Micah Carpentier never gave a moment's thought to immortality. He was a pragmatist impersonating a dreamer. His love of the Hebrew Bible reflected a love of literature and nothing more.
Dahlia Danton's latest book offers a different viewpoint. Her far-flung speculations veer more toward fantasy fiction than serious art historical scholarship.
When in 1963 he began illustrating The Song of Solomon (שיר השירים), it was merely to facilitate a close reading of the text.
The only saving grace of Danton's misleading book is the lovely preface provided by the Los Angeles artist David Schoffman. Schoffman, a genius in his own right, has a perspective on Carpentier that is both revelatory and emotionally complex.
