Radio Benjamin

Starred review from August 18, 2014
This ebullient compendium collects Benjamin’s heretofore obscure and mostly untranslated radio broadcasts aired between 1927 and 1933. The majority were written for children, though there are a handful of literary musings, radio dramas, practical advice, and reflections on radio that aimed at adults as well. In his Berlin Youth Hour broadcasts, Benjamin addresses Berlin’s historical inheritance and cultural milieu, including its dialects, notable figures, architecture, and even its puppet theater. Benjamin also darkly recounts a number of historical catastrophes. In both their tone and mesmerizing array of subject matter, the broadcasts avoid the treacly condescension of contemporary children’s programming. This collection’s knowledgeable and deeply humanizing accounts of Berlin’s physical and cultural landscape illuminate a world that was, much like Benjamin himself, destroyed by the violence of WWII. Rosenthal delicately establishes context while letting the pieces speak for themselves and acknowledges what is irretrievably lost. The editor and translators reveal Benjamin as a person, not just a thinker, and highlight his raconteur’s finesse.

October 15, 2014

This title is a collection of transcripts of radio broadcasts that philosopher Benjamin (1892-1940) made from 1927 to 1933, translated into English. The broadcasts vary widely, with some offering advice for adults while others are sophisticated programs aimed at children. Editor Rosenthal's (Mourning Modernism) thorough introduction focuses on radio as a new medium and on Benjamin's life, including his exodus from Germany during World War II. Rosenthal divides the book into four sections; the first covers radio stories for children and contains almost 40 short stories--allegories exploring technological advancement, morals, and politics. The second part includes two radio plays aimed at children. Section three documents a variety of radio broadcasts of different kinds and topics, and the final segment features Benjamin's off-air writings on radio. VERDICT For scholars interested in the philosophy of Benjamin, this collection offers an important supplementary resource. Similarly, historians concerned with the early days of radio and the era will find these writings fascinating. Recommended for academic libraries.--William Simkulet, Univ. of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood Cty., Marshfield

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