Louis Kronenberger

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Louis Kronenberger – Life, Criticism, and Memorable Quotes

Louis Kronenberger (1904–1980) was an American literary and drama critic, biographer, and anthologist. Discover his life, his role as drama critic for Time, his written works, and his sharp, often witty, quotations.

Introduction

Louis Kronenberger was one of mid-20th century America’s prominent literary voices. Best known as a drama critic for Time magazine, he was also a novelist, biographer, editor, and aphorist whose critical voice combined refinement, wit, and erudition. His essays and anthologies helped shape American taste in literature and theater, and his quips continue to be cited for their perceptiveness.

Early Life & Education

• Born: December 9, 1904, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

• He was the son of Louis Kronenberger Sr., a merchant, and Mabel Newwitter.

• He attended the University of Cincinnati from 1921 to 1924, though he did not graduate.

After leaving university, he moved to New York to pursue a literary career.

Career & Major Roles

Early Publishing & orial Work

• In 1924, he moved to New York and began working in publishing.

• In 1926, he joined Boni & Liveright as an editor.

• Later (1933), he worked with Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. as an editor.

• He also served on the editorial staff of Fortune in the mid-1930s.

His early editorial experience gave him grounding in literature, publishing, and critical judgment before becoming a public critic.

Drama Critic & Public Influence

• From 1938 to 1961, Kronenberger was the drama critic for Time magazine.

• He also wrote as a critic for PM magazine during 1940–1948.

• His reviews in Time spanned the heyday of Broadway, the postwar theater boom, and shifts in American drama.

His opinions carried weight: as noted in one account, “Kronenberger’s praise was a near guarantee of box-office success.”

Academia & Later Work

• Kronenberger founded the Theater Arts Department at Brandeis University and served as professor of theater arts there.

• He also lectured and taught at several other institutions (e.g. Columbia, Harvard, Berkeley) as a visiting professor.

• Over his career, he published novels, biographies, essays, anthologies, and critical studies, especially focusing on drama, English literature of the 18th century, and the art of criticism.

Some notable works include:

• The Grand Manner (1929) – a novel.

• Kings and Desperate Men: Life in Eighteenth-Century England (1942)

• Company Manners: A Cultural Inquiry into American Life (1954)

• The Thread of Laughter: Chapters on English Stage Comedy from Jonson to Maugham (1952)

• No Whippings, No Gold Watches (1970) – his memoir/autobiography.

• Oscar Wilde (1976) — a biography.

He also edited anthologies such as The Indispensable Johnson and Boswell, Cavalcade of Comedy, The Portable Johnson and Boswell, and more.

Personal Life & Death

• In 1940, he married Emily L. Plaut (sometimes spelled Emmy Plaut).

• They had children—sources name at least Liza Wanklyn (or Elizabeth, etc.).

• Kronenberger died on April 30, 1980.

Legacy & Influence

• Through his work at Time, Kronenberger documented key phases of American theater and helped shape critical norms midcentury.

• His anthologies and critical essays sought to bring cultivated prose and literary standards to broader readers—he believed in the civilizing power of language and polished writing.

• His collections of aphorisms and critical judgments continue to be cited for their style and insight.

• His papers are held at Princeton University.

Selected Quotes

Below are some well-known quotations attributed to Louis Kronenberger:

• “Old age is an excellent time for outrage. My goal is to say or do at least one outrageous thing every week.”

• “Individualism is rather like innocence; There must be something unconscious about it.”

• “In art there are tears that lie too deep for thought.”

• “Many people today don’t want honest answers insofar as honest means unpleasant or disturbing. They want a soft answer that turneth away anxiety.”

• “The trouble with our age is that it is all signpost and no destination.”

• “The trouble with us in America isn’t that the poetry of life has turned to prose, but that it has turned to advertising copy.”

• “On a very rough-and-ready basis we might define an eccentric as a man who is a law unto himself, and a crank as one who, having determined what the law is, insists on laying it down to others.”

These lines show his blend of irony, cultural observation, and moral sensibility.

Lessons & Reflections

• Style matters: Kronenberger believed that well-crafted, polished prose is not a luxury but a measure of cultural health.

• Critical civility: Even as a critic, he sought to balance judgment with respect and humanity.

• The public role of literature & criticism: He saw criticism not as mere fault-finding but as part of cultural dialogue and refinement.

• Aphorism as insight: His ability to capture complex observations in a single sentence demonstrates the power of brevity and clarity.

• Continuity & change: His career spanned changing eras in theater, journalism, and culture, and his voice helps connect those transitions.