To Ilona (Between January and July 1947)

From Karl Polanyi
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[477] My sweatest darling,

There are ______ Notes which may help you to make up your mind concerning one or another of the practiced items that are ______ to arise on ______ ____ to the _____. They are by no means suggestions - {Hungarian}.

On the whole filling a house is regarded ____ as {no} affair. Flats are filled with cupboards, kitchen with all the appliances, formative (second hand) is easily available and even very cheap if one cares to get it cheap (the 'auctions' are ___ around the corner). Eva & Mausi are unanimous on this. $500 are sufficient to furnish a flat (3 + kitchen). An apartment in a Columbia owned house is 'elegant'; its advantage is the great {case} in cleaning - it's all done in a ____ fifty. However, we may not get such a ___ apartment - but one ___ in a non-Columbia house; (of course, it is not certain that we get one ____ but I'll _____ to be hopeful on this score…). ___ we hire somewhere in the close neighborhood life is simple & {lazy} from the professional point of view - office, library, {lab} _____ colleges - everything on the {premises}. There is but very little compulsory ____ life; it is always possible to invite somebody to men's faculty Club or Butler wall and keep on its privacy intact.

[478] [479]

[480] … especially if I should fall ___ to publish an article or deliver an add __ to {won & then, - my work ___ have to be highly organized (I have past been asked __ add__ the University of Michigan Summer School at Ann Arbor on - “Our market mentality” on July 14th; - of course, […] […]

I just learnt from MacKeel, professor of anthropology at the university of Wisconsin that he held a graduate seminar on “the Great Transformation” and he intends to have some of the results published. he is going to let we have the MSS' soon.

Marika wants to come & see us at Bennington. My new friend, David Riesman, who opened the Seminar at Brattleboro', __ with {be} a neighbour. The ____ Smith's, […] to John's (who is still shifting on my 'Hamlet' ms). But the main 'family' are the youngsters whom I wish to nurse, Mckinistry at Michigan State University, an idealistic New Dealer called Manson, a monetary man called Glaessner, the T. University: Miss … […]

Ted Newcombe wrote … that the 'psychology' of my 'Common law' paper was absolutely correct”! I always ___ my position includes the … […]. Prof. Merton of Columbia, a sociologist, of the measuring school is equally enthusiastic about it. This is another proof of the comprehensive nature of my approach! I begin to believe myself that the core of my position is philosophic. _______ O. {litradiate} in {tomany} _______?

[481] Eisenhower has accepted the Presidency of Columbia. His appointments by the Trustees was a symptomatic development. In the past he made emphatically peaceful & even pacifist statements; yesterday s speech shows that he interpret's his appointment as an expression of the fighting spirit of the country. Be____ out did Truman. His master's vice!

I need the Cambridge _______ ___ the 'Historian's History of the work, the Ranke (4 __) badly. Allour ___ will be must welcome. Should we have money left over, it might be advisable to buy ___ books are unobtainable here. Unfortunately, the position in England is worse, except for “English” books. I need badly a Ploetz or any other historical (chronological) reference book. Maybe I'll turn for German books to ____ (I need most Thurnwald and Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft.

Max Weber. The latter work is vol. 3 of the “Grundriß d. Sozialöknomik” a series which is rare and expensive collection. A Cambridge Medieval History may be perhaps available or a Cambridge Ancient History - I ____ed need then, equally badly, and would be prepared to pay the current price, in pounds. These platonic desiderata with obviously remain ______ed.

Michael ____ ___ we _____ that he'd the MP and that he would do what he can to help. I'll write to the {arman} & Adams, too; “I'm far from assuming that they behaved irresponsibly; in effect I want to make sure that they continue to the interested in M's affairs. (I know best how impossibly he can behave). You did very well, darling, and I feel confident that she'll learn in the end to behave reasonably reasonably.

I enclose a letter from Ada which I unfortunately left unanswered for 2 months. But then I wrote today this to apologize and to say I had sent it on to you. I think Kari turned out ____ [482] hopeless just now to place ____ but a veteran lecturer through the 'Intered'. He found _____ suitable in the mean time! What are his lecture (teaching) subjects and how did the {Church} of America work out? Should be come {acron.} A. Neoms of Columbia. The known lecturer on America, he might mention my name {Token}. - he knows me from over here. Personally I was too busy to meet {King-Jordan}, or _____. My _____ O. Bauer … from Vienna). This crowd believed staunchly in a Hitler victory as {fantom}, and refused to struggle against it. I did not feel that we were politically _____ same ____, though we had a very, very good time together. The Austrian socialdemocrats (at home in Austria) show as little interest in the […] in Vienna: … They seem to be a happy {Temple}. ____ Gan is somewhat shaken but is working in a higher post in the ________; she is married to a comrade. ___ _____ is younger than ever; he has now broken

[…]

My nephew George is THE party in Chicago, my nephew Latty is the anti-party in Buffalo; my nephew Romas is his fellow traveller; my niece Marika is a thoughtful and machiavel 'left'; my niece Eva sincerely admires her. Mausi is a fellow traveller of her children; Sandor believes that Marocco is on the {Terezkomt}. However he reads “Jävo”.

Letter Informations

Reference:
KPA: 59/08, 477-482