesandatranslatedexcerptfromherRussianbookonRevolution-aryTheaterinGermany-whichwereshortened,necessitatingchangingthetitleofthefirstchapterfrom"Latvia:IntheVillage/Riga"to"St.
Petersburg,Moscow,1913/17,"whichhadoriginallybeenthetitleofchaptertwo.
ThusitwasintheguiseofanimpersonalMarxistfunction-arythatLaciswasfirstintroducedintoscholarshipintheWest.
Thisguisewasnottoimproveprimarilyduetothefactthat,fouryearsafterthissecondedition,and53yearsafterthefact,WalterBenjamin'sMoskauerTagebuchappearedwithSuhrkamp.
Intheafterwordtothe1986Englishtranslation(butnotablynotintheoriginal"EditorischeNotiz"),editorGarySmithinformsusthatthediaryhadnotbeenpub-lishedearlier,"fortworeasons.
First,thepublishinghousedecidednottoissuethediaryduringthelifetimeofAsjaLacis(shediedin1979).
Sec-ondly,thediarywasscheduledforpublicationinthesixthvolumeofBenjamin'sGesammelteSchriften,whichcontainsallofhisextantauto-biographicalwritingsandfragments,otherthanthoseoftheParisArcadesProject.
"l19ItisunfortunatethatLaciswasthusdeprivedoftheopportunitytorespondtoBenjamin'sportrayalofher.
AspointedoutinbothGershomScholem'sprefaceandGarySmith'safterword(bothofwhichIwilldiscussafterabriefreadingofthediaryitself),Lacisisinte-graltothediary'snarrativeandthematicstructures.
ThediarybeginswithBenjamin'sarrivalinMoscow,onDecember6,1926,whereheismetby,andimmediatelydisplaces,Asja'shusband,BernhardReich:Then,asIwasmakingmywayoutoftheBelorussian-Balticrail-waystation,Reichappeared.
.
.
Weloadedourselvesandthetwosuitcasesintoasleigh.
Athawhadsetinthatday,itwaswarm.
Wehadonlybeenunderwayafewminutes,drivingdownthebroadTverskaiawithitsgleamofsnowandmud,whenAsja18.
Thesecircumstancesinvolvedaharrowingtripacrosscivil-war-tornLatviatobewithherdyingmother,whodiedshortlybeforeshecouldgetthere.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf32.
19.
GarySmith,"Afterword,"MoscowDiary145.
AllquotationsfromBenjamin'sdiaryaretakenfromSieburth'stranslation,hereaftercitedparentheticallywithinthetext.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions164TheWritingofAsjaLaciswavedtousfromthesideofthestreet,Reichgotoutandwalkedtheshortremainingdistancetothehotel,wetookthesleigh.
(9)WhenBenjaminleavesMoscowonFebruary1,thenarrativebreaksoffnotwithhisactualdeparturefromthecitybutwithhisfinalfare-wellfromAsja,andonewillnotethesymmetrywithhisarrival,oneofmanyexamplesofthediary'simmaculateconstruction:Iaskedhertohailasleigh.
AsIwasabouttogetin,havingsaidgood-byetoheronemoretime,IinvitedhertoridetothecornerofTverskaiawithme.
Idroppedheroffthere,andasthesleighwasalreadypullingaway,Ionceagaindrewherhandtomylips,rightinthemiddleofthestreet.
Shestoodtherealongtime,wav-ing.
Iwavedbackfromthesleigh.
Atfirstsheseemedtoturnaroundasshewalkedaway,thenIlostsightofher.
Holdingmylargesuitcaseonmyknees,Irodethroughthetwilitstreetstothestationintears.
(121)20Inaddition,mostoftheinitialentriesbeginwithareferencetoAsja.
December8:"Asjadroppedbyinthemorning"(12);December9:"Asjaagaincamebyinthemorning"(14);December10:"WegoseeAsjainthemorning"(16);December12:"ReichtookawalkwithAsjainthemorning"(19);December14(writtenonthe15th):"IshallnotseeAsjatoday"(21);December15:"ReichsteppedoutbrieflyafterhegotupandIhopedIwouldbeabletogreetAsjainprivate.
Butshedidn'tturnup"(25);December16:"IwaswritingmydiaryandhadgivenuphopethatAsjawouldstopby.
Thensheknocked.
Assheenteredtheroom,Iwantedtokissher.
Asusual,itprovedunsuccess-ful"(27).
Therecanbeno"perhaps"aboutLacisbeingtheprimaryrea-sonforBenjamin'scomingtoMoscow,asindicatedonthebackoftheEnglishtranslation;nordoesthevisitappeartohavegoneverywell.
Afterthefirstthreemornings,theirvisitsseemtohavedroppedoffsomewhat,whileBenjaminseemstohaveremainedcocoonedincon-siderationsofwhetherhewouldreallywantarelationshipwithher,ignoringherfeelingsonthematter,nottomentiontheveryawkwardpositionhisattentionsputherin,nottomentionthefactthatshewas20.
Intheoriginal,thefinalwordis"Bahnhof"':"Mitdemgrol3enKofferaufmeinemSchoBefuhrichweinenddurchdieddimmemdenStraBenzumBahnhof,"which,giventheNorthernGermanexpression,"ichverstehenurBahnhof"[Idon'tunderstandanything],provesapoignantsummationofBenjamin'sdifficultiesintheRussiancapital.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram165notwellandhadbeenhospitalizedforaseriousneuraldisorder(andnot,asherGermanmemoirindicates,anervousbreakdown,apointonwhichIelaborateintheconcludingsection).
BenjamindoesnotseemtohavehadmuchsympathyforthestateofLacis'shealthorforthediffi-cultiesofhersituation.
Asherstayinthesanatoriumapproachesanend,BenjamininvitesReichforacupofcoffeeandrecountstheircon-versationintheentryforDecember26asfollows:HespokeofAsja'schronicboutsofanxiety,whichforthemostpartwerefocusedonDaga,andhewentintothewholestoryofherMos-cowresidenceonceagain.
Ihadoftenmarveledatthepatienceheshowedindealingwithher.
Andevennowhewasnotshowingtheslightesttracesofillhumororbitterness,onlythetensionthatthistalkwithmewasreleasing.
HelamentedthefactthatAsja's'ego-ism'wasfailingherpreciselynowthateverythingdependedontak-ingiteasyandlettingthingsfollowtheircourse.
Heranxietyaboutwheretolivenext,thethoughtthatitwouldmostprobablyentailmoving,greatlytormentedher.
.
.
.
Asamatteroffact,Ihadnotnoticedheranxiety.
Itwouldonlystrikemethefollowingday.
(45)"Asja"wasnotapersonforBenjamininwhomonenotedsuchemo-tionsasanxiety.
Rather,shewaslikeMoscow,an"almostimpregnablefortress"(34),therefortheconquering,ortheimpregnating.
21OnDecember20,forinstance,hedescribesthefrustrationshefacesas:somanybastions,anditisonlythetotalimpossibilityofadvancinganyfurther,onlythefactthatAsja'sillness,oratleastherweak-ness,pushesourpersonalaffairsintothebackgroundthatkeepsmefrombecomingcompletelydepressedbyallthis.
(35)NorisMoscowtheonlycityBenjaminfeminizesinhiswork;inhisautobiographical"ABerlinChronicle"hedescribesthemiddleperiodofhislifeinBerlin"extendingfromthewholeofmylaterchildhoodtomyentrancetotheuniversity:[as]aperiodofimpotencebeforethecity.
"2221.
Intheoriginal,Benjaminwritesoffindinghimselffacing"einefastuneinnehm-bareFestung"(50).
Sieburth'stranslationechoesacommentbyScholeminthepreface:"SiebleibtnuralsEmpfangerinseinerBerichte,"(14),[sheisthereonlytoreceivehisreports;tonoteisthat"empfangen"alsomeans"toconceiveachild"]aswellasBenjamin'sowncommentlaterinthepassagethat,"TodayItoldherthatInowwantedtohaveachildbyher"(35,italicsadded).
Herresponsetothiscommentgoesconspicuouslyunnoted.
22.
Benjamin,Reflections4.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions166TheWritingofAsjaLacisSituatinghimselfinsuchhostile,potentiallyfatal(e)urbanterrain,Ben-jaminfigureshimselfasanotparticularlyhardybutnonethelessbattle-readyDavidfacingoneicilyforbidding,disorientinganddrainingGoli-athafteranother.
AsMichaelAndr6Bernsteinhaspointedout,wewoulddowelltobewaryofsuchself-servingself-representation:Likeanyauthor,Benjaminconfrontedrejectionandindifference;butcompared,say,toAdorno'searlywork,Benjamin'scommandedconsiderablymoreattentionandrespect.
Evenhisimmenselydiffi-cultbookonGermantragicdramawasfavorablyreviewedinmanyofhiscountry'srelevantperiodicals,aswellasinimportantjour-nalsinHungary,France,Austria,andEngland.
AndyetitistheimageofBenjaminasamarginal,disregardedgeniuswhoseradicalinsightsonlyposterityhasbeenabletoappreciatethathasbecomepartofourownrepertoireofreceivedideas,fixedsosecurelythat,perhaps,nofactualcounter-evidencewilleverquitedislodgeit.
23AshisMoscowDiarymakesclear,thisimageofBenjaminasa"mar-ginal,disregarded"figureisoneofhisownmaking,andoneinneedofaparticularsupportingcast,whichbothheandhisrewritersthenprovided.
ItisinScholem'sprefacetoMoscowDiarythatthevilifyingofLacisismostblatant.
ScholemisnotlikelytohavebeenkindlydisposedtothepersonheconsideredhismaincompetitorinthebattleplayedoutbetweenJudaismandMarxisminthesecondhalfofthe1920sforBenjamin'sallegiance,thepersonheheldresponsibleforinterferingwiththearrange-mentshehadmadeforBenjamintoreceiveastipendwhichwastobringhimtoJerusalemtostudyHebrew.
24TheshadingScholemisinterestedingivingBenjamin'srelationtoRussia,andhisMarxisttendenciesingeneral,canbeseenintheemphasisintheprefaceonthe"sharpcontrastbetweentheoptimisticexpectationsthatBenjamininitiallyharboredcon-cerningtheshapehisrelationswiththeMoscowliterarymilieumighttakeandthebitterdisappointmentsthatawaitedhimthereinreality"23.
Bernstein,accessedviatheinternetdatabaseAcademicSearchElite.
24.
FortheircorrespondenceonBenjamin'sproposedtriptoPalestine,seeBen-jamin,TheCorrespondenceofWalterBenjamin,1910-1940,eds.
GershomScholem&TheodorW.
Adorno,trans.
ManfredR.
Jacobson&EvelynM.
Jacobson(Chicago&Lon-don:UofChicagoP,1994)esp.
339,346,359,364-65.
