The Art of Reading: “Red Brick, Black Mountain, White Clay”

Personal memory and cultural history combine in this New York Times Notable Book by Christopher Benfey, with many connections to the Mint’s ceramic collections.
Red Clay details Benfey’s maternal family’s connection to the soil and the Seagrove Community of potters.
Black Mountain College played an important role in the lives of Anni and Josef Albers, the author’s aunt and uncle on his father’s side. The Albers were key figures in the institution’s successful years and were collectors of artifacts from Mexico.
White Clay relates Josiah Wedgwood’s quest for the Cherokee Clay of the Carolinas and the perilous adventures of the man he sent to find it.