▁saw ▁fans ▁of ▁Rud olph ▁Valent ino , ▁for ▁instance , ▁as ▁possibly ▁forming ▁an ▁alternative ▁public ▁sphere ▁to ▁express ▁their ▁des ires . ▁Hans en ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁scholar ▁of ▁the ▁Frankfurt ▁school ▁and ▁a ▁prominent ▁interpreter ▁of ▁the ▁theories ▁of ▁The odor ▁Ad orno , ▁Walter ▁Benjamin , ▁and ▁Sieg fried ▁K rac auer ▁on ▁mass ▁culture . ▁She ▁focused ▁in ▁particular ▁on ▁cinema ▁as ▁a ▁mode ▁of ▁modern ism , ▁co ining ▁the ▁term ▁" vern ac ular ▁modern ism " ▁to ▁explain ▁how ▁even ▁the ▁classical ▁Hollywood ▁cinema ▁could ▁be ▁a ▁popular ▁form ▁of ▁modern ism ▁that ▁served ▁many ▁cult ures ▁as ▁a ▁horizon ▁for ▁coming ▁to ▁g ri ps ▁with ▁modern ity . ▁According ▁to ▁fellow ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁professor ▁Tom ▁Gun ning , ▁she ▁" prov ided ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁models ▁for ▁film ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁moment ▁that ▁it ▁moved ▁from ▁its ▁pione ering ▁focus ▁on ▁Grand ▁Theory ▁to ▁a ▁bro ader ▁sense ▁of ▁a ▁field ▁that ▁must ▁include ▁arch ival ▁research , ▁political ▁pers pect ives , ▁a est h etic ▁aw aren ess ▁and ▁theoretical ▁amb ition ." ▁ ▁She ▁died ▁of ▁cancer ▁on ▁ 5 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁in ▁Chicago ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 6 1 . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁Link s ▁Guide ▁to ▁the ▁Mi ri am ▁Hans en ▁Pap ers ▁ 1 9 0 2 - 2 0 1 1 ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁Special ▁Col lections ▁Research ▁Center ▁ ▁Category : American ▁film ▁histor ians