1
of
1
American Utopia
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Hardback
$5999
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
American Utopia
$5999
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book is ideal for readers interested in arts and culture, music lovers, and fans of innovative multimedia storytelling. It suits those seeking an inspiring, optimistic perspective on human connection and contemporary life, as well as admirers of visual art combined with lyrical text.
Latest News
Toys and Books for Pretend Play (Part 1)
From Hape to Melissa & Doug to Bluey, and a whole bunch more, there are...
New Reads to add to your TBR
Fiction and Non Fiction are both pulling some big punches this week with a number...
Talking all things Romantasy with John Campbell on RNZ!
The latest book in a viral series has had some New Zealanders queuing up at...
New Hero Alert! Meet Shannon - our new Warehouse Sidekick
Meet Shannon, one of our newest Warehouse Sidekicks! With a background in inwards goods and...
New Zealand Gothic and Some Wonderfully Atmospheric Novels from Aotearoa
We may be lacking in castles and moors, but we more than make up for...
See more
From former Talking Heads frontman and multimedia visionary David Byrne and revered bestselling author, illustrator, and artist Maira Kalman--an inspiring celebration in words and art of the connections between us all.
Don’t miss the Spike Lee film of the Broadway hit American Utopia--on HBO.
A Beat Most Anticipated Graphic Novel of Fall 2020
From former Talking Heads frontman and multimedia visionary David Byrne and revered bestselling author, illustrator, and artist Maira Kalman--an inspiring celebration in words and art of the connections between us all.
Don’t miss the Spike Lee film of the Broadway hit American Utopia--on HBO.
A Beat Most Anticipated Graphic Novel of Fall 2020
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
From former Talking Heads frontman and multimedia visionary David Byrne and revered bestselling author, illustrator, and artist Maira Kalman—an inspiring celebration in words and art of the connections between us all.
Don’t miss the Spike Lee film of the Broadway hit American Utopia—on HBO.
A Beat Most Anticipated Graphic Novel of Fall 2020
A joyful collaboration between old friends David Byrne and Maira Kalman, American Utopia offers readers an antidote to cynicism, bursting with pathos, humanism, and hope—featuring his words and lyrics brought to life with more than 150 of her colourful paintings.
The text is drawn from David Byrne’s American Utopia, which has become a hit Broadway show and is now a film from Spike Lee on HBO. The four-colour artwork by Maira Kalman, created for the Broadway show’s curtain, is composed of small moments, expressions, gestures, and interactions that together offer a portrait of daily life and coexistence.
With their creative talents combined, American Utopia is a salvo for kindness and a call for jubilation, a reminder to sing, dance, and waste not a moment. Beautifully designed and edited by Alex Kalman, American Utopia is a balm for the soul from two of the world’s most extraordinary artists.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
American Utopia has been widely praised for its uplifting and hopeful message. NPR calls it "an argument for the reincarnation of hope in the American project," while Kirkus Reviews describes it as "a comforting work of art in troubled times." Booklist highlights its themes of freedom, uncertainty, and inclusivity, noting Byrne's use of absurdity and humour to navigate a chaotic world. Library Journal appreciates the colourful and playful presentation, stating it captures the spirit of the show even for those unfamiliar with Byrne’s work. Publishers Weekly praises Kalman's sunny watercolours complementing Byrne's lyrics.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781635576689
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 10 December 2020
Country: United States
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Illustration: 4-color throughout, printed endpapers
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 2.0mm
Width: 166.0mm
Height: 238.0mm
Weight: 600g
Pages: 160
About the Author
David Byrne was born in Scotland in 1952 and is now an artist, writer, and musician who since 1974 has lived in New York City. He has a daughter and a grandson.
Maira Kalman was born in Tel Aviv in 1949 and is now an artist, writer, and designer who since 1954 has lived in New York City. She has a daughter, a son, and two grandchildren.
