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John W. Kronik (born Hans Krochmalnik; [1] May 18, 1931 – January 22, 2006) was an Austrian-American academic and scholar of Spanish literature.

Early life and education

Kronik was born in Vienna on May 18, 1931. [2]: 553  His father, Bernhard, was an Odessa-born Jewish bank officer at Creditanstalt who was fired from his position after the Anschluss. [1] Under the Nazis, Kronik was forced to transfer to a Jewish school, and his father was almost arrested by the Gestapo. [1] His step-grandmother, Dorothea, wrote letters to the family until 1941, when she was killed in the Nazi extermination camp at Maly Trostenets. [1]

In July 1939, Kronik's family migrated to the United States under his father's status as a Russian-born citizen. [1] Upon moving, they changed surname from Krochmalnik to Kronik, as it was easier for Americans to pronounce. [1] For the first nine months of living in New York, Kronik was sent to live at a Jewish children's home away from his family, unable to speak English. [1] The family eventually settled in Corpus Christi, Texas, where Kronik attended the local elementary school and began learning Spanish. [2]: 553 

Kronik's family later returned to New York and he continued studying Spanish in high school. [2]: 553  In 1952, he received a BA in Spanish from Queens College. [2]: 553  He received the Knapp Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin and in 1953, gained an MA in Spanish. [2]: 553  Following his MA, Kronik began studying for a doctorate at the same university. [2]: 553  However, he was drafted into the United States Army and spent a tour of duty in Korea. [2]: 553  In 1960, he received his doctorate in Spanish Language and Literature with a dissertation titled "The Short Stories of Leopoldo Alas (Clarín): An Analysis and Census of the Characters". [2]: 553 

Academic career

In 1958, while still a doctoral student, Kronik was appointed Assistant Professor at Hamilton College, where he stayed until 1963. [2]: 553  Following this, he became Assistant Professor of Spanish at University of Illinois. [3] He joined Cornell University in 1966, and remained there until his retirement until 2001. [4]: 558 

Writing

From 1981 until 1985, he served as president of the Asociación Internacional de Galdosistas (International Association of Galdós Scholars). He then served as editor of its journal, Anales Galdosianos, from 1985 until 1990. [4]: 558 

In 1986, Kronik began editing PMLA, the journal of the Modern Language Association (MLA). [3] He was the first person to serve as editor following the position's separation from that of the MLA executive director. [4]: 558  He held the position for seven years. [4]: 558 

Personal life

In 1944, Kronik became a citizen of the United States. [2]: 553 

While studying for his BA, Kronik met his wife Eva in a class preparing Spanish students for business. [2]: 553  They married following his tour of duty in Korea. [2]: 553  The couple had a daughter (Theresa) and a son (Geoffrey), and lived in Ithaca, New York. [2]: 553 

Illness and death

During 2005, Kronik underwent two chemotherapy sessions. [2]: 553  During a vacation to Los Angeles in January 2006, he caught pneumonia and was hospitalised, where he did not respond to treatment. [2]: 553  He died on January 22, 2006. [2]: 553 

Awards and recognition

In 1983, Kronik was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for his project "Benito Pérez Galdós and the self-conscious novel". [5] [6] He received a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies for the same project. [7]

In 1992, Kronik received the Distinguished Retiring Editor Award from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals. [4]: 558  In 1996, a special edition of the Bucknell Review titled Self-Conscious Art: A Tribute to John W. Kronik was dedicated to him.

Legacy

In an obituary by Carlos J. Alonso, Kronik was described as "the unelected yet uncontested elder statesman of Hispanism in the United States". [4]: 558 

Selected works

Articles

Books

  • La familia da Pascual Duarte. Appleton-Century-Crofts. 1961. (Editor with Harold L. Boudreau)
  • Intertextual Pursuits: Literary Mediations in Modern Spanish Narrative. Bucknell University Press. 1998. ISBN  978-0-8387-5370-5. (Editor with Jeanne P. Brownlow)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Goos, Hauke (April 8, 2023). "Erinnerungsstücke aus Kriegszeiten: Ein jüdisches Kind schrieb in Schönschrift »Deutschland, Deutschland über alles«". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Cardona, Rodolfo (June 2006). "John W. Kronik (1931–2006)". Bulletin of Spanish Studies. 83 (4). doi: 10.1080/1475382062000346342. ISSN  1475-3820.
  3. ^ a b Crawford, Franklin (February 1, 2006). "John W. Kronik, Cornell professor emeritus of Spanish literature, dies at 74". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Alonso, Carlos J. (2006). "John W. Kronik (18 May 1931-22 Jan. 2006)". PMLA. 121 (2). ISSN  0030-8129. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  5. ^ "John W. Kronik". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  6. ^ "292 Receive Fellowships From Guggenheim Fund". The New York Times. April 10, 1983. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  7. ^ "John W. Kronik". ACLS. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
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