It's always so hard to maintain a sense of hope and and not feel so much despairsed. You know, especially in these times. We know that there are terrible things going on, and we know that there are splendid things going on in the world, and you have to look for the good. Sometimes it seems like more of a struggle and more of a challenge, but really you have to face the day and say, there there are good things going on, and we're going to look at them.
That was artist, writer designer Myra Kellman telling why she rejects cynicism. She was talking specifically about her work on musician David Burns Broadway show American Utopia, but she could be describing her approach to any of the dozens of books, paintings, and collaborations that have earned her countless honors and fans. I'm a land vere in the Ceseneca's One Women To Hear. We are bringing you one hundred of the world's most
inspiring and history making women you need to hear. Myra Kalman is probably best known for her famous cover of The New Yorker magazine, a humorous map of the city labeled New York is Stan. Her children's books include What Pete eight from A to Z, an illustrated catalog of the bizarre but real items her dog scarfed down, and her adult books include an illustrated version of the Grammar Guide The Elements of Style. Her next book, Women Holding Things,
will publish in October of twenty two. Listen and learn why Myrack Kalman is one of Seneca's One Women to Hear. I'm speaking today to writer, artist, illustrator, and so much more, Mara Kalman. Mara, welcome. We're delighted to be able to have you for this conversation today. Thank you very much. Now, you're a writer, a painter, an illustrator, a designer, a journalist. You work in so many media. What is the thread running through your work and what are you trying to
say to the world. The threat is probably a certain naivete coupled with optimism and curiosity. And I think that I, since I never studied any of these things really seriously, I allowed myself to do everything that I want to do. And I think that's probably what I want to say, is that just looking at the world with a kind of wonder and being able to tell your story is an extraordinary privilege and really rare good fortune. So I think I'm trying to tell people just to look and
not think too much. I'll start with that. I love that answer, and I love the combination of curiosity and optimism him. So back in the autumn of two thousand and one, just a few weeks after nine eleven, you created a cover for The New Yorker magazine that made people laugh and feel good about New York. It was a map of the city that gave neighborhoods new but appropriate names. Swanky areas were labeled Peshmina or Botoxia. Other
neighborhoods were called Cavetchina or taxi stand. What was the thinking behind that cover, which became one of the most famous in the magazine's history. And I remember it so well. It was one of those moments that you're not looking
for and you're not expecting it. I get it. In collaboration with a good friend, also a cartoonist and a writer, Rick Myrowitz, and we were going to a party in the aftermath of nine eleven, maybe a few months after, still in great shock and in great sorrow, and we started talking about New York in what a tribal place that was, and that we were driving to the Bronch said I think I said wrong, Well, I think we're in Bronxis then, And that set us off on a
complete tangent. And you know when you you when you of course, people's job to be funny, and you you know, you know when when there is humor that you can you can use to to to diminish pain and to diminish fear. And that is something that we face every single day, especially now in the circumstances now which are so extraordinary and so heartbreaking. So our response was to make fun of ourselves in a way and say, you know,
we're all in this crazy world together. Fortunately, David Remnick and Prince Wise believe the New Yorker thought thought there was a good idea to put it on the cover. Well, they're good judges of something that can make a difference, and you did certainly in that instance and so many others. You've written dozens of children's books as well, and you've written books for adults. Of all your books, is there a favorite? Is there one the best expresses who you are?
It's funny because every time I write a book, I say this is this, This is it? This is my favorite book? And then I say, uh, not so much. I'll wait for the next. I hope the next one is my favorite. And in fact, now I can say that my next one is my favorite. Is called Women Holding Things, and it's about what women hold literally and metaphorically,
which is a lot indeed. And so it's paintings and writing about my family, about people that I know, and about the nature of going through life with some kind of courage and tenacity. Well, it sounds like it's something that's going to be extremely inspirational. You and your late husband had a design firm, M and Co. You've said one of your mottos for the company was we don't know anything, We're going to do it anyway. Now, how
did that play out in your work? It played out the same way that it's played out for me in my career, in that my husband was very brilliant and very fearless, and I learned a lot about not being afraid to go ahead from him, that you can have an idea, but if you don't act on it, then you're really you're a fool. In his opinion, That's how it was. And he died ridiculously young, but his his
impact was very strong. So we always said, if you are as I said earlier, if you're curious, if you if you approached the world like a journalist with a love of beauty and a sense of humor, there's really nothing that you can't try. You might fail, but that's okay. You know. Winston Churchill said that failure isn't fatal, which I said, remind myself every day. Yeah, it's a good it's a good thing to keep in mind, especially because none of us can live up to some perfectionist model.
For sure. Absolutely, Senecas one hundred Women to Hear, will be back after this short break. You know, I'm especially interested in a in a book you did, Bold and Brave, ten heroes who won women the right to vote, and it features your gorgeous paintings of well known crusaders like Susan b. Anthony and Sojourn Her Truth, as well as lesser knowns like Alice Paul and Married Church Terrell. Why
were you drawn to this topic? I was drawn with a phone call from Kirsten Gillibrand, who wrote the book, and I was so and I happened to be installing a show in Jerusalem at the time, and it was really lovely to get a phone call from her and she said, I'm doing this book, will you do it? And I think it took me two or three seconds to say yes, of course, uh and and uh. A lot of the time when I'm working and things are emotional, like when I did the book fire Boat about nine
eleven for children, I'm crying when I'm painting. I mean not all the time, because that would be excessive, but there's a sense of phenomenal admiration and gratitude to these women who were so courageous. So it was a beautiful collaboration. And I didn't know about some of the women, as you said, some of them are much much lesser known, But so it was an education for me too. And it's one of those books that is evergreen. It's a
wonderful book to have to keep to read. So thank you for doing what you did to make it even more wonderful. Thank you. You designed and illustrated a book with musician David Byrne called American Utopia. It's now a show on Broadway, and one description of the book called it an antidote to cynicism. It sounds like something we
really need for these times. So tell us about American utopia. Utopia, just the word utopia, you know, it's it's it's always so hard to maintain a sense of hope, and and I feel so much despairs, you know, especially as we said, in these times. But David, who is an old friend of mine who have known for for many, many years,
and we've worked together on a number of projects. By the way, the show is closing April third, so I urge anybody who's listening to go because it is one of the most joyous, spirit lifting things that you could possibly imagine. And his music is so great. But the and I did that the curtain the show curtain, which is how the book came about. But we we both share a lack of cynicism, and it doesn't mean that
we're stupid or or pollyanna ish. So that means maybe that's not a bad thing to be, I don't know, but that we we have a sense of balance, that we know that there terrible things going on, and we know that there are splendid things going on in the world, and you have to look for the good. Sometimes it seems like more of a struggle and more of a challenge. But really you have to face the day and say there there are good things going on and we're going to look at That. Sounds like a of life to
me if you can make it happen. Yeah, it's not always easy, and it doesn't work all day long for sure, but it's something that you need to do otherwise you you collapse in despair. Well, to follow up on the limited time we have, let me just ask you, Given what's going on in the world right now, and it's particularly horrific to see those images from Ukraine, what makes you optimistic? What gives you hope? You talked about optimism and hope is such a thread through everything you do.
I think the things that give me hope are the very small things doing my which aren't small things, but they feel small. Doing your work, being with the people you love, walking through a park and looking at nature, and allowing yourself to engage in the things that are really meaningful and beautiful. That gives you courage, and that gives you strength and hope. And we're so engrossed in love curly burly of life that we somehow often miss
what's really precious. Well, thank you for the spirit lifting work that you do in all of your creations and for making our lives so much richer. Thank you so much, Myra Kellman, Thank you very much. A pleasure to talk to you. That was an amazing perspective and creativity and life. Here are three things I took from that conversation. First, I love Myra's insight that not knowing what you're doing
can lead to great accomplishments. She wants us to not take things too seriously, to look at the world with a kind of wonder, to just look and not think too much. Second, her approach to life is try anything and everything. You might fail, she says, but that's okay because failure is not fatal. Finally, let's draw inspiration from the small things, like being with the people you love,
walking through a park, seeing nature. As Miras says, allowing yourself to engage in the things that are really meaningful and beautiful can give you courage, strength and hope. Tune in next time to hear about our next featured woman and discover why she's one of Seneca's on Women to Hear. Seneca's one hundred Women to Hear is a collaboration between the Seneca Women Podcast Network, and I Heart Radio with support from founding partner Pung. Have a great day.