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Women Holding Things: A Visual Celebration of Women's Lives and Roles
From the critically acclaimed artist, designer, and author of the bestsellers The Principles of Uncertainty and My Favorite Things comes a wondrous collection of words and paintings that is a moving meditation on the beauty and complexity of women's lives and roles, revealed in the things they hold.
"What do women hold? The home and the family. And the children and the food. The friendships. The work. The work of the world. And the work of being human. The memories. And the troubles. And the sorrows and the triumphs. And the love."
In the spring of 2021, Maira and Alex Kalman created a small, limited-edition booklet "Women Holding Things," which featured select recent paintings by Maira, accompanied by her insightful and deeply personal commentary. The booklet quickly sold out. Now, the Kalmans have expanded that original publication into this extraordinary visual compendium.
Women Holding Things includes the bright, bold images featured in the booklet as well as an additional sixty-seven new paintings highlighted by thoughtful and intimate anecdotes, recollections, and ruminations. Most are portraits of women, both ordinary and famous, including Virginia Woolf, Sally Hemings, Hortense Cezanne, Gertrude Stein, as well as Kalman's family members and other real-life people. These women hold a range of objects, from the mundane--balloons, a cup, a whisk, a chicken, a hat--to the abstract--dreams and disappointments, sorrow and regret, joy and love.
Kalman considers the many things that fit physically and metaphorically between women's hands: We see a woman hold a book, hold shears, hold children, hold a grudge, hold up, hold her own. In visually telling their stories, Kalman lays bare the essence of women's lives--their tenacity, courage, vulnerability, hope, and pain. Ultimately, she reveals that many of the things we hold dear--as well as those that burden or haunt us--remain constant and connect us from generation to generation.
Here, too, are pictures of a few men holding things, such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Anton Chekhov, as well as objects holding other objects that invite us to ponder their intimate relationships to one another.
Women Holding Things explores the significance of the objects we carry--in our hands, hearts, and minds--and speaks to, and for, all of us. Maira Kalman's unique work is a celebration of life, of the act and the art of living, offering an original way of examining and understanding all that is important in our world--and ultimately within ourselves.
"What do women hold? The home and the family. And the children and the food. The friendships. The work. The work of the world. And the work of being human. The memories. And the troubles. And the sorrows and the triumphs. And the love."
In the spring of 2021, Maira and Alex Kalman created a small, limited-edition booklet "Women Holding Things," which featured select recent paintings by Maira, accompanied by her insightful and deeply personal commentary. The booklet quickly sold out. Now, the Kalmans have expanded that original publication into this extraordinary visual compendium.
Women Holding Things includes the bright, bold images featured in the booklet as well as an additional sixty-seven new paintings highlighted by thoughtful and intimate anecdotes, recollections, and ruminations. Most are portraits of women, both ordinary and famous, including Virginia Woolf, Sally Hemings, Hortense Cezanne, Gertrude Stein, as well as Kalman's family members and other real-life people. These women hold a range of objects, from the mundane--balloons, a cup, a whisk, a chicken, a hat--to the abstract--dreams and disappointments, sorrow and regret, joy and love.
Kalman considers the many things that fit physically and metaphorically between women's hands: We see a woman hold a book, hold shears, hold children, hold a grudge, hold up, hold her own. In visually telling their stories, Kalman lays bare the essence of women's lives--their tenacity, courage, vulnerability, hope, and pain. Ultimately, she reveals that many of the things we hold dear--as well as those that burden or haunt us--remain constant and connect us from generation to generation.
Here, too, are pictures of a few men holding things, such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Anton Chekhov, as well as objects holding other objects that invite us to ponder their intimate relationships to one another.
Women Holding Things explores the significance of the objects we carry--in our hands, hearts, and minds--and speaks to, and for, all of us. Maira Kalman's unique work is a celebration of life, of the act and the art of living, offering an original way of examining and understanding all that is important in our world--and ultimately within ourselves.
