A Working Writer in a Working Library

Historian Steven F. Hayward Unpacks His Library and Gives Us a Tour

In his famed essay “Unpacking My Library,” critic Walter Benjamin mentions the chaos that prevails once the boxes are open, before “the mild boredom of order” sets in. Anyone who’s set up an old library in a new space understands the point: The rediscoveries, the possibilities—it’s all electric and exciting.

So what excitement does Benjamin want to share…