Thing a Week 23 – A Talk with George
Chapter 23 in which you are visited by the ghost of George Plimpton and he relays to you an important message about life.
It was Jim Hanas who told about the song contest going on at The Plimpton Project, an organization dedicated to getting a statue of the man erected somewhere in the city. George was a hell of a guy, and he deserves about 10 or 15 statues, but I guess one would be a good start. I met him at a Paris Review party once, and he was pretty charming for a Harvard man. The song: A Talk with George
Comments
Glenn says
Yay, George! A fascinating guy, from the sound of it. Growing up, I only know him as an occasional actor (or cameo), it was amazing to find out all the other stuff he did.
And now, a video regarding bacteria.
Eric says
It's everything I dreamed it would be. I grew up on mousterpiece theatre. Good times. Sorry I got so antsy. I just started jonesing.
C Ya,
Eric
Glenn says
Creepiness -- what was my TiVo recording when I got home? The George Plimpton episode of the Simpsons.
Alexandra says
Man! You rendered Plimptonness so well, and it's sweetly inspiring and right without being cloying! I say: Toss out those commencement speeches, let's have this play at every graduation.
MJ says
That is excellent stuff, man. Too funny. You should send the lyrics to the Paris Review and offer to press a mini-CD for their top 200 patrons or something.
Burritohead says
Man, super happy you chose to make a song about Plimpton. He's been my secret personal hero and role model, though I guess I really shouldn't keep that a secret.
JoCo says
Mr. Head: we Plimpton lovers have to stick together and keep it real. Don't be ashamed. Stand up tall and spindly.
Richard Crawford says
A month later, I wanted to tell you that I've become obsessed with this song and it's been playing over and over again on my MP3 player, supplanting "Skullcrusher Mountain" and "The Future Soon". One of my favorites. And I'd been doing this for over a week before I realized it was about George Plimpton. What kind of sad fool am I?
Plimpton Project says
Congratulations! This song, your song, the song entitled "A Talk With George" is the official winner of the "George Plimpton Song" contest. Expect financial remuneration of the slightly impressive sum of $400.00.
Mr Plimpton would be pleased, or even if he wouldn't, we certainly are.
Onwards.
Zro says
Let me be the first to say CONGRATULATIONS!!
It's great to hear that you won, even though I already knew that you would win. And $400, you have arrived!
Medora says
What an amazing tribute and beautiful song. Thank you.
Janet says
Wow. What on earth was the percussion on this song? It was fascinating!
Kyle says
"There's something deep inside of you that still wants out/And shame on you if you don't set it free."
That sort of leaves me speechless and inspired.
Chris says
I just heard this song on Pandora.
Like Kyle said above:
“There’s something deep inside of you that still wants out/And shame on you if you don’t set it free.”
Great line and great song.
LMack says
This song continues to inspire me, although this is the first time I've bothered looking up its origins on the JoCo blog.
And I totally agree with Kyle. I hadn't yet made my way through all the Thing a Weeks, and was letting iTunes shuffle through, and for some songs I was only half-way paying attention; however, when those lyrics played, they caught me in my very soul and I had to immediately replay the song several times.
Beautiful, just beautiful.