176 pages, Hardcover
Published October 18, 2022
40 people are currently reading
2327 people want to read
About the author
Maira Kalman
72 books704 followersMaira Kalman was born in Tel Aviv and moved to New York with her family at the age of four. She has worked as a designer, author, illustrator and artist for more than thirty years without formal training. Her work is a narrative journal of her life and all its absurdities. She has written and illustrated twelve children's books including Ooh-la-la- Max in Love, What Pete Ate, and Swami on Rye. She often illustrates for The New Yorker magazine, and is well known for her collaboration with Rick Meyerowitz on the NewYorkistan cover in 2001. Recent projects include The Elements of Style (illustrated), and a monthly on-line column entitled Principles of Uncertainty for The New York Times.
She lives in New York and walks a lot.
(http://www.saulgallery.com)
She lives in New York and walks a lot.
(http://www.saulgallery.com)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
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January 11, 2023
I’ve always dug Maira Kalman’s art. It’s folksy in the right way. Like if you had a cool, quirky aunt living in a cottage and when she sat you down to show you her paintings they didn’t suck. Women Holding Things is her latest collection of art and musings and reflects on the concept of holding things, be that physically, emotionally, artistically, existentially, ect. She reflects on how we hold our tasks, our family and history and more, juxtaposing sparse text often in poetic form with her lovely art. This is a lovely book to spend time with, absorbing her discourses on what we hold and gazing through the colorful artwork to feel the emotional charge she directs through the combination of mediums. I enjoyed how it dips into family history, even into the horrors of WWII, but also into famous people through history and even more abstract ideas about what objects—such as a chair—hold and how it relates to us. It does have a section about men near the end, which feels a bit awkward as if she feared criticisms for not addressing the emotions of men and seems rather tacked on, so that is rather unfortunate as women rarely seem to be given a space for themselves without it being infringed upon. But overall this is a charming book and I enjoy the art.
I like how this book feels like a visual poem, flowing from idea to idea along a current of artwork that complements the writing and vice versa. It never feels like the words are there to accommodate a reason for displaying the paintings, or the paintings there to flesh out the words, but a balanced partnership of both. We learn about her family, such as her grandparents and her parents fraught marriage, and we also learn about various women across history. There is some good wordplay along with the concept of holding things, such as these two below.
Gertrude Stein “holding true to herself” (left) and Virgina Woolf “barely holding it together” (right)
There are some excellent discussions on concepts such as time as well, and how it is something we simply cannot hold on to:
Another aspect I enjoyed was her discussion on communication and how we hold each other through our interactions. Particularly her mention ‘on some level, this lack of / communication feels like true / communication. Or that is how / I have come to think of it,’ and how this applies to the larger picture that what we hold shows what we value.
‘Objects around us hold
our attention and our love.
It is hard work
to hold everything
and it never ends.’
There are some great passages with ideas of objects, though the section on men seemed unnecessary. I would have preferred if the focus could have just been women as the title implies. I see how it is a tribute to the men in her life, or the lives of the women discussed, but that seemed already better suited to being framed through the women. Perhaps she felt she women would not be given the space, or perhaps it is a way of trying to accommodate everyone but it just felt misplaced in the book. Or, perhaps, she just needed a reason to have some of those paintings (the Chekov one is great), so who knows. Either way, I think the overall effect would have been just as good if not better had this section been cut.
Hortense Cézanne holding her own.
Kalman has made a delightful little book full of great art and ideas to ponder. I enjoyed spending some time with this for a few days and I suspect you will too. It is good to think about what we hold, and as Kalman mentions at the end, thinking about what we carry and why leads to thinking about the ideas around letting go.
3.75/5
‘And perhaps someone you are walking with
Will ask you to hold something for a minute
While they tie their shoelaces.
“Of course” is the answer.
“As long as you like.”
I like how this book feels like a visual poem, flowing from idea to idea along a current of artwork that complements the writing and vice versa. It never feels like the words are there to accommodate a reason for displaying the paintings, or the paintings there to flesh out the words, but a balanced partnership of both. We learn about her family, such as her grandparents and her parents fraught marriage, and we also learn about various women across history. There is some good wordplay along with the concept of holding things, such as these two below.
Gertrude Stein “holding true to herself” (left) and Virgina Woolf “barely holding it together” (right)
There are some excellent discussions on concepts such as time as well, and how it is something we simply cannot hold on to:
‘Finding time is all we want to do.
