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
March 3rd, 2006 at 6:38 pm
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.
March 3rd, 2006 at 7:01 pm
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
March 3rd, 2006 at 7:48 pm
Creepiness — what was my TiVo recording when I got home? The George Plimpton episode of the Simpsons.
March 4th, 2006 at 7:02 am
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.
March 4th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
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.
March 17th, 2006 at 4:45 am
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.
March 17th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Mr. Head: we Plimpton lovers have to stick together and keep it real. Don’t be ashamed. Stand up tall and spindly.
April 21st, 2006 at 9:40 am
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?
May 7th, 2006 at 5:56 am
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.
May 7th, 2006 at 9:38 am
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!
May 10th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
What an amazing tribute and beautiful song. Thank you.
January 6th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Wow. What on earth was the percussion on this song? It was fascinating!
October 15th, 2007 at 10:58 am
“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.
April 7th, 2008 at 7:50 am
[...] Tracy has asked me to share some heavy duty business from time to time. This is one of those times. When first writing for a bastion of heaviness such as this, it’s tempting to turn it up to 11. Instead, I am going to soft-rock your socks off. Ladies, I give you A Talk with George [...]