GiventhatScholemwasalsocloselyacquaintedwithBenjamin'swife,Dora,andthathereceivedheraccountingoftheentiredivorceprocess,itisunderstandablethathewouldblameLacisforhavingarbitratedoverandseveredwhathesawasBenjamin'slife-linetohisJudaictradition.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram167(6).
25Scholemunderminesthereputedly"powerfulintellectualinflu-encethatshe[Lacis]exercisedoverhim"(7)bypointingoutthat"thediaryleavesuswithoutinsightintoorunderstandingofpreciselythisintellectualdimensionofthewomanheloved"(7-8).
ForScholem,the"absenceofanyconvincingevocationofherintellectualprofile"(8,apoint,onewillnote,hetakescaretorestate)isnotareflectionofhisfriend'sambivalentattitudetowardstherelationshipbutratherofLacis'sperfidy.
Itis"hercontinualrejections,andfinallyeventheeroticcynicismthatshedisplaystonouncertainextent"(8,italicsadded)whichistoblameforthe"infinitelyproblematic"(7)natureoftherelationship,andnotthefactthatBenjaminwaschasingawomanverymuchtogetherwithanotherman,one,moreover,whohadalreadysuccessfullyadaptedtolifeinSovietRussia.
Scholempreferstoleavemattersenigmaticandcloseshisprefacewiththehyperbolicstatement:This[absenceofanyconvincingevocationofherintellectualpro-file]isborneoutbyeverybodywhowitnessedBenjamintogetherwithAsjaLacis:inconveyingtheirimpressionstome,theywereallbewilderedbythesetwoloverswhodidnothingbutquarrel.
Andthiswasin1929and1930,whenshecametoBerlinandFrankfurtandBenjaminwasgettingdivorcedonheraccount!
Partofthepuz-zlethereforeremainsunsolved,whichisinfactentirelyappropriatetoalifesuchasWalterBenjamin's.
(8,italicsadded)Thereareseveralpointstobenotedhere.
First,LacisdidnotcometoBerlintoseeBenjaminbutratherbecauseshehadbeenorderedtodosobyherSovietbosses.
NorwashertriptoFrankfurtmotivatedbyper-sonalconsiderations-shewentthereinordertoseekmedicaltreat-mentandBenjamin,infact,refusedtoaccompanyher.
ThirdisthematterofBenjamin'sdivorce,whichIwillhavereasontodiscusspres-ently.
IwillonlynoteherethatReichandDagacametovisitLacisinBerlinandstayedforamonth,sotherecanbenodoubtthatBenjaminknewsheandReichwerestillverymuchtogether.
Thisconstructionof25.
InhisWalterBenjamin:TheStoryofaFriendship,ScholemspeakscandidlyofhisdifferenceswithBenjaminovercommunisminthechapterentitled"TrustfromaDis-tance:1924-1926":"Tome,communisminitsMarxistformconstitutedthediametricallyoppositepositiontotheanarchisticconvictionsthatBenjaminandIhithertohadsharedpolitically.
ThiswasthebeginningofasplitinBenjamin"(Frankfurt/Main:Suhrkamp,1975),herecitedinHarryZohn'stranslation,WalterBenjamin:TheStoryofaFriendship,(Philadelphia:TheJewishPublicationSocietyofAmerica,1981)123.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions168TheWritingofAsjaLacisBenjamin'slifeasenigmatic,anunsolvedpuzzle,isdesignedbyScholemtofittheversionofBenjaminthathewantedtoestablish,thatis,aJewishBenjaminwhohad"superimposedMarxismuponareli-gious,andultimatelymystical,imagination.
"26ScholemassumesthatforthereaderofLacis'sGermanmemoirs,Benjamin'sMoscowDiary"willcomeasanunpleasantanddepressingsurprise"(7).
HeevengoessofarastocallBenjamin'sdiary"thenarrativeofacourtship"(8).
Ifthereisanythingthatisunpleasantanddepressing,thoughnotmuchofasurprise,itishis,andBenjamin's,inabilitytotreatLacisasanythingmorethananobjectofundisputederoticcynicism.
GarySmithismoreastutethanScholeminrecognizingthedynamicsofBenjamin'srelationshipwith"MotherRussia.
"WhileScholemconsidersBenjamin'srelationshipwithBernhardReichas"moreimportantto[Ben-jamin's]activitiesinMoscowandintellectuallymoreinstructivethanwashisrelationshipwithAsjaLacis"(7),Smithemphasizesinhisafterwordthattherelationshipbetweenthetwomenis"anythingbuttransparent:theyshareapassionforthesamewoman,liveunderthestrainofdailycontact,andhavecompetitivejournalisticaims"(139).
IfSmithtellsthestoryofatriangle,itisnotbetweenBenjamin,LacisandReich,butratherbetweenBenjamin,BrechtandtheSovietUnion,forwhichLacisservedasconduit.
27Nevertheless,hisobservationthat"[j]ustasBen-jamincouldidentifydifferentCyrilliccharacterswhilebeingunabletodiscerntheirmeanings,hecouldobserveaperformanceordiscussionandnotunderstanditsimport"(138)capturesboththespiritofBenjamin'salmosttwomonthsinMoscow,aswellashisrelationshipwithLacis.
GivenSmith'sbalanced,prominentlyplacedaccountingofLacis'sinfluenceonBenjaminintheafterwordtothe1986translation,thebrazen,sensationalistportraitureofherinthe1991Benjaminiana.
EinebiografischeRecherche,whichheputtogetherwithHansPutt-nies,comesassomethingofalet-down.
PuttniesandSmithdevotethefourthchapteroffivetoBenjamin'smarriageandthepersonofhis26.
DavidStem,"TheManwithQualities,"NewRepublic212.
15(10Apr.
1995):accessedviatheinternetdatabaseAcademicSearchElite.
27.
InWalterBenjaminundBertoldBrecht:AnsdtzezueinerdialektischenAsthetikindendreif3igerJahren(St.
Ingbert:WernerJ.
Rohrig,1993),InezMilllercoversthesameterritoryingreaterdetailwithbutapaltryreferencetoLacisintheintroduction.
28.
HansPuttniesandGarySmith'sBenjaminiana:EineBiografischeRecherche(Giessen:Anabas,1991)hasnotyet,tomyknowledge,beentranslatedintoEnglish.
Alltranslationsfromitaremyown.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram169ex-wife:"Ehetacheles:EinLebenmitDoraBenjamin"("MarriageGoings-on:ALifewithDoraBenjamin").
WhileDoraisnotportrayedinaparticularlysympatheticmanner-sheisintroducedasan"AlmaMahlerenminiature"(135,italicsinoriginal)andreferredtoas"eineSprech-maschine"("awindbag,"156),thedivorceisrecountedfromherperspective,fromwhichLacisappearsamonsterresponsibleforreducingher"poorWalter"toacreaturewho,asDorawritesScholem,"consistsonlyofheadandsexualorgans,everythingelsehasbeencom-pletelyshutoff,andyouknow,orcanimagine,thatinsuchcasesitdoesn'tlastlonguntiltheheadisalsoswitchedoff'(145).
AccordingtoDora,Lacisis"theonlyrealcalamity"(144)themarriageisunabletowithstand,andPuttniesandSmith,intheirtextconnectingthesedoc-uments,assumeDora'sattitude.
TheydenigrateLacis'sworkinBerlin:"sheendedupinNovember1928inanunimportantpositionwiththeRussiantrademissioninBerlin"(144),andmisrepresentherpresenceinCapri,implyingthatshehasfledtherefromMoscowtoescapetherestructuringoftheSovieteconomy:"AsjaLacis.
.
.
hadmanagedtofleefromtheNewEconomicPlaninMoscow"(144).
AnyreaderofLacis'sGermanmemoir,whichSmithobviouslywasashequotesfromitintheafterwordtoMoscowDiary,wouldknowthatLacisdidnotgotoCaprifromMoscowbutratherfromMunichandnotforeconomicreasonsbutonaccountofherdaughter'spoorhealth.
ThepassageinARevolutionarybyProfessionreads:"WespentthespringandsummerwithReichinItaly-(Daga,myyoungdaughter,hadcomedownwithpneumoniaandthedoctorshadurgentlyrecommendedCapri)"(41).
PublishingDora'sletterstoScholemmayservescholarshipwellinofferingevidenceofthedecidedlydisadvantageouspositionofawomanindivorceproceedingsintheGermanyofthe1920s.
OnecanwellimaginewhatanordealthewholeprocessmusthavebeenforherandhowfrustratingitmusthavebeentohavesupportedBenjaminforsolongonlytohavehimpubliclyflauntanotherrelationship.
ItisasadironythattheexposingofDora'sdistresshadtobeatanotherwoman'sexpense,butonecertainlyinkeepingwiththeimageofLacisintheWestasBenjamin'scynicalcommunistgirlfriend.
WhataDifferenceaLanguageMakes:Russianvs.
GermanThefinalpartofthisarticlewillgobeyondtheGerman-languagebasedimageof"AsjaLacis"andturnnowto"AnnaErnestovnaThiscontentdownloadedfrom147.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions170TheWritingofAsjaLacisLacis.
"29ARevolutionarybyProfessionwasnotLacis'sonlymemoir.
In1984,fiveyearsafterherdeath,KrasnayaGvozdika[TheRedCarna-tion]waspublishedinSovietRiga.
30TheRedCarnationisLacis'sstoryasshechosetorewrite,andexpandupon,theGermanversionanditdivergesfromBrenner'sassemblageinkeyrespectsresultinginamuchmorepersonableperceptionofher.
TheonlyreviewoftheGermanmemoirtoappearinEnglishcriticizesLacisforherimpersonalapproach:Butifitishersexthatcondemnshertoobscurity,sheseemstohavebeenanaccompliceintheplot:shehasasortof'female'mod-estyalmosttoafault.
.
.
.
ShedescribesBrecht'sandBenjamin'shomes,habits,dressindetailbutnevermentionsherrelationshipwithBernhardReichorwhowasthefatherofherdaughterDaga.
Shereportstheideasofeveryoneinvolvedinproletariantheaterexcept(withafewexceptions)herown.
31TheRedCarnationcannotbeaccusedof"femalemodesty"orofwithholdingpersonaldetails.
InARevolutionarybyProfessiontheonlyreferencetoLacis'sfirsthusbandwasremovedfromthesecondedition:ImarriedJulijsLacisinacivilceremony;formymotheronlythechurchweddingmattered.
SheregardedtheunionwithLacisasapublicannoyanceandaseriousbreachofdecorum.
Shetookthe'disgrace'verymuchtoheart.
Shefellill.
Thedoctortoldme,'Yourmotherhasaseriousheartcondition.
Shemustn'tbeupset.
Medica-tionisofnouseinthiscase.
Onemusteliminatethecauseoftheproblem.
'Ihadtocomplyandhaveachurchwedding.
LaterIpaidforit.
GettingdivorcedfromLaciswashardonthenerves.