Once you find time, you want more time.
And more time in between that time.
There can never be enough time.
And you can never hold on to it.
It is so strange
We live. And then we die.
So unutterably strange.’
Another aspect I enjoyed was her discussion on communication and how we hold each other through our interactions. Particularly her mention ‘on some level, this lack of / communication feels like true / communication. Or that is how / I have come to think of it,’ and how this applies to the larger picture that what we hold shows what we value.
‘Objects around us hold
our attention and our love.
It is hard work
to hold everything
and it never ends.’
There are some great passages with ideas of objects, though the section on men seemed unnecessary. I would have preferred if the focus could have just been women as the title implies. I see how it is a tribute to the men in her life, or the lives of the women discussed, but that seemed already better suited to being framed through the women. Perhaps she felt she women would not be given the space, or perhaps it is a way of trying to accommodate everyone but it just felt misplaced in the book. Or, perhaps, she just needed a reason to have some of those paintings (the Chekov one is great), so who knows. Either way, I think the overall effect would have been just as good if not better had this section been cut.
Hortense Cézanne holding her own.
Kalman has made a delightful little book full of great art and ideas to ponder. I enjoyed spending some time with this for a few days and I suspect you will too. It is good to think about what we hold, and as Kalman mentions at the end, thinking about what we carry and why leads to thinking about the ideas around letting go.
3.75/5
‘And perhaps someone you are walking with
Will ask you to hold something for a minute
While they tie their shoelaces.
“Of course” is the answer.
“As long as you like.”
February 20, 2024
This book holds my soul.
This book holds me . . . literally.
I wrote the following on Facebook after the stunning discovery. And repeating it here seems to be the most efficient way to convey the magic, the love, and the profound beauty of Maira Kalman and her art and words:
This book holds me . . . literally.
I wrote the following on Facebook after the stunning discovery. And repeating it here seems to be the most efficient way to convey the magic, the love, and the profound beauty of Maira Kalman and her art and words:
Thank you, my angel friend Gretchen Bach. I'm doing this publicly (although I've also done it privately) because I believe there is something in this for more people than just me.
Gretchen gave me treasure: a copy of Maira Kalman's new book of paintings and text, Women Holding Things. It is so gorgeous that I have been paging through it as slowly as I can to make first seeing last longer. Yesterday I was stopped dead by this page.
I was looking at myself and Maya during her last 15 months of life. Just after I gave her her morning infusion, I would carry her to the park. I carried her in a hug against my breasts. My feelings of love and grief and agony were all equal. One morning right after I'd entered the park and was making my way up West Drive, two women came toward me. I had just curled around Maya in a quick kiss and I saw one woman react--BIG. "Can I take your photo?" she asked as we got nearer. Numb, I assented. I didn't pose or smile. I just stood there feeling what I felt. She snapped a photo, I nodded, wordless, and walked on.
You cannot imagine how stunned I was to see this moment in Maira Kalman's book. There was not a doubt in my mind that she was the woman who snapped the photo. But still I emailed and sent a snapshot from better times. Here is her response:
dear betsy.
it was indeed you.
i was struck by your grace and beauty.
unconditional love and devotion in the most poignant and pure form.
thank you for allowing me to photograph you.
these moments are lessons on how to live life. gifts from the gods.
all very best to you.
maira
Gretchen, you are intertwined in this gift in a way that takes my breath away. Thank you.
August 8, 2025
3.4⭐
A collection of Maira Kalman's folk artsy paintings along with her short, almost poetic observations on women ( famous, not famous and family), things ( simple and complex) with a couple of men thrown in.
Kalman's art is deceptively simple but she's able to capture the emotions on her subjects faces; along with much of their backstories-through the details of her settings.
Her prose, sometimes mildly surreal, deals with subjects like family and tragedy and holding up and holding on, when dealing with both.
A short, interesting book.
The cover illustration is Kalman's painting "women holding eyebrows in common."
A collection of Maira Kalman's folk artsy paintings along with her short, almost poetic observations on women ( famous, not famous and family), things ( simple and complex) with a couple of men thrown in.
