Kirsten Stoltman, Let's Get It On/Paul Lloyd Sargent, White Blight Manifesto.

KIRSTEN STOLTMAN, LET'S GET IT ON/PAUL LLOYD SARGENT, WHITE BLIGHT MANIFESTO

CHICAGO

In the urban centers of the mid-western US, one cannot speak the language of cool without speaking about race--specifically, African American (and increasingly Latino) culture. Ever since I first arrived in Chicago I've felt that any attempt I make at style--at coolness--is at once pathetic and inappropriate. This is hardly a surprise. This city is known around the world for its jazz, blues and hip-hop. The second-city complex, which is a massive part of the psychology of the art scene here, does not apply in the same way to African American Chicago.

This poses an …