Content-Type: message/rfc822 Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:20:26 -0400 From: "Sandy P. Klein" To: Subject: Maira Kalman creates illustrated memoir ... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=__Part4F69249A.1__=" --=__Part4F69249A.1__= Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=__Part4F69249A.2__=" --=__Part4F69249A.2__= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=3D18375 =20 =20 =20 2007-10-26=20 Artist-Writer Maira Kalman creates illustrated memoir=20 By Robert David Jaffee, Contributing Writer =20 When asked why she became a painter and writer, Maira Kalman, author of = "The Principles of Uncertainty," an illustrated memoir, says, "I can't do = anything else. I clean very well. I'd like to be a maid for the Duchess of = Devonshire."That Kalman, who will be appearing Oct. 30 at Los Angeles' = downtown Central Library for one of its ALOUD events, would seek, even = somewhat jokingly, a job outside the United States is no surprise. She has = lived in Rome, was born in Israel to Russian-born parents and now lives in = New York. She is also a Francophile, and the bold use of color in her = exquisite paintings shows a clear connection to the work of Matisse and = Cezanne. As much as she is celebrated as a painter and illustrator -- her = work has adorned the cover of The New Yorker and has been exhibited at the = Julie Saul Gallery in Manhattan -- Kalman says, "I guess I consider myself = a writer." "Principles" is not her first book. She has previously written = and illustrated a dozen children's books and, as befitting her New Yorker = pedigree, she illustrated a new version of Strunk & White's classic, "The = Elements of Style," a text whose introduction was first published by The = New Yorker.A series of ruminations on life and death, as well as desserts, = hats and walking, "Principles" conspicuously invokes Proust in its = stream-of-consciousness style. But Proust is not the only literary figure = who turns up in Kalman's text. She also writes about Tolstoy, Dostoevsky = and Kafka; visits a friend named Molly Bloom; calls her daughter Milton, = and draws a painting of an androgynous Nabokov, wearing what appears to be = lipstick and women's shoes, while reading a book on the science of = butterflies and moths.In fact, Kalman only writes about one painter: = British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who painted as a hobby, but of = course is better remembered as a wartime statesman, orator and writer, and = who won the Nobel Prize for Literature.There are occasions when Kalman = suspends her penmanship, idiosyncratic in its inconsistent use of capital = letters within words, a bit harsher than the soft lines that often = characterize women's handwriting and types captions for illustrations. She = explains that she typed the chapter on February because "I didn't want the = handwriting to be lyrical, since February is such an impossible month.... = It's cold and gray and sad and rainy."She also sometimes includes blurry = photographs of people walking, instead of her gouache-on-paper paintings. = "I take hundreds of photos a week," said this cross-disciplinary artist, = who also has designed fabrics, clocks and umbrellas and is now working on = an opera of her book with composer Nico Muhly.A strain of melancholy runs = through "Principles" -- in the tales of the death of her husband and aunt, = the Holocaust and Israel's recent war against Hezbollah. But Kalman, who = was in Israel last year during the war, seems to be heartened by the = rudeness of an Israeli, who in the midst of the conflict flicks the = remains of rotting cherries off his car onto her shirt. And she notes that = the ice cream man is still selling his wares on the beach, and the = secondhand bookstore and flea market in Tel Aviv are still filled with = customers.The final illustration of a river rippling down a falls into a = pool leaves us with an image of tranquility and vibrancy. On the flip side = of the page is a message from a World War II poster that still resonates = today, "Keep Calm and Carry On."Maira Kalman will appear in conversation = with Louise Steinman on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m. For information call = (213) 228-7025. =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 =20 Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Search archive with Google: http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=3Dsite:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=3Den Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html Search archive with Google: http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=3Dsite:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=3Den Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm --=__Part4F69249A.2__= Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: HTML
3DJewishJournal.com=
 
  http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=3D18375 
 
3DIMAGE 
200= 7-10-26
Artist-Writer Maira Kalman creates illustrated memoir =
By Robert David Jaffee, Contributing Writer
3D"

When = asked why she became a painter and writer, Maira Kalman, author of "The = Principles of Uncertainty," an illustrated memoir, says, "I can't do = anything else. I clean very well. I'd like to be a maid for the Duchess of = Devonshire."

That Kalman, who will be appearing Oct. 30 at Los = Angeles' downtown Central Library for one of its ALOUD events, would seek, = even somewhat jokingly, a job outside the United States is no surprise. = She has lived in Rome, was born in Israel to Russian-born parents and now = lives in New York. She is also a Francophile, and the bold use of color in = her exquisite paintings shows a clear connection to the work of Matisse = and Cezanne.

As much as she is celebrated as a painter and = illustrator -- her work has adorned the cover of The New = Yorker and has been exhibited at the Julie Saul Gallery in Manhattan = -- Kalman says, "I guess I consider myself a writer." =

"Principles" is not her first book. She has previously written and = illustrated a dozen children's books and, as befitting her New Yorker = pedigree, she illustrated a new version of Strunk & White's classic, = "The Elements of Style," a text whose introduction was first published by = The New Yorker.

A series of ruminations on life and death, as well = as desserts, hats and walking, "Principles" conspicuously invokes Proust = in its stream-of-consciousness style. But Proust is not the only literary = figure who turns up in Kalman's text. She also writes about Tolstoy, = Dostoevsky and Kafka; visits a friend named Molly Bloom; calls her = daughter Milton, and draws a painting of an androgynous Nabokov, wearing = what appears to be lipstick and women's shoes, while reading a book on the = science of butterflies and moths.

In fact, Kalman only writes about = one painter: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who painted as a = hobby, but of course is better remembered as a wartime statesman, orator = and writer, and who won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

There are = occasions when Kalman suspends her penmanship, idiosyncratic in its = inconsistent use of capital letters within words, a bit harsher than the = soft lines that often characterize women's handwriting and types captions = for illustrations.

She explains that she typed the chapter on = February because "I didn't want the handwriting to be lyrical, since = February is such an impossible month.... It's cold and gray and sad and = rainy."

She also sometimes includes blurry photographs of people = walking, instead of her gouache-on-paper paintings. "I take hundreds of = photos a week," said this cross-disciplinary artist, who also has designed = fabrics, clocks and umbrellas and is now working on an opera of her book = with composer Nico Muhly.

A strain of melancholy runs through = "Principles" -- in the tales of the death of her husband and = aunt, the Holocaust and Israel's recent war against Hezbollah. But Kalman, = who was in Israel last year during the war, seems to be heartened by the = rudeness of an Israeli, who in the midst of the conflict flicks the = remains of rotting cherries off his car onto her shirt. And she notes that = the ice cream man is still selling his wares on the beach, and the = secondhand bookstore and flea market in Tel Aviv are still filled with = customers.

The final illustration of a river rippling down a falls = into a pool leaves us with an image of tranquility and vibrancy. On the = flip side of the page is a message from a World War II poster that still = resonates today, "Keep Calm and Carry On."

Maira Kalman will = appear in conversation with Louise Steinman on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m. = For information call (213) 228-7025.
 
 
 
 

 
 

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