32TheRedCarnation,onthecontrary,offersareasonablyfullaccount-ingoftheirstory,beginningwithhowtheygotinvolved-"Ofallmyfriends,Mamapreferredastudentatthetechnicalcollege,JulijsLacis.
29.
ThehegemonyoftheGermantextcanbegaugedbythefactthattheonlytrans-lationofaLacismemoirthusfarpublishedinaWesternlanguageis:Profession:Rdvolu-tionnaire.
Surlethkdtreprolitarien:Meyerhold,Brecht,Benjamin,Piscator,trans.
&intro.
PhilippeIvernel,afterwordbyHildegardBrenner(Grenoble:PressesUniversitairesdeGrenoble,1989).
30.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika,Vospominanya(Riga:Liecma,1984).
31.
Parmalee164.
32.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf11.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram171Hewasawell-built,handsomeyoungmanwithwavyhairandlargegrayeyes.
Quiet,even-tempered,hewasverypleasingtometoo,"33andendingwiththereasonsfortheirdivorce.
OnherwayoutthedoortofaceacommissionfromMoscow,Julijsisreportedassaying:"Itwouldbereallywonderfulifthey'dfinallythrowyououtofthetheater!
"IstaredatJulijs:beforemyeyestherestoodastranger.
Wehadbeengrowingalienatedfromoneanotherforalongtime;dropbydrop,thehurtanddisappointmenthadcollected.
Andnowitwasasifaninvisiblecurtainhadbeenloweredbetweenus.
Ifeltcom-pletelyalone.
34TheRedCarnationalsoincludesthestoriesofLacis's"closefriend"35andBrecht'schiefassistant,ElisabethHauptman,thestoriesofheryouthfulexperiencesasagovernessandtutorinWarsaw,herrevolutionaryadventuresinLatviawhereshewasarrestedandimpris-oned,and,asalreadymentioned,herunsuccessfulattempttobewithherdyingmother.
Primarily,though,TheRedCarnationisalovestory,andaworkofmourning.
LacisbeganworkonitafterReich'sdeathin1972.
Shededicatedittohim-thededicationreads:"moemudrugu,"(which,althoughitmeans"tomyfriend,"wouldlikelybetranslatedthesedaysas"tomypartner"),andattimesitdescendsratherdrippilyintotheelegiac:ReichhadalreadyearnedaPh.
D.
inphilosophyinVienna,butinordertoworkinMoscowitwasnecessarytorequalify.
HebeganstudyingattheCommunistAcademyandcompletedadoctoralpro-gramwhichusuallytakessixyearsintwo.
TheprofessorsatRAN-ION(RussianAssociationofScientificResearchInstitutesofGeneralScience)valuedReich'sknowledgeofphilosophy,hiseru-ditionandintelligence.
Theyrecommendedhimforaresponsibleposition:hebecametheAcademicSecretaryofthetheaterdivisionoftheCommunistAcademy,andforsometime-thedeputydirec-torofGITIS(TheStateInstituteofTheaterArts),andhelecturedontheMarxist-Leninisttheoryofart.
.
.
.
Helecturedwithoutnotes,anddidn'tevenbringanywithhimfromhisofficeforcitations.
WhyBecausehecouldquotewholepagesfrommemory.
3633.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika27.
34.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika49.
35.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika80.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions172TheWritingofAsjaLacisHowever,intheprocessofrevealingherloveforReich,andforhermanyfriends,LacisbecomesforthereaderofTheRedCarnationaverysympathetic,veryhumanfigure,afarcryfromthepartyfunction-aryandcynicaltemptressshewouldappeartobeinGerman.
AsecondfactorcontributingtotheemergenceofamoresympatheticportraitofLacisinherRussianmemoiristhemannerinwhichherillhealthisdepicted.
IntheGermantext,shewrites:"ImSeptemberbekamicheinenNervenzusammenbruchundmuBteinsHospital"[InSeptemberIgotanervousbreakdownandhadtobehospitalized].
37Lacis'sknowl-edgeofGermanwasclearlylessthanperfect,andhereditorheremadenoattempttocorrecttheimpressionthatshehadundergonesomekindofpsychicandnotphysicalcollapse.
InRussian,thistypeofmisunderstand-inghasnochancetoarisebecauseLacissuppliesmorecontext:Itwassoonautumn,thecampswereclosing.
Onthefinalday,thechildrenputontheplaywhichtheyhadwrittenthemselves,anddanced,andrecited,andsang.
Andthenitwasover,wewentourseparateways.
ButwhenIgothome,Iwasn'tfeelingwell:mybodylistedtooneside,Isaweverythingdouble,Ilostmybal-ance.
SoIfirstwenttothehospital,andthentoasanitarium.
ReichwroteBenjaminthatIwasseriouslyill,andWalterhurriedtoMoscowfromBerlin.
38ThesecondtimeshementionssufferingsuchanattackisduringherstayinBerlin.
OnceagainsymptomsareincludedintheRussiantext:BernhardandDagaleftandIfellill:mycoordinationofmovementbecamedisturbed.
Benjamintookmetothefamousneuralsurgeon,KurtGoldstein.
'Ican'tdiagnoseyouinjustafewminutes,'Gold-steinsaidandinvitedmetocometohissanitariuminFrankfurtamMainfortreatment.
39WhileitisclearinRussianthatsheisbeingsenttoamedicaldoctorforaneuralcondition,theGermantextismoretelegraphicandambigu-ousconcerningthematter:36.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika111-13.
37.
Lacis,RevolutiondiirimBeruf54.
38.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika117.
39.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika136.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram173WhenIfellillinBerlin,BenjamintookmetothefamousProfessorKurtGoldstein,whohappenedtobeinBerlin.
Goldsteinsaidthathecouldn'tcuremeinafiveminutevisit.
Ishouldcometohissmall,privatesanatoriuminFrankfurtamMainfortreatment.
40NoreferenceismadeheretothekindofdoctorBenjamintookherto,nortothenatureofherillness.
Again,thereisnothingtocounteractthenegativeimpressionthatsheismentallyunstable.
AfinalnotabledifferencebetweenLacis'sRussianandGermanmemoirsrelevanttothepresentdiscussionisthewayLacisportraysherrelationshipwithBenjamin.
TheeditorialprioritiesofARevolutionarybyProfession:ReportsonProletarianTheater,onMeyerhold,Brecht,Ben-jaminandPiscator(andnotReich)areunmistakable.
WhenLacismen-tionsthat"Reich,BenjaminandIoftenwentforwalks"duringherconvalescenceinMoscow,itisnotReichwhoisthesubjectofdiscus-sionnextbut:"Benjaminwasrelativelycalm,hewroteanenthusiasticdescriptionofmajesticSt.
Basil's.
'41WhenLaciswrites,"AttheendofOctoberwe[i.
e.
,sheandReich]returnedtoGermany.
WelivedinBer-lin,"thetextagainoffersnodetailsoftheirrelations,herlifeorworktherebutrathercontinues"InBerlinIoftenmetupwithBenjamin.
"42Whenafterthewar,sheregainscontactwithBrecht:"Brechtrepliedimmediately,andwhenhewenttoMoscowheinvitedReichandmetocomeandmeethimthere,"theirfirstsubjectofdiscussionisrelatedas"IaskedaboutBenjamin,heanswered:Benjaminisdead.
"43ThattheseGermanprioritiesarenotLacis'sowncanbeseenbyturningtoTheRedCarnation,whereBenjaminisbutoneofmanyintellectualswithwhomLaciswasinvolvedoverthecourseofherlongandvariedlife.
AsArvidsGrigulis,thegrandpoobahofSovietLatvianletters,pointsoutinhishagiographicintroductiontoTheRedCarnation:Itsoriginalityisexplainedbyararegiftcharacteristicofitsauthor-theabilitytostrikeupanacquaintancewithexceptionalpeople.
WhetherinBerlinorinParis,nottomentionRiga,AnnaLaciswasalwaysabletogettoknowthosewhoseworkbestexpressedtheessenceoftheculturallifeoftheirtimes.
Itispossible,ofcourse,to40.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf64.
41.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf54.
42.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf48.
43.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf77.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions174TheWritingofAsjaLacisexplainthisbymanyfactors.
AnnaLaciswasawell-educatedwoman,withadegreefromtheBekhterevInstituteforPsycho-neurology,whohadstudiedatF.
Komisarjevsky'stheaterstudio,andgainednotalittleexperienceintheaestheticeducationofchil-dren;shewasawell-read,interestingconversationalist,withanexcellentknowledgeofRussian,GermanandFrenchliterature,asharpwitandatthesametimeapurelyfemininesensibility.
OneofthebestbooksoflovelyricsinLatvianliteraturewasdedicatedtoher-the'Ho-Tai'cycleofpoemsbyLinardsLaicens.
IntheRussianmemoir,Benjaminisameresubstitute:"WhenReichonceagainreturnedtoGermany,myguidebecameWalter;"44inGer-man,ReichneverreappearsinItalyafterBenjaminarrivesonthescene.
IntheRussiantext,Lacis'sinterestinBenjaminisprimarilydidactic.
Sheishappytodowhatevershecantohelphimfulfillhispolitical,andnotpersonal,desires:WhenWaltercametovisitmeinthesanatorium,hewouldsaywithgreatfeeling,'DoyouknowhowbadlyIwanttoliveandworkinMoscow!
Noteventhechaoticlivingconditionsputmeoff.
'TheonlythinghewantedtobringwithhimtoMoscowwas--hislibrary.
Severalyearslater,afterBenjaminhademigratedtoParis,Ireceivedaletterfromhim.
HeonceagainspokeofhisdesiretocometoMoscow,toliveandworkinthefirstcapitalintheworldwithasocialistgovernment.
45IntheRussianmemoir,itisBenjaminwhoisinfluencedbyLacis:"Itturnedoutthatourconversationsanddebateshadnotbeenineffectual.
Whenwemetupagainlater,inBerlin,WaltersaidthathewasreadingMarx,Engels,Lenin,Plechanov.
'A6TheemphasisintheGermantext,ontheotherhand,isonwhatLacislearnedfromBenjamin:"Backthen,inCapri,Ididn'tproperlycomprehendtheconnectionbetweenalle-goryandmodempoetics.
Inretrospect,InowunderstandhowclearlyWalterBenjaminsawthroughthemodemproblematicsofform.
"47TheGermantextconcentratesonBenjamin'sownindependentintellectualdevelopment:"IwouldliketonotethatthededicationofOne-Way44.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika88.
45.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika118.
46.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika86-87.
47.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf44.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram175Street.
.
.
pointstoaveryimportantchangeinworld-viewthatWalterBenjaminexperienced,thathefoundtheONEstreet.
"48IntheRussianmemoir,ontheotherhand,Benjaminisnotonlycompletelydependentonhisguidesbutalsoinfluencedbythem:BenjaminknewhowReichhadlivedbeforehisarrivalinMoscow,andwasastonishedthatBernhard,pamperedsincechildhoodandbroughtupinidealconditions,hadgivenupallbutthebareessen-tials,that'showitseemedtohim;hemayhaveworkedagreatdealbutwascontent.
