A review by courtney_mcallister
Hurry Up and Wait by Daniel Handler, Maira Kalman

3.0

Girls Standing on Lawns, the first byproduct of Kalman and Handler's collaboration with MOMA, was enchanting and quirky. The found photographs complemented Handler's prose beautifully, and Kalman's distinctive illustrations added a complementary layer of whimsy. Unfortunately, the second phase of this joint project is markedly less sprightly. The talent is still there, but the cohesion is missing. The organizational premise is less coherent, for one thing. Also, the use of famous/well known photographs diluted Handler/Kalman's style, in my opinion. I'm all for re-mixing and mashing up cultural artifacts, but in Hurry Up and Wait the excessive associations were distracting. The ensuing muddle of meanings and half-constructed relationships made me crave the crisp focus which characterized the first installment. Perhaps this is just a sophomore slump and the next phase will be resplendent? One can hope, at least.