HYLAND
I notice, scanning the piece, that Benjamin especially
prized a copy of Balzac's La Peau de chagrin, a novel I
did read in college, which opens in a magical antiques
emporium. The book is about wishes and the perils of
instant gratiļ¬cation, something I would come, after the
fact, to learn about deeply.
I also think, a propos of Benjamin's unpacking, of a show
on television called "Baggage," hosted by the sedulous
Jerry Springer, in which three contestants gradually
reveal the contents of suitcases to a prospective date.
Modern Art