LaterBenjaminunderstoodthatforReichthemainthingwas-faithinhisideas,forthesakeofwhichhesacrificedhispersonalcomfortandtrulyforgothimself.
Reich'sobsessivenesswascontagious,evenBenjamincaughtit.
49ThespecialtreatmentBenjaminreceivesintheGermantextseemsexaggeratedwhencomparedwithitsRussiancounterpart.
InGerman,forexample:ReichwaswritingatthetimefortheGreatSovietEncyclopedia.
HeintroducedBenjamintotheheadsofitsliterarysection.
Benjaminmadeanunusuallygoodimpressionontheeditors.
TheygavehimtheextremelyimportantassignmentofwritingonGoethe.
Hewroteanin-depthessay[Brenner'sfootnote:partsofwhichappearedintheLiterarischeWeltof7Dec.
1928,alsoinAlternative,56/57(1967):221ff.
Benjamin'sarticlefortheGreatSovietEncyclopediaunder-wenteditorialrevision;besidesBenjamin,twofurtherauthorsarelistedforthearticle].
TheVechernayaMoskva(theMoscoweveningnewspaper)ranBenjamin'sarticleonadistinguishedGermanwriternotatallknownabroad-Idon'trememberwhich.
.
.
perhapsH1lderlinorLichtenberg.
50InRussian,thereisnomentionofany"unusuallygoodimpression,"ofhow"extremelyimportant"theassignmentonGoethewas,thathisessaywas"in-depth,"orthatHilderlinis"distinguished.
"TheRussianpassagereadssimply:BernhardintroducedBenjamintotheeditorsoftheGreatSoviet48.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf71(italicsadded).
49.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika117-18.
50.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf55(italicsadded).
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions176TheWritingofAsjaLacisEncyclopedia,andtheygavehimtheassignmentonGoethe,whichwaslaterprinted.
AndBenjaminpublishedanarticleinVechernayaMoskvaonF.
H61lderlin.
51Toconclude,considerationofLacis'sRussianmemoirservestohigh-lighttheagendaofitsGermanversionanditsaggrandisementofBen-jamin.
InlookingfirstatLacis'sGermanmemoirandtheconditionsofitsproduction,andthenturningtohowshehasbeenrepresentedbyBenjaminandhisrewriters,wesawtheemergenceofanunsympa-thetic,cynicallyeroticPartyfunctionary,whointurninflectsourviewofBenjaminasamarginal,wronglydisregardedgenius.
Inthefinalsec-tion,wesawhowconsiderationofevenoneadditionaltextcanacttocounterbalancethemyth-makingofpreviousrewriters.
MichaelAndreBernsteinfinds"somethingdistastefullyself-flatteringinthezealwithwhichBenjamin'slegendhasbeenembracedandamplifiedbyhismoreclamorousadmirers,"continuingthat:Itisour'enormouscondescension'totheintellectualworldthatBenjamininhabitedthatletsusrecyclesuchthinnarrativesasthemyththatheuniquelyembodiedEuropeanculture's'redemptive'hopes,anditisthescarcelydisguisedwishtobeacclaimedashissuccessorthatpromptsliterarycriticswhosecircumstancesaresoutterlydifferentfromhistoannouncetheiridentificationwithBen-jamin'sstruggles.
.
.
[andtheirpreference]insteadtofocusentirelyonthestoryofBenjamin'sfinalyearsasanexileinParis,andonhisfutile,too-long-delayeddecisiontomakeuseoftheAmericanvisathatHorkheimerhadsecuredforhim.
Inadditiontotheirintrinsicvalueandtheusetheycouldbeinhelp-ingtolocateshiftsinideologyandgenderthatcontinuetotraversetheterrainofwhatisnowtheformerEasternBlocandthatareincreas-inglytheattentionoftransnationalfeministacademicpractices,thetwovolumesofLacis'smemoirscallattentiontothemyth-makinginherentinBenjaminianaandencouragearevisitingandrevaluingofthewayLacis'srelationshipwithBenjaminhasthusfarbeenrepresented.
AnnaLaciswasaremarkablewoman,asBenjaminwaswellaware,onewor-thyofthesamewordswithwhichTorilMoiconcludesherintellectualbiographyofSimonedeBeauvoir:51.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika118.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram177Readingherautobiography,Iamstruckatoncebyherstrength,energyandvitality,andbyherhelplessnessandfragility.
WhenIrealizehowharditwasforhertogainasenseofautonomyandindependence,Ifindherachievementsallthemoreadmirable.
Toadmire,however,isnottoworship.
Wedonotneedtobeperfect,SimonedeBeauvoirteachesus,wesimplyneednevertogiveup.
Tome,thatisbothacomfortingandanutterlydauntingproject.
5252.
TorilMoi,SimonedeBeauvoir:TheMakingofanIntellectualWoman(Oxford&Cambridge:Blackwell,1994)257.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions
Thisdidnothappen.
The1955publicationofBenjamin'sSchriftensawtheremovalofthededicationofOne-WayStreettohis'girl-friendinRiga';thenameofLacisasco-authorofthe'Naples'essaywasalsostricken.
"'Anotherthreedecadeshavepassed,andLacishasyettoreceivetherecognitionshedeserves.
Creditgivenherasco-authorof"Naples"inBenjamin's1978collectionofessays,Reflections,linkedhernameirrevocablywithBenjamin's.
2ShewouldnowseemtobefirmlyensconcedinBenjaminstudiesasthefemmefataleresponsibleforseducinghimwithMarxistmaterialismawayfromhisJewishheritageandfaithfulwife.
Theblurbonthebackofthe1986EnglishtranslationofBenjamin'sMoscowDiaryoffersasuccinctsummationofthismyth:PerhapstheprimaryreasonforthistripwashisaffectionforAsjaLacis,aLatvianBolshevikwhowouldremainanimportantintellec-tualanderoticinfluenceonhimthroughoutthetwentiesandthirties.
31.
HildegardBrenner,"Nachwort,"AsjaLacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf"BerichteiiberproletarischesTheater,iiberMeyerhold,Brecht,BenjaminundPiscator,ed.
Hilde-gardBrenner(Munich:Rogner&Bernhard,1971,1976)113.
AllquotationsfromLacis'sworkaremyown.
2.
WalterBenjaminandAsjaLacis,"Naples,"Reflections:Essays,Aphorisms,AutobiographicalWritings,ed.
PeterDemetz,trans.
EdmundJephcott(NewYork:SchockenBooks,1978)163-73.
3.
WalterBenjamin,MoscowDiary,ed.
GarySmith,trans.
RichardSieburth(Cambridge&London:HarvardUP,1986).
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions160TheWritingofAsjaLacisItgoesontohailthediaryas:ononelevel,theaccountofhismasochisticloveaffairwiththiselu-sive-andratherunsympathetic-objectofdesire.
Onanotherlevel,itisthestoryofafailedromancewiththeRussianRevolution.
TheparallelisminthispassagebetweenBenjamin'sromancewithbothLacisandtherevolutionsuggeststhattheformerhasbeenfashionedtofitthenarrativeofa"failedromance.
"Theforcesbehindthecreationofthis"elusive-andratherunsympathetic-objectofdesire"remainunex-plored.
Anobituaryandabookreviewrepresenttheextentoftheinter-estLacishasthusfargeneratedinEnglish.
4Thepurposeofthisarticleistomakeknownthestoryimmersedundertheweightofstereotypicalref-erencestothis"LatvianBolshevik.
"Itarguesthattheway"AsjaLacis"figuresinBenjaminianaistheproductofveryspecificlinguistic,ideo-logicalandindustrialforces,anditshowshowrewritingpracticeshaveformed,informedanddeformedourviewofBenjamin.
5OneneednotlookfartouncovertheelementsofBenjamin'slifestorythatmadeitripeforcultification.
"Ifitwereaphotograph,"LindaHavertyRugghaswritten,"thestoryofWalterBenjamin'slifewouldbeinthesepiatonesofnineteenth-centuryimages,imbuedwiththecolorwehavecometoassociatewithnostalgiaandregret.
"6MichaelAndreBernsteinhasfurthernotedthat:Curiously,Benjamin'scompulsiontoactagainsthisowninterests,andsometimesevenagainsthischancesforsurvival,hasonlyenhancedtheglamorofhisposthumouscanonization.
Hislifeand4.
HeinzUweHaus,"InMemoriamAsjaLacis,"TheBrechtYearbook12(1983):141-47;andPattyLeeParmalee,Reviewof"RevolutioniirimBeruf,"NewGermanCri-tique2(1975):163-66.
InGerman,FritzMierau'sRusseninBerlin:Literatur,Malerei,Theater,Film,1918-1933(Leipzig:Reclam,1991)andHansMayer'sDerZeitgenosseWalterBenjamin(Frankfurt:JiidischerVerlag,1992)engagewithherinalessthanstereo-typicalfashion,akintoSusanBuck-Morss's.
ThestandardmonographonLacisisinLatvian:M.
Miglane,etal.
,AnnaLacis(Riga:Liesma,1973).
Alsoofinterestisthe"MommyDearest"memoirbyherdaughterDagmaraKimele,Asja:RezisoresAnnasLacesdekainadzive(Riga:Liktenstasti,1996).
5.
Iintendtheterm"rewriting"asAndreLefeveredoesinTranslation,RewritingandtheManipulationofLiteraryFame(London&NewYork:Routledge,1992)toincludethemanypracticesinfluencingreceptionandcanonization,suchastranslation,anthologization,historiography,criticismandediting.
6.
LindaHavertyRugg,PicturingOurselves:PhotographyandAutobiography(Chicago:UofChicagoP,1997)162.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram161hisworkshaveacquiredtheauraofalegend,andthedecisiveturning-pointsinhiscareer,fromhissemi-deliberatefailuretosecuretheHabilitationcertificationrequiredforteachingataGer-manuniversity,tohissuicideaftercrossingthePyreneesandreachingPortBouinSpaininSeptember1940,havebeendescribedsooftenandwithsuchreverencethattheybegintoseemlikeset-piecesfromanorthodoxhagiography.
7ThewayBenjaminhascometobeconstructedas"thelastGerman-Jewishintellectual,"8"awandererwhoburiedhimselfinbooks,"9"anarchetypalOldWorldintellectual.
.
.
anoutsiderforalltimes-includingourown,"10and"anintellectualcultfigure,aphilosophicalsaint.
.
.
[who]sixtyyearsafterhissuicide.
.
.
seemspoisedtobecomeapop-cul-tureicon"11hascertainlyresonatedintheAnglo-Americanculturalimagination.
