The following essay was originally published by Art21 in November, 2012. Walter Benjamin allegedly had an opportunity to leave Germany when Axis borders were still somewhat porous. Had he chosen to flee then, it’s likely he would have survived the war. To do so, however, he would have had to abandon his personal library and for that reason chose to stay behind. While I’ve wondered what books... +

This article was originally published in art ltd., in July, 2012.

Kerry James Marshall’s studio stands two-stories high in the Bronzeville neighborhood, on Chicago’s South Side. From the street, it is non-descript, more like a very tall, brick garage than anything else; there are hardly any windows. It boasts a green lawn and stands near a new crop of condos; down the same street are... +