Kalman's art is deceptively simple but she's able to capture the emotions on her subjects faces; along with much of their backstories-through the details of her settings.
Her prose, sometimes mildly surreal, deals with subjects like family and tragedy and holding up and holding on, when dealing with both.
A short, interesting book.
The cover illustration is Kalman's painting "women holding eyebrows in common."
June 18, 2023
Ik hield van dit boek.
Voor een inkijkje: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cto-4B9tLSp/
'What did we say to each other?
I just don't know.
How we got through the day is beyond me.
But on some level, this lack of
communication feels like true
communication. Or that is how
I have come to think of it.'
Voor een inkijkje: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cto-4B9tLSp/
February 22, 2024
This is a book featuring artist Maira Kalman's paintings and commentary. As the title describes, her paintings involve women and girls holding things. It was brought to my attention by Goodreads reviewer Betsy Robinson. Much to her surprise, the artist (who doesn't know her) happened to see Betsy on a walk, holding her sick dog in her arms and decided to paint them. The painting is included in the book.
Famous women, Maira's relatives and every day women are shown here, along with Maira's musings. I enjoyed the colors, lines and style of the paintings. For those who enjoy art, this is a good book to buy.
Here is an example of a painting found in the book. It is of Sally Hemmings. The artist remarks:
"Sally Hemmings
holding history accountable
I don't know why,
but she reminds me of my mother."
Famous women, Maira's relatives and every day women are shown here, along with Maira's musings. I enjoyed the colors, lines and style of the paintings. For those who enjoy art, this is a good book to buy.
Here is an example of a painting found in the book. It is of Sally Hemmings. The artist remarks:
"Sally Hemmings
holding history accountable
I don't know why,
but she reminds me of my mother."
February 10, 2024
I had never heard of Maira Kalman when I bought this book, months and months ago. I found it on an unexpected visit to a bookshop and knew I had to have it. I took it home and promptly forgot all about it until last week when my daughter sent me a TED talk of Maira Kalman in which she mentions this book. I immediately dug it out and read it. It's gorgeous. Funny, poignant, clever and incredibly witty.
December 7, 2022
Who would ever guess that a book about women (and a couple of men) holding things could be so wise?
Well, if you saw that the book was written by Maira Kalman, you would have to look no farther to figure this out.
Women Holding Things is essentially a picture book for grownups. But be prepared to think and mull and think again and mull again as you look at the wonderful Kalman paintings and the thoughtful text.
Well, if you saw that the book was written by Maira Kalman, you would have to look no farther to figure this out.
Women Holding Things is essentially a picture book for grownups. But be prepared to think and mull and think again and mull again as you look at the wonderful Kalman paintings and the thoughtful text.
August 26, 2025
"It is hard work to hold everything and it never ends."
Found this in a little free library and haven’t stopped flipping through it since. The illustrations are perfection, the humor is sly and a little devastating — I’m obsessed.
Found this in a little free library and haven’t stopped flipping through it since. The illustrations are perfection, the humor is sly and a little devastating — I’m obsessed.
December 2, 2024
“Finding time is all we want to do.
Once you find time, you want more time.
And more time in between that time.
There can never be enough time.
And you can never hold on to it.
It is so strange.
We live. And then we die.
So unutterably strange.”
Once you find time, you want more time.
And more time in between that time.
There can never be enough time.
And you can never hold on to it.
It is so strange.
We live. And then we die.
So unutterably strange.”
Read
April 22, 2023Women Holding Things began as limited edition booklet for charities raising money to combat hunger. During the pandemic, Maira Kalman expanded the booklet to include 86 illustrations that the author calls "love song[s] to women." There are women holding ordinary objects (at least they appear so, but the objects hint at much more); they are holding their children, their friends, their parents, the well-being of all human kind. One painting depicts a woman holding a boulder like Titan Atlas bearing the weight of the heavens on his shoulders. I was thinking of Sisyphus - but holding space in our hearts is never a futile task. I have loved Maira Kalman's art and philosophy since I discovered her wonderous picture books and shared them as a children's librarian. This collection is exquisite.
