Siegfried Kracauer; illustration by Henning Wagenbreth

 

The most recent issue of The New York Review of Books features Johannes von Moltke’s review essay, “Embracing Anonymity.” The essay discusses new collections and translations of works by the film critic, theorist, and novelist Siegfried Kracauer, along with the English language edition of his correspondence with Theodor W. Adorno, and his biography. Together, von Moltke concludes, these works allow us to see the desire for both recognition and anonymity as key aspects of Kracauer's life and work.