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But first, we tell about artist and writer Maira Kalman and her new book, “And the Pursuit of Happiness.”
(MUSIC)
MAIRA KALMAN
DOUG JOHNSON: Maira Kalman is a writer and artist who combines these two skills in her many books and magazine articles. She has written twelve books for children as well as several for adults. Her colorful drawings and the writing that goes with them are imaginative, playful and thoughtful. Her most recent book is “And the Pursuit of Happiness.” It tells about her year-long observation of American democracy through its history, culture, and people. Pat Bodnar has more.
PAT BODNAR:
“And the Pursuit of Happiness” began as a monthly column in the Opinion section of the New York Times. Maira Kalman said she was not at all interested in politics. But she decided to tell about political changes in the United States from the point of view of someone who had never investigated the subject.

The story would begin with President Obama’s inauguration. It would be about asking questions and learning about American democracy, politics, history and culture. Ms. Kalman said studying this subject had a surprising result.
MAIRA KALMAN: “What happened was, I fell in love. I fell in love with the country in a way that I never had. And I fell in love with every single person in the country, which is a big job.”
“And the Pursuit of Happiness” takes place over twelve months. Ms. Kalman studies the men who helped create American democracy, including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. She visits national museums, presidential homes, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and a military base. She meets important people and asks them questions. She writes about voting, women’s rights, the law and immigration.
The story comes alive through the details she notices on her travels which she paints: The cherry pie she eats at a military base. The funny, fur hat Benjamin Franklin once wore. The red ballot box at a town meeting in Vermont.
Maira Kalman was born in Israel in nineteen forty-nine. She and her parents moved to New York City when she was very young.
Last week, Ms. Kalman gave a talk at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. She spoke about her new book and how she created it. She also talked about her childhood and how her mother would take her to the library to read. She said this is what influenced her to become a writer. But she said that becoming an artist was also influenced by the special kind of freedom her parents gave her and her sister.
MAIRA KALMAN: “Rules had no place in our home.”
She said her mother made sure that she and her sister knew about art, dance and music. But her mother did not tell them how to do things. She let them find their own way and make their own mistakes.
MAIRA KALMAN: “But she never expected you to do things the right way. And that is a very powerful thing.”
Maira Kalman says this idea influences how she works. To her, it is not important to “get it right” but rather to tell a story that is honest and personal.