Joy

A luminous four-color collection of prose and paintings that reveals how joy—quiet, fleeting, and often overlooked—persists, even in the darkest of times, from the critically acclaimed artist and bestselling author of Women Holding Things, Still Life with Remorse, and Sara Berman’s Closet.

In this beautiful, inviting, and uplifting book, beloved artist and author Maira Kalman offers a deep appreciation of joy. A timely counterpart to Still Life with Remorse, this four-color collection of original paintings and prose celebrates daily observations of small, unexpected moments of light piercing through the darkness.

In a world marked by grief and uncertainty, Kalman believes that seeking joy brings meaning to life.

A woman applying red lipstick at a café in Pairs after lunch.
The intoxicating scent of freshly cut grass in Central Park.
A berry tart shared by family in the countryside.

Kalman invites readers to experience the world through her eyes, opening the mind and senses to find pleasure, humor, and hope in the everyday. Interwoven with these intimate observations are meditations on artists and writers who have transformed pain and sorrow into beauty and triumph, from Beethoven to Kafka to Virginia Woolf.

With her gentle wit and deep insights, Kalman shows us how to be present—and question—the world: to become alert to details and contradictions. She reminds us that even seemingly insignificant moments and memories can become glimmering, restorative bridges to the sublime. Her reflections are accompanied by colorful and expressive art that captures human resilience and celebrates the redemptive power of art and music.

A wondrous blend of prose and art, Joy is both a source of comfort and a call to remember that pleasure does not erase suffering but exists stubbornly and beautifully alongside it.