Rose the Hippopotamus, Central Park Zoo, New York City. Postcard sent by Theodor W.

Adorno
to his parents, then in Cuba. Image courtesy Theodor W. Adorno Archiv/Suhrkamp Verlag,
translation from Theodor W. Adorno, Letters to His Parents 1939–1951 ed. Christoph Gödde and
Henri Lonitz, trans. Wieland Hoban (Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2006).

Social Text 99 • Vol. 27, No. 2 • Summer 2009

DOI 10.1215/01642472-2008-025  © 2009 Duke University Press 13 3
 New York, 21 May 1939

My dear, faithful Wondrous Hippo Cow, here a few words of welcome — may

you continue to live with the same contentment, the same security, and the
same stubborn superiority as the hippo cow overleaf. I shall be visiting you
in the first days of June; the precise date will depend on my work. I will
inform you in good time, only tell me how I can best avoid delay in this
quarantine, i.e., as a visitor with American first papers. I am happy that
everything has gone smoothly now. Meanwhile had great success at Colum-
bia University. Heartiest kisses — fond regards to you both

Your old Archibald

Fond regards, Giraffe Gazelle wearing negligee

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