Red Brick, Black Mountain, White Clay: Reflections on Art, Family, and Survival
This digressive mix of memoir, art criticism, and historical essay comprises Benfey’s autobiographical recollections, a coming to terms with his aging parents, and an account of his extended family that includes, on his father's side, the artists Josef and Anni Albers. If the book's far-flung speculations don't cohere, one suspects that Benfey doesn't want them to. —James Gibbons