Also by David Byrne
View all-
Bicycle Diaries
'Byrne comes across like a post-punk Michael Palin.' - The Times 'An engaging book; part-diary, part-manifesto.' - Observer Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne, co-founder of the group Talking Heads, explores his unique immersion into urban landscapes around the world through cycling. Since the 1980s, Byrne has used a bicycle as his principal means of transportation. He even takes a folding...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
A History of the World (in Dingbats)
The phenomenally creative musician and filmmaker David Byrne presents new artwork that explores daily life in surprising ways, with unique reflections on shared human experiences - a book for our time from a highly influential artist. Through striking and humorous figurative drawings, the iconic artist and musician David Byrne depicts daily life in intriguing ways. His illustrations, created while under...Hardback$7000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-orderSleeping Beauties
Sleeping Beauties is a brilliant idea that is ahead of its time. So many breakthroughs in arts or science were like this, lost on their initial audience and only later revived and acknowledged to be great. This book asks, why do some ideas fall asleep? And how do they wake up? The next great book for everyone who loved The...Hardback$4999Elsewhere:$5999Unit price /UnavailableOut 24 Nov 2026Pre-order -
How Music Works
How Music Works is David Byrne's buoyant celebration of a subject he has spent a lifetime thinking about. Equal parts historian and anthropologist, raconteur and social scientist, Byrne draws on his own work over the years with Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and his myriad collaborators—along with journeys to Wagnerian opera houses, African villages, and anywhere music exists—to show that music-making...PaperbackSold Out -
Arboretum
For over thirty years, besides making music, David Byrne has focused his unique genius upon forms as diverse as the archaeology of music as we know it, architectural photography and the uses of PowerPoint. Now he presents his most personal work to date, a collection of drawings exploring the form of the tree diagram. Arboretum is an eclectic blend of...HardbackSold Out
Also by Maira Kalman
View all-
Still Life with Remorse
From the critically acclaimed artist, designer, and author of the bestsellers The Principles of Uncertainty, My Favorite Things, and Women Holding Things comes 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 50...Hardback$7999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Weather, Weather
Can a photograph capture the sensation of a warm spring breeze or the smell of freshly fallen snow? Weather, Weather, the third volume in a series of creative collaborations between renowned artist and bestselling author Maira Kalman, New York Times bestselling author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), and The Museum of Modern Art, New York, is an evocative exploration of...Hardback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-orderJoy
A luminous four-colour 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...Hardback$7500Unit price /UnavailableOut 2 Mar 2027Pre-order -
Max In Hollywood, Baby
Beloved dog-poet Max is back, and he's taking on Hollywood in this funny, jazzy tale, brought to life by Kalman's bright illustrations. Enter Max. Dreamer. Poet. Dog. In this rollicking madcap tale, Max and his dazzling Dalmatian bride take off to direct a movie in Hollywood. Max In Hollywood, Baby is an enchanting journey filled with whimsical adventures and vivid...HardbackSold Out
More from Arts & Culture
View all-
Dylan's PickBold Types
A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...Hardback$5999Elsewhere:$7000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseI’ll Believe in Anything
From Jacob Tierney, the creator of Heated Rivalry, in partnership with Brendan Brady and Accent Aigu, comes I’ll Believe in Anything, an official and complete collection of annotated scripts for the biggest cultural sensation of the year, with all new exclusive behind-the-scenes content.Based on Rachel Reid’s blockbuster Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave and HBO in late 2025 and immediately took the world by storm. I’ll...Hardback$5499Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Home Again
Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
20% offThe Odyssey
Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$3599Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
21% offThe Iliad
When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017—revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)—critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...Hardback$4499Elsewhere:$5299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseA Life in Lyrics
Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world. But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse...Hardback$5000Elsewhere:$6500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseBirdlands
A rare, intimate journey into the wild islands where Aotearoa's birds live beyond the reach of most human lives. In the most remote outposts of Aotearoa, our islands are populated not with people, but with birds. From the storm-lashed Subantarctic Islands in the deep south to the scattered volcanic islands of Tikapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf in the north, Birdlands offers a...Hardback$4199Elsewhere:$5000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
21% offThis Angry Pen of Mine
This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...Hardback$5800Elsewhere:$8999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseBeautiful Chaos
Featuring five exclusive new poems, this stunning foil-embossed hardback edition is a collector's item and a gorgeous gift. The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller. Selected poems on motherhood from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'Reading Jess's poems makes me feel like she's somehow reached into my own personal reflections and articulated them in a way I never could.' –...Hardback$3299Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseSplit Enz
'My favourite band. Ever! And certainly the best dressed.' Sam Neill Split Enz were never designed to fit. Emerging from art school mischief in early-1970s New Zealand, they turned pop into surreal theatre: costume, character and melody colliding in a rock band that refused to behave like one. At the centre of that vision was Noel Crombie—percussionist, performer and the...Hardback$5199Elsewhere:$6500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Mah Jong Player's Companion
Since the arrival on the market of Patricia Thompson and Betty Maloney's two previous books, The Game of Mah Jong Illustrated and Improve Your Mah Jong, a wide range of hands from many parts of the world has been sent to them. In this player's companion, the authors have put together a cross-filled reference guide where over 120 hands, illustrated...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Arts & Culture lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listArts & Culture
Poetry of Aotearoa
Check out some of the amazing local talent we are spoilt with right here in Aotearoa.View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listArts & Culture
Poetry for Beginners - Where to Start
10 Books I'd recommend to someone new to reading poetry - a mix of old and new, all magical introductions to the...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listArts & Culture
Lizzy's Favourite Books of Poetry
If I could only have 10 poetry collections to survive on for the rest of my life, these are them. Or maybe...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listArts & Culture
Books to read for Women in Translation month!
August is Women in Translation month, but at any time of year it's worth checking out these incredible novels written by women...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listArts & Culture
Inside the World of Film
Step behind the scenes of the world of filmmaking! Discover iconic directors and movie history of some of the world's memorable films.View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listArts & Culture
Books to Celebrate NZ Music Month
New Zealand Music Month happens every May, it's a reminder that we have so many talented musicians, singer, songwriters here in Aotearoa....View the list