February 14, 2025
"You may be exhausted from holding things and be disheartened. And even weep if you are very emotional. Which could be anyone on any day. With good reason. But then there is the next moment and the next day and...hold on.
February 8, 2025
I guess I am not hip enough to enjoy this book of paintings and thoughts. The only quote I really like is at the beginning “ What do women hold? The home and the family. And the children and the food. The friendships. The work. The work of the world. And the work of being human. The memories. And the troubles and the sorrows and the triumphs. And the love…..”. The paintings are whimsical but still don’t get it. Maybe I need to listen to her Ted Talk that others mention.
May 15, 2023
This may be my favorite Maira Kalman book. Her books are such treasures.
February 21, 2024
I heard the Ted talk given by the artist and author of this book. She’s amazing and I loved taking my time looking at the artwork and reading her descriptions.
August 29, 2025
What a beautiful, poignant way to spend 30 minutes this morning. Thoughtful, honest and funny. Beautiful art. Grateful for this one.
October 4, 2023
What a beautiful book with incredible art work throughout. The stories told here and there were very interesting. A very colourful book both in pictures and in words.
January 1, 2023
The perfect book to end 2022--charming, insightful, sad, and joyful.
February 23, 2024
I have been partial to Maira Kalman’s work since my best friend gave me a copy of Max Makes a Million when we were in college and she knew of my love of kids books. And slightly strange avant garde things. This one is lovely to look at and interesting to think about.
I know of some of the women she mentions, but I feel like I should look all of them up. I think it’s an interesting combination of people she knows, her family, and well-known people.
Excerpts:
The book flap:
you hold in your hands a thing I hold most dear. A book. If there was ever a time to hold onto something, this is it. Hold on, dear friends. Hold on.
Intro:
what do women hold?
The home in the family.
And the children and the food.
The friendships.
The work.
The work of the world.
And the work of being human
The memories.
And the troubles
And the sorrows
And the triumphs. And the love.
Meyn as well, but not
Quite in the same way.
Sometimes, when I am feeling
Particularly happy or content,
I think I can provide sustenance
For legions of human beings.
I can hold the entire world in my arms
Other times, I can barely cross the
Room. And I drop my arms. Frozen.
Then
I am brought back to
My grandmother
My mother, my aunts,
My sister, my daughter
My granddaughters,
My cousins.
The women who
Are my friends.
We have spoken to each other
For thousands of hours.
About all that can be held.
And not held.
And how sometimes
The water runs through our fingers.
And how sometimes
The cakes are baked
And the beds are made.
And the books are written.
The beds
And the books
And the cakes.
In my case, it is good to hold all.
In my family, we never had an actual conversation where ideas were exchanged, and knowledge and parted. Things were blurted,
Mumbled
Whispered,
Shouted.
Nothing ever made sense, and nobody understood anybody. And yet we managed to hurt each other’s feelings all the time.
What did we say to each other? I just don’t know. Have we got through the day is beyond me.
But on some level, this lack of communicating feels like true communication. Or that is how I have come to think of it.
What I can add to that at the end of my husband’s terribly long illness, we stopped understanding each other sentences.
My grandmother was always damp from perspiring and terribly beleaguered. Maybe because she did not get to marry the man she loved. She always looked haggard and distraught. But we loved her without question. I look haggard sometimes as well. I am not pleased with that, but it is unavoidable.
I know of some of the women she mentions, but I feel like I should look all of them up. I think it’s an interesting combination of people she knows, her family, and well-known people.
Excerpts:
The book flap:
you hold in your hands a thing I hold most dear. A book. If there was ever a time to hold onto something, this is it. Hold on, dear friends. Hold on.
Intro:
what do women hold?
The home in the family.
And the children and the food.
The friendships.
The work.
The work of the world.
And the work of being human
The memories.
And the troubles
And the sorrows
And the triumphs. And the love.
Meyn as well, but not
Quite in the same way.
Sometimes, when I am feeling
Particularly happy or content,
I think I can provide sustenance
For legions of human beings.
I can hold the entire world in my arms
Other times, I can barely cross the
Room. And I drop my arms. Frozen.
Then
I am brought back to
My grandmother
My mother, my aunts,
My sister, my daughter
My granddaughters,
My cousins.