OnecouldpointtosuchcultifyingspinoffsasJayParini'sfictionalBenjamin'sCrossingandLarryMcMurtry'sautobiographicalmusingsinWalterBenjaminattheDairyQueen,toShadowtime,anoperabasedonBenjamin'slifeandwritings,12ortoTrilectic,arecordbyJewliaEisenberg,thelyricsofwhicharebasedonBenjamin'swrit-ings.
AsthisstudyofAsjaLacisdemonstrates,themythologicalparame-tersoftheironicherothathavecontributedtotheriseinBenjamin'spopularityhavealsosubstantiallyinfluencedthefashioningofhissup-portingcast.
ThefirstsectionofthisarticleintroducesLacisasshewasintroducedtoscholarswestoftheIronCurtainintheheadydaysofthe'68ers,whileasecondsectionqueriesthecanonicalviewofherasittakesshapeinBenjamin'sMoscowDiaryanditsinter-texts.
Afinalsec-tionthenoffersanalternateviewofLacisbasedonmaterialhithertounaddressedinwhatMarkKingwallhasdescribedas"oneofthoseweirdconfluencesofthepopularandthescholarlythatourcultureproduces7.
MichaelAndr6Bernstein,"One-WayStreet,"NewRepublic217.
23(8Dec.
1997)accessedviatheinternetdatabaseAcademicSearchElite.
8.
GeneShaw,"BookReviews:Arts&Humanities,"LibraryJournal124.
10(1Jun.
1999):111.
9.
FredInglis,"AWandererwhoBuriedHimselfinBooks,"TimesHigherEduca-tionSupplement1430(7Apr.
2000):24-25.
10.
OnthedustcoverofJayParini,Benjamin'sCrossing(NewYork:HenryHolt,1997).
11.
MarkKingwall,"ArcadianAdventures:WalterBenjamin,theConnoisseurofEverydayLife,"Harper's300.
1798(Mar.
2000):70.
12.
SeeCharlesBernstein,"11InterrogationsfromShadowtime,"boundary227.
2(Summer2000):73-81.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions162TheWritingofAsjaLacisnowandthen,"l13thatis,theBenjaminindustry.
Eschewingthetypicalbiographicalsketch,"BornonacountryestateinLatviain1891,AnnaErnestovnaLaciswastheonlydaughteroftrades-folk,"letmeintroduceLacisasHildegardBrennerdid.
Brennerhadcon-tactedLacisinRigaforinformationaboutBenjaminandtheresult,along,detailedletter,wasprintedinAlternative.
14Itbegins:"DearDr.
HildegardBrenner-AllofBenjamin'slettersarekaput.
Icanonlyofferyousomeobservations,"whichshethenproceedstodo.
15ThisletterwasfollowedupwithLacis'sreminiscencesofbuildingachildren'stheaterinOrelin1918andBenjamin's"ProgramforaProletarianChildren'sTheater,"16whichappearedinthetheaterjournalPerformance,in1973,theonlytimeanythingofLacis'shaseverbeenpublishedinEnglish.
17OnehastheimpressionthatBrennerwaspleasantlysurprisedtohavecomeacrosssuchawide-rangingsourceofinformation.
HerinitialrequestresultednotonlyintheAlternativeselectionsbutalsoinavol-umeofmemoirs,RevolutionirimBerufwhichwaspublishedin1971tocoincidewithLacis'seightiethbirthday,andwhichincludesanafter-wordbyBrennerenumeratingLacis'saccomplishmentsandrelevance.
ForBrenner,Laciswasanimportantlinkinreconstructingthecircum-stancesofintellectuallifeintheWeimarRepublicingeneralandoftheproletarianworker'smovementinparticular.
Thesubtitleofthevolume,ReportsonProletarianTheater,onMeyerhold,Brecht,BenjaminandPiscator,isindicativeofBrenner'sinterest.
Lacisconcentratesonwhatshewasabletoaddtoknowledgeaboutwell-known,left-leaning,male13.
Kingwall70.
14.
AsjaLacis,"BriefanHildegardBrenner,"Alternative56-57(Oct.
-Dec.
1967):211-14.
15.
TheendingoftheletterisalsoofinterestasitdrawsattentiontotheresponsivenatureofLacis'swritinginGerman:"OfcourseIhadastrongpoliticalinfluenceonW.
B.
andhebecamemoreinvolvedinthestudyofMarxism.
Butmyinfluenceonlyhadaneffectbecausethegroundhadalreadybeenlaid.
ItriedtobeasimilarinfluenceonWernerKrausbutIfailed:heremainedthereactionaryhewas.
RolfTiedemann'sassertionisridiculous.
IcouldwriteanentirebookaboutBenjamin-butI'llclosenow-perhapsyoudon'tneedsuchmaterialatall.
Respectfullyyours,AnnaLazis(calledAsja);14/XI/67Riga.
ps/WBvisitedmeandBernhardReichinMoscow(approx.
1927),hewroteonGoethefortheGreatSovietEncyclopediaandalsosomenewspaperarticles.
A.
L.
"16.
Lacis,"Das'ProgrammeinesproletarischenKindertheaters':ErinnerungenbeimWiederlesen,"Alternative59-60(Apr.
-June1968):64-67.
Furtherreminiscences,whichformedthebasisofhermemoir,werepublishedas"StaidteundMenschen.
Erin-nerungen,"SinnundForm21(1969):1326-57.
17.
Lacis&Benjamin,"BuildingaChildren'sTheater.
2Documents,"trans.
JackZipes&SusanBuck-Morss,Performance1(1973):22-32.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram163personalities.
BothLacis'spersonalcircumstancesandhertheatricalcon-nectionsaredownplayed,forexample,inglosses:"AdecisivestageformewasworkinginRiga.
(Personalcircumstanceshadbroughtmeback).
"18Whenthevolumewasreprintedin1976,scaledbackbytenpages,itwastheseareas-thechildhoodreminiscences,descriptionsofrelativesandatranslatedexcerptfromherRussianbookonRevolution-aryTheaterinGermany-whichwereshortened,necessitatingchangingthetitleofthefirstchapterfrom"Latvia:IntheVillage/Riga"to"St.
Petersburg,Moscow,1913/17,"whichhadoriginallybeenthetitleofchaptertwo.
ThusitwasintheguiseofanimpersonalMarxistfunction-arythatLaciswasfirstintroducedintoscholarshipintheWest.
Thisguisewasnottoimproveprimarilyduetothefactthat,fouryearsafterthissecondedition,and53yearsafterthefact,WalterBenjamin'sMoskauerTagebuchappearedwithSuhrkamp.
Intheafterwordtothe1986Englishtranslation(butnotablynotintheoriginal"EditorischeNotiz"),editorGarySmithinformsusthatthediaryhadnotbeenpub-lishedearlier,"fortworeasons.
First,thepublishinghousedecidednottoissuethediaryduringthelifetimeofAsjaLacis(shediedin1979).
Sec-ondly,thediarywasscheduledforpublicationinthesixthvolumeofBenjamin'sGesammelteSchriften,whichcontainsallofhisextantauto-biographicalwritingsandfragments,otherthanthoseoftheParisArcadesProject.
"l19ItisunfortunatethatLaciswasthusdeprivedoftheopportunitytorespondtoBenjamin'sportrayalofher.
AspointedoutinbothGershomScholem'sprefaceandGarySmith'safterword(bothofwhichIwilldiscussafterabriefreadingofthediaryitself),Lacisisinte-graltothediary'snarrativeandthematicstructures.
ThediarybeginswithBenjamin'sarrivalinMoscow,onDecember6,1926,whereheismetby,andimmediatelydisplaces,Asja'shusband,BernhardReich:Then,asIwasmakingmywayoutoftheBelorussian-Balticrail-waystation,Reichappeared.
.
.
Weloadedourselvesandthetwosuitcasesintoasleigh.
Athawhadsetinthatday,itwaswarm.
Wehadonlybeenunderwayafewminutes,drivingdownthebroadTverskaiawithitsgleamofsnowandmud,whenAsja18.
Thesecircumstancesinvolvedaharrowingtripacrosscivil-war-tornLatviatobewithherdyingmother,whodiedshortlybeforeshecouldgetthere.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf32.
19.
GarySmith,"Afterword,"MoscowDiary145.
AllquotationsfromBenjamin'sdiaryaretakenfromSieburth'stranslation,hereaftercitedparentheticallywithinthetext.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions164TheWritingofAsjaLaciswavedtousfromthesideofthestreet,Reichgotoutandwalkedtheshortremainingdistancetothehotel,wetookthesleigh.
(9)WhenBenjaminleavesMoscowonFebruary1,thenarrativebreaksoffnotwithhisactualdeparturefromthecitybutwithhisfinalfare-wellfromAsja,andonewillnotethesymmetrywithhisarrival,oneofmanyexamplesofthediary'simmaculateconstruction:Iaskedhertohailasleigh.
AsIwasabouttogetin,havingsaidgood-byetoheronemoretime,IinvitedhertoridetothecornerofTverskaiawithme.
Idroppedheroffthere,andasthesleighwasalreadypullingaway,Ionceagaindrewherhandtomylips,rightinthemiddleofthestreet.
Shestoodtherealongtime,wav-ing.
Iwavedbackfromthesleigh.
Atfirstsheseemedtoturnaroundasshewalkedaway,thenIlostsightofher.
Holdingmylargesuitcaseonmyknees,Irodethroughthetwilitstreetstothestationintears.
(121)20Inaddition,mostoftheinitialentriesbeginwithareferencetoAsja.
December8:"Asjadroppedbyinthemorning"(12);December9:"Asjaagaincamebyinthemorning"(14);December10:"WegoseeAsjainthemorning"(16);December12:"ReichtookawalkwithAsjainthemorning"(19);December14(writtenonthe15th):"IshallnotseeAsjatoday"(21);December15:"ReichsteppedoutbrieflyafterhegotupandIhopedIwouldbeabletogreetAsjainprivate.
Butshedidn'tturnup"(25);December16:"IwaswritingmydiaryandhadgivenuphopethatAsjawouldstopby.
Thensheknocked.
Assheenteredtheroom,Iwantedtokissher.
Asusual,itprovedunsuccess-ful"(27).
Therecanbeno"perhaps"aboutLacisbeingtheprimaryrea-sonforBenjamin'scomingtoMoscow,asindicatedonthebackoftheEnglishtranslation;nordoesthevisitappeartohavegoneverywell.
Afterthefirstthreemornings,theirvisitsseemtohavedroppedoffsomewhat,whileBenjaminseemstohaveremainedcocoonedincon-siderationsofwhetherhewouldreallywantarelationshipwithher,ignoringherfeelingsonthematter,nottomentiontheveryawkwardpositionhisattentionsputherin,nottomentionthefactthatshewas20.
