Summary

Chris compiles her next series of letters into an essay called Kike Art. She describes how Sylvère had to choose whether to disclose being Jewish at dinner parties in the 1950s. Whether he would tell people or not, he risked being accused of “flaunting” or “hiding” (187) being Jewish. Chris is also Jewish and considers calling the collection of letters “’The Cowboy and the Kike” (187).

Chris attends an exhibition of R.B. Kitaj, who is also Jewish. She contemplates why people who do not follow the corporate path, end up with an MFA and spend time on the east coast and in California. Chris finds merits in Kitaj’s paintings and appreciates his love of literature. She thinks about Kitaj’s art in conjunction with her Jewishness. She does not want to be perceived as sensitive about it. Chris describes the colors Kitaj...