Debbie Millman
A few years ago, I attended maira Kalman and Nico Muhly’s opera, “The Elements of Style”, which was based on the landmark guide to grammatical usage written by Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. The performance coincided with the release of Maira’s illustrated version of the book. The opera was presented for one night only at the New York Public Library, and the show was entirely sold out. In an effort to manage the large crowd, ushers holding way – finding signed were situated all along the line snaking through the library. Interspersed among the directional posters were whimsical placards handmade by Maira, featuring quirky and fanciful lines from the book. This pre-show exhibit was enchanting. But my heart stopped when I noticed a woman holding a sign that simply stated what I considered to be the most mesmerizing line of all. The phrase, handwritten in Maira’s sweet unmistakable script, read as follows:-
“Her Story is Strange”
I couldn’t help what I did next. I ran up tot he young girl and asked if I could have the sign. She replied no, she needed it until the show began. I then asked if I could have it after the opera was over and offered to give her all the money I had in my wallet. She looked embarrassed and suggested that I try to find her after the performance. In the meantime, she wold ask the people in charge if she was allowed to give the piece away.
After what could be described as a truly magnificent opera, the audience gathered for a post-show reception. I scanned the room searching for the young usher, and when I finally found her, I inquired again about the object of my desire. She responded that she had forgotten to ask her boss and told me she would try to find her.
An eternity passed, and finally she returned and explained that before giving away the piece, her boss needed to ask Maira’s permission to part with it. Maira had a question for the person who wanted the cardboard sign. Since the place card read “Her Story is Strange”, Maira wanted to know if indeed my story was strange. I looked this affable young woman right in the eye and without missing a beat, I gleefully and proudly stated that yes!, most as surely, my story was strange. And with that, my new friend smiled wide, pulled the prized artwork from behind her back and replied, “then yes, if your story is strange, then yes, Maira said you can have it”.
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An eternity passed, and finally she returned and explained that before giving away the piece, her boss needed to ask Maira’s permission to part with it. Maira had a question for the person who wanted the cardboard sign. Since the place card read “Her Story is Strange”, Maira wanted to know if indeed my story was strange. I looked this affable young woman right in the eye and without missing a beat, I gleefully and proudly stated that yes!, most as surely, my story was strange. And with that, my new friend smiled wide, pulled the prized artwork from behind her back and replied, “then yes, if your story is strange, then yes, Maira said you can have it”.