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Maira Kalman

Maira Kalman Books

Illustrator

Maira Kalman is an American illustrator, writer, and photographer. Known for her unique visual style and sense of humor, her work spans a variety of formats from children's books to adult literature. Her illustrations often appear in The New Yorker, and are celebrated for their distinctive perspective and observations of everyday life.

My Favorite Things

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Max Makes a Million

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“The pieces I chose were based on one thing only — a gasp of delight. Isn’t that the only way to curate a life?”

Life Joy Delight Museum Curate

Book:My Favorite Things

Source: My Favorite Things

“I want to say that wonderful ideas can come from anywhere. Sometimes you make a mistake, or break something, or lose a hat, and the next thing you know, you get a great idea.”

Art Spirituality Growth Creativity Creativity Quotes

Book:Max Makes a Million

Source: Max Makes a Million

“Useless and precious objects. Taking up space. Taking up time.”

Time Space Simplicity Minimalism Things Things That Matter In Life

Book:My Favorite Things

Source: My Favorite Things

“I read obituaries first thing in the morning. With a cup of coffee. This is NOT MORBID. Just epic. Maybe it's a way of trying to figure out, before the day begins, what is important. And I am curious about all the little things that make up life. Little?”

Life Obituaries Maira Kalman The Principles Of Uncertainty

Author:Maira Kalman

“All terrific but the people. THE PEOPLE. Everyone looks so exalted, or so wretched, or so spiffy, so funny, so splendid. If you are ever bored or blue, stand on the street corner for half an hour.”

People Maira Kalman The Principles Of Uncertainty

Author:Maira Kalman

“I don't want to trudge up insane mountains or through war-torn lands. Just a nice stroll through the hill and dale. But now I walk everywhere in the city. Any city. You see everything you need to see in a lifetime. Every emotion. Every condition. Every fashion. Every glory.”

Maira Kalman The Principles Of Uncertainty

Author:Maira Kalman

“The book. Calming object. Held in the hand.”

Book Hands Objects Calming

Author:Maira Kalman

“In any work you do, you can be profound one minute, and then you be superficial the next, and you can be smart and insightful and then insipid. There can be room for all that.”

Next Rooms Minutes Smart Profound Insightful Superficial Being Smart One Minute Insipid

Author:Maira Kalman

“The tears are invisible. I'm in a complete state of panic before I begin something because I'm sure that it's going to be a complete disaster. I'm going to do a worse job than anybody could ever imagine anybody doing on the planet earth.”

States Earth Jobs Imagine Tears Planets Disaster Invisible Panic Planet Earth

Author:Maira Kalman

“You'd have to be completely crazy not to be influenced by and take from other artists. It's completely impossible not to.”

Artist Impossible Crazy

Author:Maira Kalman

“I like Thomas Jefferson, though he intimidated me. I thought he would have been very tough to be around. I don't know if he had such a sense of humor.”

Ifs Knows Has Beens Tough Sense Of Humor Intimidated

Author:Maira Kalman

“I like the brooding man - a brooding man with a sense of humor.”

Men Sense Of Humor Brooding

Author:Maira Kalman

“The most inspiring objects are books. I have about 5,000 volumes in my home library. It's an unending source of visuals and ideas.”

Book Ideas Home Objects Source Library Visuals Volume Unending Most Inspiring

Author:Maira Kalman

“On my desk, I always have a lemon or a lime drying. I love the fragrance. Also, a Staedtler eraser, a brush for the eraser and a pencil sharpener.”

Desks Brushes Pencils Fragrance Lemons Limes Erasers Sharpener Pencil Sharpeners

Author:Maira Kalman

“I still do have the little lunch bag that my mother made out of a towel and embroidered with my name on it for when I went to kindergarten.”

Littles Made Stills Mother Names Bags Lunch Kindergarten Towels

Author:Maira Kalman

“My short attention span has allowed me a life of diversity in work and place.”

Attention Diversity Attention Span Short Attention Spans

Author:Maira Kalman

“I live in a small world of gouache and brush and pen and ink. I'd like to explore the world of multiples - etching and prints.”

World Print Pens Brushes Ink Small World Etching

Author:Maira Kalman

“My sister is an artist and an interior designer. She went to high school for art. I went to high school for music.”

