PAUL AUSTER. (b.1947). In his guidelines for living in New York City, author Paul Auster uses the weather as an opportunity for his real-life muse, Sophie Calle, to talk to strangers.
"Talking To Strangers. There will be people who talk to you after you smile at them. You must be prepared with flattering comments. Some of these people will talk to you because they feel confused or threatened or insulted by your show of friendliness. (‘You got a problem, lady?’) Plunge in immediately with a disarming compliment. ‘No, I was just admiring your beautiful tie.’ Or:"I love your dress." [...] If you find yourself running out of things to say, bring up the subject of the weather. Cynics regard this as a banal topic, but the fact is that no subject gets people talking faster. Stop and think about it for a moment, and you'll begin to see a metaphysical even religious quality to this preoccupation with wind-chill factors and Central Park snowfall accumulations. Weather is the great equalizer. There is nothing anyone can do about it, and it affects us all in the same way--rich and poor, black and white, healthy and sick. The weather makes no distinction. When it rains on me, it rains on you. Unlike most of the problems we face, it is not a condition created by man. It comes from nature, or God, or whatever else you want to call the forces of the universe we cannot control. To discuss the weather with a stranger is to shake hands and put aside your weapons. It is a sign of goodwill, an acknowledgement of your common humanity with the person you are talking to.” |