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Lena Dunham fell in love with Eloise before she was even old enough to

read—and formed an attachment so strong that, at age 17, she had the

character tattooed on her lower back. When she later met Eloise’s illustra-

tor, Hilary Knight, they became fast friends. “I am inspired by women with

power, style, and, most importantly, imagination,” says Knight, now 87.

“Lena has all those qualities in spades and nailed to the wall.” Their mutual

admiration led Dunham to produce her frst documentary for HBO, It’s

Me, Hilary, which premieres on March 23 and chronicles Knight’s life and

collaboration with Eloise’s author, Kay Thomp-

son. (The pair, as it turns out, were introduced

in the 1950s by Knight’s upstairs neighbor, D.D.

Ryan, then an editor at Bazaar.) Here, Dunham

refects on her lifelong fascination with Eloise

and the artist who brought her to life.

LENA DUNHAM: My earliest memory of

Eloise is being handed the book by my mother, who said, “This is a

classic.” I sat on a stool shaped like a crayon, staring at the pictures, cre-

ating my own words because I couldn’t yet read. My mom would read

it to me before bed. I too had an Irish nanny, like Eloise, so I obviously

thought the book was about me. Indeed, we do share some character-

istics: a potbelly, a refusal to brush our hair, and a serious authority

problem. Eloise’s most admirable quality is that she is a true and pure

eccentric, without fear or pretense. Hilary Knight is quite insistent that

Eloise will never grow up, but that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming. I

imagine that an adult Eloise has held on to her Plaza suite despite the

changes in management and that she writes comic essays published in

the nation’s top magazines, using the proceeds to fund a pug-and-turtle

rescue. She has regular dinner salons and shops almost exclusively

at uptown charity shops. Also, she’s probably dating a woman.

I met Hilary because he found out about my Eloise tattoo (my frst!

I got it on a road trip across the Southwest with

my family when I was 17). He sent me a card

and some signed books, and I kvelled and con-

tacted him immediately. He invited me to his

house for Indian food, our shared passion, and

it became quickly apparent that this man was

as fascinating as his creations. I brought over

my friend Matt Wolf, a documentarian I admire

deeply, to meet him, and they hit it of like gangbusters. It became the

frst ofcial project of Jenni Konner and my company, A Casual Romance

Productions. We are very moved and proud to share Hilary’s story.

Of Eloise’s many wise expressions, I have to say that my favorite is

“An egg cup makes a very good hat.” It’s her way of saying you don’t have

to take fashion so freaking seriously and of reminding us that there are a

lot of diferent and creative ways to perceive one object or situation. n

The

NE WS

The actress, author, and director discusses

her new documentary about Hilary Knight,

the artist behind the iconic Eloise books

Dunham’s

Eloise tattoo

“I imagine that an adult Eloise has

held on to her Plaza suite despite the

changes in management. ...

Also, she’s probably dating a woman.”

LENA DUNHAM’ s

E LOISE

Dunham

as Eloise,

with Hilary

Knight

One of

Knight’s

illustrations

clOcKwisE frOm tOp lEft: DaniEllE lEvitt/HbO (2); Hilary KnigHt, 1969. UsED by pErmissiOn Of simOn anD scHUstEr, inc./cOUrtEsy HbO