DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with historian Ronnie Grinberg about her book "Write Like a Man: Jewish Masculinity and the New York Intellectuals." Grinberg discusses the origins of her book and how the New York intellectuals, a group of predominantly Jewish male writers in the mid-20th century, developed a notion of secular Jewish masculinity characterized by verbal combativeness, polemical aggression, and an unflinching style of argumentation.
The discussion explores how these qualities were shaped by the intellectuals' immigrant backgrounds, their exclusion from mainstream ideals of masculinity at the time, and their embrace of Marxism as a "fighting faith." Grinberg also delves into the dynamics between the male intellectuals and prominent female writers like Diana Trilling, Hannah Arendt, and Mary McCarthy, who often faced condescension and dismissal despite their formidable intellects.
The episode further examines the connections between the intellectuals' conceptions of masculinity and their political ideologies, particularly the neoconservative movement led by figures like Norman Podhoretz and Midge Decter. Grinberg highlights how their anxieties about feminism, the gay rights movement, and the Black Power movement were rooted in concerns about the perceived emasculation of American culture and masculinity.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The New York intellectuals, a group of predominantly Jewish male writers in the mid-20th century, developed a notion of secular Jewish masculinity characterized by verbal combativeness, polemical aggression, and an unflinching style of argumentation.
- This conception of masculinity was shaped by their immigrant backgrounds, their exclusion from mainstream ideals of masculinity at the time, and their embrace of Marxism as a 'fighting faith.'
- The male intellectuals often dismissed or condescended to prominent female writers like Diana Trilling, Hannah Arendt, and Mary McCarthy, despite their formidable intellects.
- Figures like Norman Podhoretz and Midge Decter exhibited anxieties about feminism, the gay rights movement, and the Black Power movement, rooted in concerns about the perceived emasculation of American culture and masculinity.
- These anxieties about masculinity informed the neoconservatives' political ideologies and their opposition to movements they saw as threatening traditional gender roles and values.
- The episode highlights the connections between the intellectuals' conceptions of masculinity and their political ideologies, particularly neoconservatism.
- While some figures like Irving Howe and Diana Trilling evolved in their views, others like Podhoretz and Decter remained entrenched in their gendered and homophobic perspectives.
- The episode provides a nuanced exploration of the intersections between gender, masculinity, and political thought within this influential group of mid-20th century intellectuals.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “But if a woman could write like a man, that was enough. You wanted a piece, a piece of writing. You'd forget everything else for a good piece.“ by Jason Epstein
- “It didn't have to be this way because neoconservatism, like, began with jewish intellectuals, the son of immigrants who went to City college in the 1930s.“ by Francis Fukuyama
- “It was not racist to attack the black power movement, nor sexist to attack women's lib nor homophobic to attack the gay rights movement, though I've done all three and been called all three names.“ by Midge Decter
- “The spiritual radicalism enjoined by quote unquote gay writers was a murderous condition.“ by Midge Decter
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Episode Information
Know Your Enemy
Matthew Sitman
4/17/24