“Trace and aura. The trace is appearance of a nearness, however far removed the thing left behind may be. The aura is appearance of a distance, however close the thing that calls it forth. In the trace we gain possession of the thing; in the aura it takes possession of us.”
Walter Benjamin, The Arcades Project, [M16a,4] in the section called The Flaneur, quoted by my friend E. at his new tumblelog: Corner Lot. There are perhaps ten posts on his front page alone that approach the value of my entire library.
