Maira Kalman is an illustrator, author and designer who illuminates contemporary life with a profound sense of joy and a unique sense of humor. Hers is a daily discipline of creativity based on photography, travel, research, walking, talking and open observation. She is the author / illustrator of 15 children’s books including Max Makes A Million, What Pete Ate and Looking at Lincoln. Her works for adults include an illustrated edition of Strunk and White’s classic The Elements of Style. Kalman is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and her illustrated essays for the New York Times are compiled in two volumes, The Principles of Uncertainty and And the Pursuit of Happiness. Collaborations include those with the fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, the choreographer Mark Morris and the composer Nico Muhly. She is the “M” in M&Co, the revolutionary design firm founded by her late husband, Tibor Kalman. Her family roots are in Belarus, where much herring was consumed. She is the owner of a pair of Toscanini’s pants.