MY LIFE by Marc Chagall, translated...

MY LIFE by Marc Chagall, translated from the French by Elizabeth Abbot (Da Capo: $13.95; 174 pp., illustrated). Long out of print, Chagall’s warm autobiography describes his early life in a small Russian town. Not surprisingly, he focuses on the gradual discovery of his vocation as an artist, despite the affectionate skepticism of his relatives, who felt he should choose a more stable occupation that would provide a living wage. Reflecting on the beloved family members, friends and locations who fueled decades of creativity, Chagall affirms, “If my art played no part in my family’s life, their lives and their achievements greatly influenced my art.”