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Sometimes you see an acquisition that stops you in your tracks.
In this case, my colleague Jane Siegel, who acquires artists' books for the collection, told me about a new book she just bought for @Columbialib #rbml
In this case, my colleague Jane Siegel, who acquires artists' books for the collection, told me about a new book she just bought for @Columbialib #rbml
The book is made of glass, and housed in a soft, protective case. It is called "they did not know that the books were already in our head," by Becky Slemmens. 
I can say nothing more than to quote the artist's statement: "I created a book of glass pages. I chose to make a book that cannot be burned and demands respect in handling. The material also references Kristallnacht, "the night of broken glass," occurring on September 9-10, 1938.
The amount of glass destroyed on Jewish property on this night was equal to the amount of glass that Belgium (then Germany's glass supplier) could produce in half a year. Accordingly, all the blue glass used in the piece has been sent to me from Brussels.
The position of the blue dot on each page corresponds to the location of each synagogue in relation to the other eleven synagogues, as they would fall on a map of Berlin. The imagery on the cover is that of the restored stained glass windows of Berlin's Oranienburger Synagogue."
It is heavy, made from thick glass. I handled it gingerly and very carefully. I felt its weight, and the weight of what it represents, in my bones.
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