Still Life with Remorse: A Luminous Illustrated Memoir of Jewish Heritage, Family History, and the Art of Memory

A moving meditation in words and pictures on remorse, joy, ancestry, and memory

Maira Kalman’s most autobiographical and intimate work to date, Still Life with Remorse is a beautiful, four-color collection combining deeply personal stories and fifty striking full-color paintings in the vein of her and Alex Kalman’s acclaimed Women Holding Things.

Tracing her family’s story from her grandfather’s birth in Belarus and immigration to Tel Aviv—where she was born—Kalman considers her unique family history, illuminating the complex relationship between recollection, regret, happiness, and heritage. The vibrant original art accompanying these autobiographical pieces are mostly still-lifes and interiors, which serve as counterpoints to her powerful words. In addition to vignettes exploring her Israeli and Jewish roots, Kalman includes short stories about other great artists, writers, and composers, including Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Gustav Mahler, and Robert Schumann.

Through these narratives, Kalman uses her signature wit and tenderness to reveal how family history plays an influential role in all of our work, lives, and perspectives. A feat of visual storytelling and vulnerability, Still Life with Remorse explores the profound hidden in the quotidian, and illuminates the powerful universal truths in our most personal family stories.