Art School Artist High School Designer My Sister Interiors Interior Designer

Author:Maira Kalman

“My workspace is defined by books, ephemera, quiet and light. I don't have a computer, telephone or a fax machine there.”

Book Light Quiet Computer Machines Defined Telephones Fax Fax Machines Ephemera Workspace

Author:Maira Kalman

“Michael Pollan is a champion. In all ways. A man of great integrity, humor, and common sense and kindness.”

Men Way Common Kindness Integrity Common Sense Champion

Author:Maira Kalman

“It's almost impossible to reconcile the realities of how one feels during the day, hour by hour. But I approach things not cynically.”

Feels Reality Hours Impossible Approach Reconcile

Author:Maira Kalman

“Flowers lead to books, which lead to thinking and not thinking and then more flowers and music, music. Then many more flowers and many more books.”

Thinking Book Flower

Author:Maira Kalman

“My dream is to walk around the world. A smallish backpack, all essentials neatly in place. A camera. A notebook. A traveling paint set. A hat. Good shoes. A nice pleated (green?) skirt for the occasional seaside hotel afternoon dance.”

World Dream Walks Nice Travel Essentials Cameras Green Paint Shoes Around The World Hats Hotel Afternoon Occasional Notebook Skirts Good Shoes

Author:Maira Kalman

“I tell you these stories because these things happen to everyone. It's not about being starched or polished or cute or polite. It's about having ears that stick out, about breaking yet another glass. It's about seeing something for the first time and making a million mistakes and not ever getting completely discouraged.”

Firsts Stories Happens Mistake Millions Seeing First Time Ears Sticks Glasses Things Happen Cute Polite Discouraged Polished

Author:Maira Kalman

“We could speak about the meaning of life vis-a-vis non-consequential/deontological theories, apodictic transformation schemata, the incoherence of exemplification, metaphysical realism, Cartesian interactive dualism, revised non reductive dualism, postmodernist grammatology and dicey dichotomies. But we would still be left with Nietzsche's preposterous mustache which instills great anguish and skepticism in the brain, which leads (as it did in his case) to utter madness. I suggest we go to Paris instead.”

Stills Left Speak Brain Cases Theory Madness Transformation Paris Meaning Of Life Realism Skepticism Anguish Metaphysical Instill Mustache Dichotomy Interactive Dualism Incoherence

Author:Maira Kalman

“if something does go wrong, here is my advice... KEEP CALM and CARRY ON.”

Ifs Doe Advice Calm World War Ii Life Goes On Keep Calm And Carry On

Author:Maira Kalman

“I have many questions, but no patience to think them through.”

Thinking No Patience

Author:Maira Kalman

“Soon enough it will be me struggling (valiantly?) to walk - lugging my stuff around. How are we all so brave as to take step after step? Day after day? How are we so optimistic, so careful not to trip and yet do trip, and then get up and say O.K. Why do I feel so sorry for everyone and so proud?”

Feels Enough Stuff Community Walks Steps Struggle Proud Brave Sorry Careful Optimistic Get Up Soon Enough

Author:Maira Kalman

“Everyone I know is looking for solace, hope and a tasty snack.”

Knows Solace Snacks Funny Food Tasty

Author:Maira Kalman

“I said, 'Well, how much space do I have?' And they said, 'Well, you know, it's the Internet.'”

Knows Wells Said Space Internet They Said

Author:Maira Kalman

“Washing dishes is the anecdote to confusion. I know that for a fact.”

Knows Facts Confusion Dishes Washing Anecdotes Washing Dishes

Author:Maira Kalman

“A visit to a museum is a search for beauty, truth, and meaning in our lives. Go to museums as often as you can.”

Our Lives Museums

Author:Maira Kalman

“Every Monday morning is new hope.”

Morning Monday Monday Morning New Hope

Author:Maira Kalman

“What protects you in this world from sadness and from the loss of an ability to do something? ... Work and love.”

World Loss Ability Sadness This World Protect And Love Protect You Work And Love

Author:Maira Kalman

“Wonderful things happen when your brain is empty.”

Happens Brain Wonderful Empty Things Happen Wonderful Things

Author:Maira Kalman

“Go out and walk. That is the glory of life.”

Author:Maira Kalman

About the Author

Born: 1949
Known for: Illustrator
Quotes: 36

Related Topics

Book Knows Maira Kalman The Principles Of Uncertainty Walks World Art Artist Brain Brushes

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

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