Intheoriginal,thefinalwordis"Bahnhof"':"Mitdemgrol3enKofferaufmeinemSchoBefuhrichweinenddurchdieddimmemdenStraBenzumBahnhof,"which,giventheNorthernGermanexpression,"ichverstehenurBahnhof"[Idon'tunderstandanything],provesapoignantsummationofBenjamin'sdifficultiesintheRussiancapital.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram165notwellandhadbeenhospitalizedforaseriousneuraldisorder(andnot,asherGermanmemoirindicates,anervousbreakdown,apointonwhichIelaborateintheconcludingsection).
BenjamindoesnotseemtohavehadmuchsympathyforthestateofLacis'shealthorforthediffi-cultiesofhersituation.
Asherstayinthesanatoriumapproachesanend,BenjamininvitesReichforacupofcoffeeandrecountstheircon-versationintheentryforDecember26asfollows:HespokeofAsja'schronicboutsofanxiety,whichforthemostpartwerefocusedonDaga,andhewentintothewholestoryofherMos-cowresidenceonceagain.
Ihadoftenmarveledatthepatienceheshowedindealingwithher.
Andevennowhewasnotshowingtheslightesttracesofillhumororbitterness,onlythetensionthatthistalkwithmewasreleasing.
HelamentedthefactthatAsja's'ego-ism'wasfailingherpreciselynowthateverythingdependedontak-ingiteasyandlettingthingsfollowtheircourse.
Heranxietyaboutwheretolivenext,thethoughtthatitwouldmostprobablyentailmoving,greatlytormentedher.
.
.
.
Asamatteroffact,Ihadnotnoticedheranxiety.
Itwouldonlystrikemethefollowingday.
(45)"Asja"wasnotapersonforBenjamininwhomonenotedsuchemo-tionsasanxiety.
Rather,shewaslikeMoscow,an"almostimpregnablefortress"(34),therefortheconquering,ortheimpregnating.
21OnDecember20,forinstance,hedescribesthefrustrationshefacesas:somanybastions,anditisonlythetotalimpossibilityofadvancinganyfurther,onlythefactthatAsja'sillness,oratleastherweak-ness,pushesourpersonalaffairsintothebackgroundthatkeepsmefrombecomingcompletelydepressedbyallthis.
(35)NorisMoscowtheonlycityBenjaminfeminizesinhiswork;inhisautobiographical"ABerlinChronicle"hedescribesthemiddleperiodofhislifeinBerlin"extendingfromthewholeofmylaterchildhoodtomyentrancetotheuniversity:[as]aperiodofimpotencebeforethecity.
"2221.
Intheoriginal,Benjaminwritesoffindinghimselffacing"einefastuneinnehm-bareFestung"(50).
Sieburth'stranslationechoesacommentbyScholeminthepreface:"SiebleibtnuralsEmpfangerinseinerBerichte,"(14),[sheisthereonlytoreceivehisreports;tonoteisthat"empfangen"alsomeans"toconceiveachild"]aswellasBenjamin'sowncommentlaterinthepassagethat,"TodayItoldherthatInowwantedtohaveachildbyher"(35,italicsadded).
Herresponsetothiscommentgoesconspicuouslyunnoted.
22.
Benjamin,Reflections4.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions166TheWritingofAsjaLacisSituatinghimselfinsuchhostile,potentiallyfatal(e)urbanterrain,Ben-jaminfigureshimselfasanotparticularlyhardybutnonethelessbattle-readyDavidfacingoneicilyforbidding,disorientinganddrainingGoli-athafteranother.
AsMichaelAndr6Bernsteinhaspointedout,wewoulddowelltobewaryofsuchself-servingself-representation:Likeanyauthor,Benjaminconfrontedrejectionandindifference;butcompared,say,toAdorno'searlywork,Benjamin'scommandedconsiderablymoreattentionandrespect.
Evenhisimmenselydiffi-cultbookonGermantragicdramawasfavorablyreviewedinmanyofhiscountry'srelevantperiodicals,aswellasinimportantjour-nalsinHungary,France,Austria,andEngland.
AndyetitistheimageofBenjaminasamarginal,disregardedgeniuswhoseradicalinsightsonlyposterityhasbeenabletoappreciatethathasbecomepartofourownrepertoireofreceivedideas,fixedsosecurelythat,perhaps,nofactualcounter-evidencewilleverquitedislodgeit.
23AshisMoscowDiarymakesclear,thisimageofBenjaminasa"mar-ginal,disregarded"figureisoneofhisownmaking,andoneinneedofaparticularsupportingcast,whichbothheandhisrewritersthenprovided.
ItisinScholem'sprefacetoMoscowDiarythatthevilifyingofLacisismostblatant.
ScholemisnotlikelytohavebeenkindlydisposedtothepersonheconsideredhismaincompetitorinthebattleplayedoutbetweenJudaismandMarxisminthesecondhalfofthe1920sforBenjamin'sallegiance,thepersonheheldresponsibleforinterferingwiththearrange-mentshehadmadeforBenjamintoreceiveastipendwhichwastobringhimtoJerusalemtostudyHebrew.
24TheshadingScholemisinterestedingivingBenjamin'srelationtoRussia,andhisMarxisttendenciesingeneral,canbeseenintheemphasisintheprefaceonthe"sharpcontrastbetweentheoptimisticexpectationsthatBenjamininitiallyharboredcon-cerningtheshapehisrelationswiththeMoscowliterarymilieumighttakeandthebitterdisappointmentsthatawaitedhimthereinreality"23.
Bernstein,accessedviatheinternetdatabaseAcademicSearchElite.
24.
FortheircorrespondenceonBenjamin'sproposedtriptoPalestine,seeBen-jamin,TheCorrespondenceofWalterBenjamin,1910-1940,eds.
GershomScholem&TheodorW.
Adorno,trans.
ManfredR.
Jacobson&EvelynM.
Jacobson(Chicago&Lon-don:UofChicagoP,1994)esp.
339,346,359,364-65.
GiventhatScholemwasalsocloselyacquaintedwithBenjamin'swife,Dora,andthathereceivedheraccountingoftheentiredivorceprocess,itisunderstandablethathewouldblameLacisforhavingarbitratedoverandseveredwhathesawasBenjamin'slife-linetohisJudaictradition.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram167(6).
25Scholemunderminesthereputedly"powerfulintellectualinflu-encethatshe[Lacis]exercisedoverhim"(7)bypointingoutthat"thediaryleavesuswithoutinsightintoorunderstandingofpreciselythisintellectualdimensionofthewomanheloved"(7-8).
ForScholem,the"absenceofanyconvincingevocationofherintellectualprofile"(8,apoint,onewillnote,hetakescaretorestate)isnotareflectionofhisfriend'sambivalentattitudetowardstherelationshipbutratherofLacis'sperfidy.
Itis"hercontinualrejections,andfinallyeventheeroticcynicismthatshedisplaystonouncertainextent"(8,italicsadded)whichistoblameforthe"infinitelyproblematic"(7)natureoftherelationship,andnotthefactthatBenjaminwaschasingawomanverymuchtogetherwithanotherman,one,moreover,whohadalreadysuccessfullyadaptedtolifeinSovietRussia.
Scholempreferstoleavemattersenigmaticandcloseshisprefacewiththehyperbolicstatement:This[absenceofanyconvincingevocationofherintellectualpro-file]isborneoutbyeverybodywhowitnessedBenjamintogetherwithAsjaLacis:inconveyingtheirimpressionstome,theywereallbewilderedbythesetwoloverswhodidnothingbutquarrel.
Andthiswasin1929and1930,whenshecametoBerlinandFrankfurtandBenjaminwasgettingdivorcedonheraccount!
Partofthepuz-zlethereforeremainsunsolved,whichisinfactentirelyappropriatetoalifesuchasWalterBenjamin's.
(8,italicsadded)Thereareseveralpointstobenotedhere.
First,LacisdidnotcometoBerlintoseeBenjaminbutratherbecauseshehadbeenorderedtodosobyherSovietbosses.
NorwashertriptoFrankfurtmotivatedbyper-sonalconsiderations-shewentthereinordertoseekmedicaltreat-mentandBenjamin,infact,refusedtoaccompanyher.
ThirdisthematterofBenjamin'sdivorce,whichIwillhavereasontodiscusspres-ently.
IwillonlynoteherethatReichandDagacametovisitLacisinBerlinandstayedforamonth,sotherecanbenodoubtthatBenjaminknewsheandReichwerestillverymuchtogether.
Thisconstructionof25.
InhisWalterBenjamin:TheStoryofaFriendship,ScholemspeakscandidlyofhisdifferenceswithBenjaminovercommunisminthechapterentitled"TrustfromaDis-tance:1924-1926":"Tome,communisminitsMarxistformconstitutedthediametricallyoppositepositiontotheanarchisticconvictionsthatBenjaminandIhithertohadsharedpolitically.
ThiswasthebeginningofasplitinBenjamin"(Frankfurt/Main:Suhrkamp,1975),herecitedinHarryZohn'stranslation,WalterBenjamin:TheStoryofaFriendship,(Philadelphia:TheJewishPublicationSocietyofAmerica,1981)123.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions168TheWritingofAsjaLacisBenjamin'slifeasenigmatic,anunsolvedpuzzle,isdesignedbyScholemtofittheversionofBenjaminthathewantedtoestablish,thatis,aJewishBenjaminwhohad"superimposedMarxismuponareli-gious,andultimatelymystical,imagination.
"26ScholemassumesthatforthereaderofLacis'sGermanmemoirs,Benjamin'sMoscowDiary"willcomeasanunpleasantanddepressingsurprise"(7).
HeevengoessofarastocallBenjamin'sdiary"thenarrativeofacourtship"(8).
Ifthereisanythingthatisunpleasantanddepressing,thoughnotmuchofasurprise,itishis,andBenjamin's,inabilitytotreatLacisasanythingmorethananobjectofundisputederoticcynicism.
GarySmithismoreastutethanScholeminrecognizingthedynamicsofBenjamin'srelationshipwith"MotherRussia.
"WhileScholemconsidersBenjamin'srelationshipwithBernhardReichas"moreimportantto[Ben-jamin's]activitiesinMoscowandintellectuallymoreinstructivethanwashisrelationshipwithAsjaLacis"(7),Smithemphasizesinhisafterwordthattherelationshipbetweenthetwomenis"anythingbuttransparent:theyshareapassionforthesamewoman,liveunderthestrainofdailycontact,andhavecompetitivejournalisticaims"(139).
IfSmithtellsthestoryofatriangle,itisnotbetweenBenjamin,LacisandReich,butratherbetweenBenjamin,BrechtandtheSovietUnion,forwhichLacisservedasconduit.
27Nevertheless,hisobservationthat"[j]ustasBen-jamincouldidentifydifferentCyrilliccharacterswhilebeingunabletodiscerntheirmeanings,hecouldobserveaperformanceordiscussionandnotunderstanditsimport"(138)capturesboththespiritofBenjamin'salmosttwomonthsinMoscow,aswellashisrelationshipwithLacis.
GivenSmith'sbalanced,prominentlyplacedaccountingofLacis'sinfluenceonBenjaminintheafterwordtothe1986translation,thebrazen,sensationalistportraitureofherinthe1991Benjaminiana.