The women who
Are my friends.
We have spoken to each other
For thousands of hours.
About all that can be held.
And not held.
And how sometimes
The water runs through our fingers.
And how sometimes
The cakes are baked
And the beds are made.
And the books are written.
The beds
And the books
And the cakes.
In my case, it is good to hold all.
In my family, we never had an actual conversation where ideas were exchanged, and knowledge and parted. Things were blurted,
Mumbled
Whispered,
Shouted.
Nothing ever made sense, and nobody understood anybody. And yet we managed to hurt each other’s feelings all the time.
What did we say to each other? I just don’t know. Have we got through the day is beyond me.
But on some level, this lack of communicating feels like true communication. Or that is how I have come to think of it.
What I can add to that at the end of my husband’s terribly long illness, we stopped understanding each other sentences.
My grandmother was always damp from perspiring and terribly beleaguered. Maybe because she did not get to marry the man she loved. She always looked haggard and distraught. But we loved her without question. I look haggard sometimes as well. I am not pleased with that, but it is unavoidable.
August 26, 2024
A brief piece filled with poetry, illustrated with paintings, and some prose about...YES, you guessed it: "Women Holding Things"!
Sometimes the things are simple, concrete, tangible like
"woman holding petite pink cup"
However, at times the things are abstract, funny or unusual like
"woman holding court" or
"women holding malicious opinions while I play the piano"
The author intersperses some paragraph level text about her family and historic figures that she seems to know.
Additionally, there are a few jarring references to the Holocaust as Maira Kalman's family was very affected by it.
And all of this illustrated with original watercolor artwork.
Thank you!
Sometimes the things are simple, concrete, tangible like
"woman holding petite pink cup"
However, at times the things are abstract, funny or unusual like
"woman holding court" or
"women holding malicious opinions while I play the piano"
The author intersperses some paragraph level text about her family and historic figures that she seems to know.
Additionally, there are a few jarring references to the Holocaust as Maira Kalman's family was very affected by it.
And all of this illustrated with original watercolor artwork.
Thank you!
January 7, 2026
I love Maira Kalman’s illustrations, but the book’s messaging was lost on me. The idea of women holding the weight of the world in their hands is powerful, and a collection of illustrations attributing to this would have been wonderful had Kalman not been so liberal. The book begins with Women holding together families, homes, themselves… and rather than leave the reader with this reflection on women’s roles, Kalman pulls the rug out from under and introduces men. “Here’s men holding just as much as women” —matter of fact, “here’s a chair holding a hat”… We move so quickly from “women are strong but overwhelmed” to “also men” “and also a sink” —among other inanimate objects.
I don’t find this quirky, I find it insulting. It cheapens any feminist message that would have otherwise been present. I suppose in the end, rather than women having anything unique to offer the world we are no different from men. Or a “pile of planks destined for the trash”.
I don’t find this quirky, I find it insulting. It cheapens any feminist message that would have otherwise been present. I suppose in the end, rather than women having anything unique to offer the world we are no different from men. Or a “pile of planks destined for the trash”.
July 6, 2024
I read this whole book while sitting in a chair in my favorite local indie bookstore. It made me laugh and then made me tear up, and a couple pages later I laughed again. It’s a hilarious, touching, feminist object of beauty and I loved it so much that I could not resist buying it.
December 13, 2024
Love a little play on words and a little folk art
January 24, 2025
Because every day is a struggle, and it is not easy. But if you can paint a bowl of cherries, that is something.
March 11, 2025
'It is hard work to hold everything and it never ends. You may be exhausted from holding things and be disheartened. And even weep if you are very emotional. Which could be anyone on any day. With good reason.
But then there is the next moment and the next day and
hold on.'
But then there is the next moment and the next day and
hold on.'
January 31, 2026
Beautiful book I borrowed from a friend. I believe that no matter where you are on your journey through life, you will recognize people and moments that are relevant to you.
January 19, 2025
Lovely and poignant book of Art & Poetry. Great encouragement for all of us who “hold things” - which is everyone, each in their own way.
December 11, 2023
Mooie schilderijen
December 4, 2022
What a comfort. A very special book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews