And the Pursuit of Happiness

Energized and inspired by the 2008 elections, on inauguration day Kalman traveled to Washington, D.C. and launched a year long investigation of American democracy and its workings. The result is And the Pursuit of Happiness. In tracing our historical roots in visits to the Lincoln archive and Jefferson's Monticello and in taking the pulse of the present at a town hall meeting in Newfane, Vermont and the inner chambers of the Supreme Court, Kalman finds evidence of democracy at work all around us. The observations she makes as she travels charm and inform, and-as we have come to expect with Kalman-the route is always one of fascinating indirection. As we follow Kalman along her wholly idiosyncratic journey, we fall in love with Lincoln along side her, as she imagines making a home for herself in the center of his magisterial memorial; we ponder Alexis de Tocqueville's America; we see the inner workings of a Bronx middle school student council; we take a high speed lesson in great American women in the National Portrait Gallery; and we consider the cost of war to the brave American service families of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The cast of characters we meet along the way is rousing good company, featuring visits from Benjamin Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, and many others. Of course, nobody can capture Maira's voice, so I want to share a piece from her speaking to the experience of this project: I was never interested in politics or history. But this year has taken me to very new places of exploration. Reading about the founders. GENIUSES! Visiting their homes. Fantastic wall colors. Delicious beds. Learning about the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Emancipation Proclamation. Visiting the Supreme Court or Congress. Dialogue. Debate. Process. Justice. Sewage, Corn. It has made me look at the world in a very new way. Not as an all or nothing proposition. But as an evolving organism which will change (sometimes) for the better. Maybe. It has been a most splendid year. Like The Principles of Uncertainty Maira's newest collection was published in serial on The New York Times website, and has been celebrated by her legions of fans, as the remarkable outpouring of support shown in the comments section stands testament. And The Pursuit of Happiness is a remarkable tribute to our history and a powerful reminder of the potential our future holds. This will be a gorgeous package, and a perfect gift book.

MAIRA KALMAN is an illustrator, author, and designer. She is the author of The Principles of Uncertainty, and illustrator of the bestselling edition of William Strunk and E.B.White's The Elements of Style. Most recently, she collaborated with Michael Pollan to illustrate his bestselling Food Rules. Kalman's work is shown at the Jule Saul Gallery in Manhattan.