In Certain Chairs Barbara Blackman presents a unique autobiographical memoir, unusual in approach and highly imaginative, an enchanting experience for the reader. She tells the story of her marriage to painter Charles Blackman and the many different places they lived over the years; she tells of the friends, the frustration, the ups and downs, the demands and delights of children. Virtually blind for much of her life, Barbara Blackman is very sensitive to the significance of inanimate things, to the shivering oppressions of atmosphere, and quickly responsive to the tone of people and their conversations. Thirteen imaginative drawings by Charles Blackman make this book an appealing collaboration in prose and art, throwing light on the Blackmans' extraordinary life together.
