and the pursuit of happiness

My daughter, Elspeth, recently gave me a signed copy of Maira Kalman's delightful book, And the Pursuit of Happiness.  She saw it in her favorite book shop, Three Lives & Company, Greenwich Village, and knew I would love it.

She was right, I immediately connected with Kalman's wonderful idiosyncratic style.  We obviously have the same sense of humor, and I laughed out loud at her delightful remarks, since they could have easily been my own.

Inspired by the 2008 elections, Kalman embarked on a yearlong investigation of democracy and how it works, from town hall meetings in Vermont to the inner chambers of the Supreme Court.  And the Pursuit of Happiness is a diary of her quirky drawings and observations in a lovely tribute to American history and democracy. Anyone who can make this statement, is one after my own heart:

The more I read, the more entranced I became.  

Over 15,000 books have been written about Lincoln.  

I won't claim to have read them all , or even any.  

But it became clear, as I tumbled into his world, that he had a magnetic appeal.  

I looked at images. I looked deep into his eyes and found that I was falling in love. 

In love with A. Lincoln.

Kalman has also written children's books (another of my passions) about Max Stravinsky, the poet-dog, as well as done covers for the New Yorker.  She is definitely on my A List.