EinebiografischeRecherche,whichheputtogetherwithHansPutt-nies,comesassomethingofalet-down.
PuttniesandSmithdevotethefourthchapteroffivetoBenjamin'smarriageandthepersonofhis26.
DavidStem,"TheManwithQualities,"NewRepublic212.
15(10Apr.
1995):accessedviatheinternetdatabaseAcademicSearchElite.
27.
InWalterBenjaminundBertoldBrecht:AnsdtzezueinerdialektischenAsthetikindendreif3igerJahren(St.
Ingbert:WernerJ.
Rohrig,1993),InezMilllercoversthesameterritoryingreaterdetailwithbutapaltryreferencetoLacisintheintroduction.
28.
HansPuttniesandGarySmith'sBenjaminiana:EineBiografischeRecherche(Giessen:Anabas,1991)hasnotyet,tomyknowledge,beentranslatedintoEnglish.
Alltranslationsfromitaremyown.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram169ex-wife:"Ehetacheles:EinLebenmitDoraBenjamin"("MarriageGoings-on:ALifewithDoraBenjamin").
WhileDoraisnotportrayedinaparticularlysympatheticmanner-sheisintroducedasan"AlmaMahlerenminiature"(135,italicsinoriginal)andreferredtoas"eineSprech-maschine"("awindbag,"156),thedivorceisrecountedfromherperspective,fromwhichLacisappearsamonsterresponsibleforreducingher"poorWalter"toacreaturewho,asDorawritesScholem,"consistsonlyofheadandsexualorgans,everythingelsehasbeencom-pletelyshutoff,andyouknow,orcanimagine,thatinsuchcasesitdoesn'tlastlonguntiltheheadisalsoswitchedoff'(145).
AccordingtoDora,Lacisis"theonlyrealcalamity"(144)themarriageisunabletowithstand,andPuttniesandSmith,intheirtextconnectingthesedoc-uments,assumeDora'sattitude.
TheydenigrateLacis'sworkinBerlin:"sheendedupinNovember1928inanunimportantpositionwiththeRussiantrademissioninBerlin"(144),andmisrepresentherpresenceinCapri,implyingthatshehasfledtherefromMoscowtoescapetherestructuringoftheSovieteconomy:"AsjaLacis.
.
.
hadmanagedtofleefromtheNewEconomicPlaninMoscow"(144).
AnyreaderofLacis'sGermanmemoir,whichSmithobviouslywasashequotesfromitintheafterwordtoMoscowDiary,wouldknowthatLacisdidnotgotoCaprifromMoscowbutratherfromMunichandnotforeconomicreasonsbutonaccountofherdaughter'spoorhealth.
ThepassageinARevolutionarybyProfessionreads:"WespentthespringandsummerwithReichinItaly-(Daga,myyoungdaughter,hadcomedownwithpneumoniaandthedoctorshadurgentlyrecommendedCapri)"(41).
PublishingDora'sletterstoScholemmayservescholarshipwellinofferingevidenceofthedecidedlydisadvantageouspositionofawomanindivorceproceedingsintheGermanyofthe1920s.
OnecanwellimaginewhatanordealthewholeprocessmusthavebeenforherandhowfrustratingitmusthavebeentohavesupportedBenjaminforsolongonlytohavehimpubliclyflauntanotherrelationship.
ItisasadironythattheexposingofDora'sdistresshadtobeatanotherwoman'sexpense,butonecertainlyinkeepingwiththeimageofLacisintheWestasBenjamin'scynicalcommunistgirlfriend.
WhataDifferenceaLanguageMakes:Russianvs.
GermanThefinalpartofthisarticlewillgobeyondtheGerman-languagebasedimageof"AsjaLacis"andturnnowto"AnnaErnestovnaThiscontentdownloadedfrom147.
213.
131.
2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions170TheWritingofAsjaLacisLacis.
"29ARevolutionarybyProfessionwasnotLacis'sonlymemoir.
In1984,fiveyearsafterherdeath,KrasnayaGvozdika[TheRedCarna-tion]waspublishedinSovietRiga.
30TheRedCarnationisLacis'sstoryasshechosetorewrite,andexpandupon,theGermanversionanditdivergesfromBrenner'sassemblageinkeyrespectsresultinginamuchmorepersonableperceptionofher.
TheonlyreviewoftheGermanmemoirtoappearinEnglishcriticizesLacisforherimpersonalapproach:Butifitishersexthatcondemnshertoobscurity,sheseemstohavebeenanaccompliceintheplot:shehasasortof'female'mod-estyalmosttoafault.
.
.
.
ShedescribesBrecht'sandBenjamin'shomes,habits,dressindetailbutnevermentionsherrelationshipwithBernhardReichorwhowasthefatherofherdaughterDaga.
Shereportstheideasofeveryoneinvolvedinproletariantheaterexcept(withafewexceptions)herown.
31TheRedCarnationcannotbeaccusedof"femalemodesty"orofwithholdingpersonaldetails.
InARevolutionarybyProfessiontheonlyreferencetoLacis'sfirsthusbandwasremovedfromthesecondedition:ImarriedJulijsLacisinacivilceremony;formymotheronlythechurchweddingmattered.
SheregardedtheunionwithLacisasapublicannoyanceandaseriousbreachofdecorum.
Shetookthe'disgrace'verymuchtoheart.
Shefellill.
Thedoctortoldme,'Yourmotherhasaseriousheartcondition.
Shemustn'tbeupset.
Medica-tionisofnouseinthiscase.
Onemusteliminatethecauseoftheproblem.
'Ihadtocomplyandhaveachurchwedding.
LaterIpaidforit.
GettingdivorcedfromLaciswashardonthenerves.
32TheRedCarnation,onthecontrary,offersareasonablyfullaccount-ingoftheirstory,beginningwithhowtheygotinvolved-"Ofallmyfriends,Mamapreferredastudentatthetechnicalcollege,JulijsLacis.
29.
ThehegemonyoftheGermantextcanbegaugedbythefactthattheonlytrans-lationofaLacismemoirthusfarpublishedinaWesternlanguageis:Profession:Rdvolu-tionnaire.
Surlethkdtreprolitarien:Meyerhold,Brecht,Benjamin,Piscator,trans.
&intro.
PhilippeIvernel,afterwordbyHildegardBrenner(Grenoble:PressesUniversitairesdeGrenoble,1989).
30.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika,Vospominanya(Riga:Liecma,1984).
31.
Parmalee164.
32.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf11.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram171Hewasawell-built,handsomeyoungmanwithwavyhairandlargegrayeyes.
Quiet,even-tempered,hewasverypleasingtometoo,"33andendingwiththereasonsfortheirdivorce.
OnherwayoutthedoortofaceacommissionfromMoscow,Julijsisreportedassaying:"Itwouldbereallywonderfulifthey'dfinallythrowyououtofthetheater!
"IstaredatJulijs:beforemyeyestherestoodastranger.
Wehadbeengrowingalienatedfromoneanotherforalongtime;dropbydrop,thehurtanddisappointmenthadcollected.
Andnowitwasasifaninvisiblecurtainhadbeenloweredbetweenus.
Ifeltcom-pletelyalone.
34TheRedCarnationalsoincludesthestoriesofLacis's"closefriend"35andBrecht'schiefassistant,ElisabethHauptman,thestoriesofheryouthfulexperiencesasagovernessandtutorinWarsaw,herrevolutionaryadventuresinLatviawhereshewasarrestedandimpris-oned,and,asalreadymentioned,herunsuccessfulattempttobewithherdyingmother.
Primarily,though,TheRedCarnationisalovestory,andaworkofmourning.
LacisbeganworkonitafterReich'sdeathin1972.
Shededicatedittohim-thededicationreads:"moemudrugu,"(which,althoughitmeans"tomyfriend,"wouldlikelybetranslatedthesedaysas"tomypartner"),andattimesitdescendsratherdrippilyintotheelegiac:ReichhadalreadyearnedaPh.
D.
inphilosophyinVienna,butinordertoworkinMoscowitwasnecessarytorequalify.
HebeganstudyingattheCommunistAcademyandcompletedadoctoralpro-gramwhichusuallytakessixyearsintwo.
TheprofessorsatRAN-ION(RussianAssociationofScientificResearchInstitutesofGeneralScience)valuedReich'sknowledgeofphilosophy,hiseru-ditionandintelligence.
Theyrecommendedhimforaresponsibleposition:hebecametheAcademicSecretaryofthetheaterdivisionoftheCommunistAcademy,andforsometime-thedeputydirec-torofGITIS(TheStateInstituteofTheaterArts),andhelecturedontheMarxist-Leninisttheoryofart.
.
.
.
Helecturedwithoutnotes,anddidn'tevenbringanywithhimfromhisofficeforcitations.
WhyBecausehecouldquotewholepagesfrommemory.
3633.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika27.
34.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika49.
35.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika80.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions172TheWritingofAsjaLacisHowever,intheprocessofrevealingherloveforReich,andforhermanyfriends,LacisbecomesforthereaderofTheRedCarnationaverysympathetic,veryhumanfigure,afarcryfromthepartyfunction-aryandcynicaltemptressshewouldappeartobeinGerman.
AsecondfactorcontributingtotheemergenceofamoresympatheticportraitofLacisinherRussianmemoiristhemannerinwhichherillhealthisdepicted.
IntheGermantext,shewrites:"ImSeptemberbekamicheinenNervenzusammenbruchundmuBteinsHospital"[InSeptemberIgotanervousbreakdownandhadtobehospitalized].
37Lacis'sknowl-edgeofGermanwasclearlylessthanperfect,andhereditorheremadenoattempttocorrecttheimpressionthatshehadundergonesomekindofpsychicandnotphysicalcollapse.
InRussian,thistypeofmisunderstand-inghasnochancetoarisebecauseLacissuppliesmorecontext:Itwassoonautumn,thecampswereclosing.
Onthefinalday,thechildrenputontheplaywhichtheyhadwrittenthemselves,anddanced,andrecited,andsang.
Andthenitwasover,wewentourseparateways.
ButwhenIgothome,Iwasn'tfeelingwell:mybodylistedtooneside,Isaweverythingdouble,Ilostmybal-ance.
SoIfirstwenttothehospital,andthentoasanitarium.
ReichwroteBenjaminthatIwasseriouslyill,andWalterhurriedtoMoscowfromBerlin.
38ThesecondtimeshementionssufferingsuchanattackisduringherstayinBerlin.
OnceagainsymptomsareincludedintheRussiantext:BernhardandDagaleftandIfellill:mycoordinationofmovementbecamedisturbed.
Benjamintookmetothefamousneuralsurgeon,KurtGoldstein.
'Ican'tdiagnoseyouinjustafewminutes,'Gold-steinsaidandinvitedmetocometohissanitariuminFrankfurtamMainfortreatment.
