Still Life with Remorse by Maira Kalman
Still Life with Remorse, written and illustrated by the renowned, multiple award-winning Maira Kalman, may be summed up in three words: profound, eloquent and gorgeous!
This is her most personal, intimate and moving depiction of her own and her family’s collective memories, as well as observations on the complicated relationships of several creative and significant individuals in history and the arts, including writers Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Anton Chekhov, artist Eugène Delacroix, musicians Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann among others.
Gorgeous Art with Evocative Prose and Poetry
Kalman has chosen to relate 39 short stories in evocative prose and poetry in this unique and contemplative autobiography exploring her Jewish, Israeli and Eastern European roots. They are accompanied by 50 lush and vibrant full-color paintings of interiors, still lifes and curiously inanimate people seated alone or in groups at tables or in living rooms.
This exceptional artist, author, illustrator, and designer of textiles, watches and set designs, credited with over 30 books for both children and adults, is featured regularly in The New Yorker and The New York Times and has work displayed in museum collections throughout the world. Kalman is also well known for collaborative projects with other creative geniuses in several fields.
Exploring Intergenerational Influences
She was born in Tel Aviv to parents who emigrated from Belarus and moved with them to New York City when she was four. Relatives on both sides of the family who either couldn’t or chose not to leave Belarus were murdered in the Holocaust.
The intergenerational influences on individuals within a family are explored as they shape viewpoints and opinions, likes and dislikes. Kalman writes:
To begin,
you are born,
To a long line of ancestors who are long gone,
But still yell or whisper in your ear
in the depths of night.
A game of telephone
played from one generation to the next.
Garbled and confused.
Glimmers of Light.
Misunderstandings.
Errors.
Meditations on Universal Truths
The book begins, not with the expected extended Kalman clan but with the chapter titled Leo and Sophia, which explores the Tolstoys and the deterioration of their initially happy marriage.
Kalman describes in words and detailed paintings a wide variety of ancient family conflicts: jealousies and alienation; betrayers of trust and lost inheritances as a result of swindling greedy kinfolk; and the handful of calming peacekeepers. The stories relate deep-seated resentments, suffering, untimely deaths, and heartbreak.
Anti-Semitism, political conflicts and wars lurk in the background of Still Life with Remorse often serving as the catalysts for the family dynamics and dramas. There are moments of gentle humor like in the recollection of an aunt, the in-law who roasted the driest, stringiest chicken possible. Present as well are happier gatherings, weddings, the birth of children and countless other celebrations with understanding and love. Not telling her beloved husband Tibor frequently enough how much she loved him was a personal remorse.
Profound Motivation for Self-Examination
These are universal truths, beautifully expressed, that may usefully serve as meditations or motivations for self-examination. These people are not minimalists; they positively vibrate in color effectively breaking into one’s inner thoughts.
Possibly the favorite story for this reviewer concerns the author’s cousin in Tel Aviv whom she encounters walking down a street. This cousin loves to swim and eat ice cream, and lives surrounded by more books than she could ever hope to read in a lifetime. The story is titled: Tsundoku. It is a Japanese word for “piles of books, many unread”, meant as a delight and not a criticism.
Beautiful stacks of books
that may never be read
but simply sit happily in your room
smiling at you.
The Joy of Life and Truths of Remorse
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, remorse is defined as “a deep regret coming from a sense of guilt for past wrongs”. The definition continues with its word origin: “The Latin verb remordēre literally meant ‘to bite again.’ The Romans, however, usually used it with the meaning ‘to torment,’ because being tormented was like getting bitten again and again.” Its usage in English began in the 15th century.
It is part of human nature (sociopaths may be an exception) to feel responsible and experience guilt, remorse or even sorrow without reason or justification. Kalman encourages readers to “let there be a limit to remorse.”
Scrolling down the back flap of the dust jacket are the following words: In the strangeness of life, LIVE!
Still Life with Remorse is a wonderful book to add to one’s personal library or to gift in hopes of uplifting anyone grappling with illness, pain, sorrow or loss, or who’s questioning the meaning of life. Maira Kalman fills her books with glorious colors and designs so rich one can almost feel the various textures of the fabrics and surfaces. It’s a splendid follow-up to Women Holding Things and her illustrations for Michael Frank’s biography of Holocaust survivor Stella Levi, One Hundred Saturdays. To read one of Maira Kalman’s books is to experience joy, a highly recommended, fabulous literary gift.
Maira Kalman is an artist, illustrator, writer and designer. She was born in Tel Aviv and moved to New York City with her family at the age of four. She now lives in Manhattan. Kalman has written/illustrated over 30 books for adults and children. She has been a frequent contributor to The New York Times and The New Yorker. Kalman has created textiles for Isaac Mizrahi and Kate Spade and sets for Mark Morris. Other collaborators include David Byrne, Nico Muhly, Alex Kalman, Michael Pollan, John Heginbotham and Gertrude Stein. Kalman’s product design appears under M&Co, the legendary design studio created by her late husband Tibor Kalman. Kalman has won many awards and given numerous talks, including several TED talks. Her art has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. Her book agent is Charlotte Sheedy. Her fine art is represented by Mary Ryan Gallery. Follow her on social media @mairakalman.
