Home > Author > Maira Kalman
1 " Soon enough it will be me struggling (valiantly?) to walk - lugging my stuff around. How are we all so brave as to take step after step? Day after day? How are we so optimistic, so careful not to trip and yet do trip, and then get up and say O.K. Why do I feel so sorry for everyone and so proud? "
― Maira Kalman , The Principles of Uncertainty
2 " Isn't that the only way to curate a life? To live among things that make you gasp with delight? "
― Maira Kalman , My Favorite Things
3 " My dream is to walk around the world. A smallish backpack, all essentials neatly in place. A camera. A notebook. A traveling paint set. A hat. Good shoes. A nice pleated (green?) skirt for the occasional seaside hotel afternoon dance. "
4 " if something does go wrong, here is my advice... KEEP CALM and CARRY ON. "
5 " If you go too fast you might not notice everything. On the other hand, you don't want to be late. "
― Maira Kalman , Hurry Up and Wait
6 " Useless and precious objects. Taking up space. Taking up time. "
7 " Jump right in, or wade in slowly.Advantage to one, it's over quickly.Advantage to the other, it isn't. "
8 " The pieces I chose were based on one thing only — a gasp of delight. Isn’t that the only way to curate a life? "
9 " Flowers lead to books, which lead to thinking and not thinking and then more flowers and music, music. Then many more flowers and many more books. "
― Maira Kalman
10 " I read obituaries first thing in the morning. With a cup of coffee. This is NOT MORBID. Just epic. Maybe it's a way of trying to figure out, before the day begins, what is important. And I am curious about all the little things that make up life. Little? "
11 " I tell you these stories because these things happen to everyone. It's not about being starched or polished or cute or polite. It's about having ears that stick out, about breaking yet another glass. It's about seeing something for the first time and making a million mistakes and not ever getting completely discouraged. "
12 " Everyone I know is looking for solace, hope and a tasty snack. "
13 " I have many questions, but no patience to think them through. "
14 " We could speak about the meaning of life vis-a-vis non-consequential/deontological theories, apodictic transformation schemata, the incoherence of exemplification, metaphysical realism, Cartesian interactive dualism, revised non reductive dualism, postmodernist grammatology and dicey dichotomies. But we would still be left with Nietzsche's preposterous mustache which instills great anguish and skepticism in the brain, which leads (as it did in his case) to utter madness. I suggest we go to Paris instead. "
15 " Washing dishes is the anecdote to confusion. I know that for a fact. "
16 " On the wall was a dress that I embroidered. It said "Ich Habe Genug." Which is a Bach Cantata. Which I once thought meant "I've had it, I can't take anymore, give me a break." But I was wrong. It means "I have enough." And that is utterly true. I happen to be alive. End of discussion. But I will go out and buy a hat. "
17 " The book. Calming object. Held in the hand. "
18 " The man stands behind the man.The seated man thinks,"For heaven's sake, stop standing behind me.You are driving me mad. It is February and it is impossible.Someone has thrown onion skins all over the stairwell. Now I will have to clean them up - though I love to sweep. But still, it is disgusting."But all he says is "I have to go soon."Why can't people tell the truth?It is impossible not to lie.It is February and not lying is impossible. "
19 " The ability to take a walk from one point to the next point, that is half the battle won. "
20 " He is a monk. On his card it says INNER PEACE CENTER. I will go there in February for a tea ceremony. Does he actually know more than I do about inner peace? If he met my relatives, would he have a nervous breakdown? What about his relatives? Do they drive him nuts? The truth is everybody gets on everybody's nerves. "