39WhileitisclearinRussianthatsheisbeingsenttoamedicaldoctorforaneuralcondition,theGermantextismoretelegraphicandambigu-ousconcerningthematter:36.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika111-13.
37.
Lacis,RevolutiondiirimBeruf54.
38.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika117.
39.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika136.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram173WhenIfellillinBerlin,BenjamintookmetothefamousProfessorKurtGoldstein,whohappenedtobeinBerlin.
Goldsteinsaidthathecouldn'tcuremeinafiveminutevisit.
Ishouldcometohissmall,privatesanatoriuminFrankfurtamMainfortreatment.
40NoreferenceismadeheretothekindofdoctorBenjamintookherto,nortothenatureofherillness.
Again,thereisnothingtocounteractthenegativeimpressionthatsheismentallyunstable.
AfinalnotabledifferencebetweenLacis'sRussianandGermanmemoirsrelevanttothepresentdiscussionisthewayLacisportraysherrelationshipwithBenjamin.
TheeditorialprioritiesofARevolutionarybyProfession:ReportsonProletarianTheater,onMeyerhold,Brecht,Ben-jaminandPiscator(andnotReich)areunmistakable.
WhenLacismen-tionsthat"Reich,BenjaminandIoftenwentforwalks"duringherconvalescenceinMoscow,itisnotReichwhoisthesubjectofdiscus-sionnextbut:"Benjaminwasrelativelycalm,hewroteanenthusiasticdescriptionofmajesticSt.
Basil's.
'41WhenLaciswrites,"AttheendofOctoberwe[i.
e.
,sheandReich]returnedtoGermany.
WelivedinBer-lin,"thetextagainoffersnodetailsoftheirrelations,herlifeorworktherebutrathercontinues"InBerlinIoftenmetupwithBenjamin.
"42Whenafterthewar,sheregainscontactwithBrecht:"Brechtrepliedimmediately,andwhenhewenttoMoscowheinvitedReichandmetocomeandmeethimthere,"theirfirstsubjectofdiscussionisrelatedas"IaskedaboutBenjamin,heanswered:Benjaminisdead.
"43ThattheseGermanprioritiesarenotLacis'sowncanbeseenbyturningtoTheRedCarnation,whereBenjaminisbutoneofmanyintellectualswithwhomLaciswasinvolvedoverthecourseofherlongandvariedlife.
AsArvidsGrigulis,thegrandpoobahofSovietLatvianletters,pointsoutinhishagiographicintroductiontoTheRedCarnation:Itsoriginalityisexplainedbyararegiftcharacteristicofitsauthor-theabilitytostrikeupanacquaintancewithexceptionalpeople.
WhetherinBerlinorinParis,nottomentionRiga,AnnaLaciswasalwaysabletogettoknowthosewhoseworkbestexpressedtheessenceoftheculturallifeoftheirtimes.
Itispossible,ofcourse,to40.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf64.
41.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf54.
42.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf48.
43.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf77.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions174TheWritingofAsjaLacisexplainthisbymanyfactors.
AnnaLaciswasawell-educatedwoman,withadegreefromtheBekhterevInstituteforPsycho-neurology,whohadstudiedatF.
Komisarjevsky'stheaterstudio,andgainednotalittleexperienceintheaestheticeducationofchil-dren;shewasawell-read,interestingconversationalist,withanexcellentknowledgeofRussian,GermanandFrenchliterature,asharpwitandatthesametimeapurelyfemininesensibility.
OneofthebestbooksoflovelyricsinLatvianliteraturewasdedicatedtoher-the'Ho-Tai'cycleofpoemsbyLinardsLaicens.
IntheRussianmemoir,Benjaminisameresubstitute:"WhenReichonceagainreturnedtoGermany,myguidebecameWalter;"44inGer-man,ReichneverreappearsinItalyafterBenjaminarrivesonthescene.
IntheRussiantext,Lacis'sinterestinBenjaminisprimarilydidactic.
Sheishappytodowhatevershecantohelphimfulfillhispolitical,andnotpersonal,desires:WhenWaltercametovisitmeinthesanatorium,hewouldsaywithgreatfeeling,'DoyouknowhowbadlyIwanttoliveandworkinMoscow!
Noteventhechaoticlivingconditionsputmeoff.
'TheonlythinghewantedtobringwithhimtoMoscowwas--hislibrary.
Severalyearslater,afterBenjaminhademigratedtoParis,Ireceivedaletterfromhim.
HeonceagainspokeofhisdesiretocometoMoscow,toliveandworkinthefirstcapitalintheworldwithasocialistgovernment.
45IntheRussianmemoir,itisBenjaminwhoisinfluencedbyLacis:"Itturnedoutthatourconversationsanddebateshadnotbeenineffectual.
Whenwemetupagainlater,inBerlin,WaltersaidthathewasreadingMarx,Engels,Lenin,Plechanov.
'A6TheemphasisintheGermantext,ontheotherhand,isonwhatLacislearnedfromBenjamin:"Backthen,inCapri,Ididn'tproperlycomprehendtheconnectionbetweenalle-goryandmodempoetics.
Inretrospect,InowunderstandhowclearlyWalterBenjaminsawthroughthemodemproblematicsofform.
"47TheGermantextconcentratesonBenjamin'sownindependentintellectualdevelopment:"IwouldliketonotethatthededicationofOne-Way44.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika88.
45.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika118.
46.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika86-87.
47.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf44.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram175Street.
.
.
pointstoaveryimportantchangeinworld-viewthatWalterBenjaminexperienced,thathefoundtheONEstreet.
"48IntheRussianmemoir,ontheotherhand,Benjaminisnotonlycompletelydependentonhisguidesbutalsoinfluencedbythem:BenjaminknewhowReichhadlivedbeforehisarrivalinMoscow,andwasastonishedthatBernhard,pamperedsincechildhoodandbroughtupinidealconditions,hadgivenupallbutthebareessen-tials,that'showitseemedtohim;hemayhaveworkedagreatdealbutwascontent.
LaterBenjaminunderstoodthatforReichthemainthingwas-faithinhisideas,forthesakeofwhichhesacrificedhispersonalcomfortandtrulyforgothimself.
Reich'sobsessivenesswascontagious,evenBenjamincaughtit.
49ThespecialtreatmentBenjaminreceivesintheGermantextseemsexaggeratedwhencomparedwithitsRussiancounterpart.
InGerman,forexample:ReichwaswritingatthetimefortheGreatSovietEncyclopedia.
HeintroducedBenjamintotheheadsofitsliterarysection.
Benjaminmadeanunusuallygoodimpressionontheeditors.
TheygavehimtheextremelyimportantassignmentofwritingonGoethe.
Hewroteanin-depthessay[Brenner'sfootnote:partsofwhichappearedintheLiterarischeWeltof7Dec.
1928,alsoinAlternative,56/57(1967):221ff.
Benjamin'sarticlefortheGreatSovietEncyclopediaunder-wenteditorialrevision;besidesBenjamin,twofurtherauthorsarelistedforthearticle].
TheVechernayaMoskva(theMoscoweveningnewspaper)ranBenjamin'sarticleonadistinguishedGermanwriternotatallknownabroad-Idon'trememberwhich.
.
.
perhapsH1lderlinorLichtenberg.
50InRussian,thereisnomentionofany"unusuallygoodimpression,"ofhow"extremelyimportant"theassignmentonGoethewas,thathisessaywas"in-depth,"orthatHilderlinis"distinguished.
"TheRussianpassagereadssimply:BernhardintroducedBenjamintotheeditorsoftheGreatSoviet48.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf71(italicsadded).
49.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika117-18.
50.
Lacis,RevolutiondrimBeruf55(italicsadded).
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditions176TheWritingofAsjaLacisEncyclopedia,andtheygavehimtheassignmentonGoethe,whichwaslaterprinted.
AndBenjaminpublishedanarticleinVechernayaMoskvaonF.
H61lderlin.
51Toconclude,considerationofLacis'sRussianmemoirservestohigh-lighttheagendaofitsGermanversionanditsaggrandisementofBen-jamin.
InlookingfirstatLacis'sGermanmemoirandtheconditionsofitsproduction,andthenturningtohowshehasbeenrepresentedbyBenjaminandhisrewriters,wesawtheemergenceofanunsympa-thetic,cynicallyeroticPartyfunctionary,whointurninflectsourviewofBenjaminasamarginal,wronglydisregardedgenius.
Inthefinalsec-tion,wesawhowconsiderationofevenoneadditionaltextcanacttocounterbalancethemyth-makingofpreviousrewriters.
MichaelAndreBernsteinfinds"somethingdistastefullyself-flatteringinthezealwithwhichBenjamin'slegendhasbeenembracedandamplifiedbyhismoreclamorousadmirers,"continuingthat:Itisour'enormouscondescension'totheintellectualworldthatBenjamininhabitedthatletsusrecyclesuchthinnarrativesasthemyththatheuniquelyembodiedEuropeanculture's'redemptive'hopes,anditisthescarcelydisguisedwishtobeacclaimedashissuccessorthatpromptsliterarycriticswhosecircumstancesaresoutterlydifferentfromhistoannouncetheiridentificationwithBen-jamin'sstruggles.
.
.
[andtheirpreference]insteadtofocusentirelyonthestoryofBenjamin'sfinalyearsasanexileinParis,andonhisfutile,too-long-delayeddecisiontomakeuseoftheAmericanvisathatHorkheimerhadsecuredforhim.
Inadditiontotheirintrinsicvalueandtheusetheycouldbeinhelp-ingtolocateshiftsinideologyandgenderthatcontinuetotraversetheterrainofwhatisnowtheformerEasternBlocandthatareincreas-inglytheattentionoftransnationalfeministacademicpractices,thetwovolumesofLacis'smemoirscallattentiontothemyth-makinginherentinBenjaminianaandencouragearevisitingandrevaluingofthewayLacis'srelationshipwithBenjaminhasthusfarbeenrepresented.
AnnaLaciswasaremarkablewoman,asBenjaminwaswellaware,onewor-thyofthesamewordswithwhichTorilMoiconcludesherintellectualbiographyofSimonedeBeauvoir:51.
Lacis,KrasnayaGvozdika118.
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2onThu,13Feb201417:15:51PMAllusesubjecttoJSTORTermsandConditionsSusanIngram177Readingherautobiography,Iamstruckatoncebyherstrength,energyandvitality,andbyherhelplessnessandfragility.
WhenIrealizehowharditwasforhertogainasenseofautonomyandindependence,Ifindherachievementsallthemoreadmirable.
Toadmire,however,isnottoworship.
Wedonotneedtobeperfect,SimonedeBeauvoirteachesus,wesimplyneednevertogiveup.
Tome,thatisbothacomfortingandanutterlydauntingproject.
5252.
TorilMoi,SimonedeBeauvoir:TheMakingofanIntellectualWoman(Oxford&Cambridge:Blackwell,1994)257.
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