It took the form of a statement: I dont know writers who write about sex better than you. I rose to the bait and answered saying, Thank you. We all just had our own regional accentor non accent, like the flat midwest speak. As such, it was popular in the theatre and other forms of elite culture in that region. NEW YORK -- George Plimpton, the self-deprecating author of "Paper Lion" and other sporting adventures and a patron to Philip Roth, Jack Kerouac and countless other writers, has died. Where are you?, Im at dinner with my wife, I said. George Plimpton, the New York aristocrat and literary journalist whose career was a happy lifelong competition between scholarly pursuits and madcap attempts -- chronicled in self-deprecating. George Plimpton | About the Film | American Masters | PBS It was so tiny that if you saw him in it, you couldnt believe hed be able to get himself out of it. It was always a surprise. Plimpton embedded with the Detroit Lions for their three week training camp, an adventure which culminated with him playing quarterback in their annual intra-team preseason scrimmage. It includes clear pronunciation of each and every consonant cluster. If you are in the big league, God help us all. 1 draft choice of the Lions in 1965. :rolleyes: Ive got news for you, buddy, youre not even second in line! Even the manliest actors, such as Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable sometimes slipped into this voice-coach mode. He wrote for the Harvard Lampoon, was a member of the Hasty Pudding Club, Pi Eta, the Signet Society, and the Porcellian Club. Yes indeed, George Plimpton is a man for all seasons. It is the kind of study . And bolstering this last point, a reader who grew up in Depression-era Chicago writes: All I can think of is that people were imitating FDR. Sometimes, we used to have quarrels, because he thought I took too many poems: Are you turning this magazine into a poetry magazine? he would say. Return of the Big Bopper. Actors Nathan Lane (from Jersey City, NJ) and Robin Williams (grew up in SF Bay area) often adopt this accent. You heard it and it. Is it in evidence among the Gen X set of Boston, or a passing phenomenon? I only wish I could not tell him again, just one more time. But looking back on it, its funny, too. I knew that between the time Id asked Plimpton to do the auction and the night itself, he had probably received five invitations for a better evening, but he would never have reneged. Get a life. LL is typified, I think, but an almost clenching of the teeth while talking, producing a mushy sound, if you will. *Originally posted by bordelond * Off screen, George Plimpton and Gore Vidal come to mind. He thought Castro might come. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found The Paris Review, as well as his patrician demeanor and accent. A little before my time, but Kennedy certainly didnt, even if his vernacular was more formal than Brandos. Oh now, Im joking, Carnac ( see? Isnt that what they call it. Plimpton was .the public face of the New York intellectual: tweedy, eclectic and with a plummy accent he himself described as "Eastern seaboard cosmopolitan." . After finishing at Harvard in 1950, he attended King's College, Cambridge, from 1950 to 1952, and graduated with third class honors in English. When I eventually went back to be an editor at Harpers, I arrived at his flat, not having been in New York for eight years. They were divorced, and had been for a while, but they still talked, and visited every now and then, and they would sit on my moms porch on Long Island and look out over the pond at the birds and tell each other stories and laugh until the tears came to their eyes, but he could not ask her this directlyHow are you, Freddy? He had lost my mom, at least in part because he had been unable to communicate with her, to show his love. In most situations, he had the remarkable quality of making everyone he talked to feel at ease, at home, welcome, no matter who they were or what they didbut for whatever strange reason there wasnt this effortlessness with me, this warmth. **. What exactly is a Boston Brahmin accent? They all sound just like George. May a diseased yak squat in your hot tub. George Plimpton boxed with Archie Moore, played quarterback for the Detroit Lions, and played percussion for the New York Philharmonic. After St. Bernard's School, Plimpton attended Phillips Exeter Academy (from which he was expelled just shy of graduation), and Daytona Beach High School, where he received his high school diploma,[16] before entering Harvard College in July 1944. It was scary, because he was never mad, and to see this normally benevolent, white-haired figure of civility fill with pink steam, to hear this gentle man, who loved nothing more than to tell lighthearted stories and laugh, suddenly shout-whisper Dammit at some injustice on the other end of the telephone was unsettling. Ill pick you up., I had a hard time sleeping that night, as you might imagine. See Inside George Plimpton's Upper East Side Duplex And you are going to come with me. The point of the flipped prestige markers is that generally the fewer the Rs, the fancier the person. The Curious Case Of Sidd Finch. When George told the story, DiMaggio laughed so hard I thought he was going to fall on the floor. And here for the full interview). He modestly shrugged off the compliment, but his bright smile betrayed his pleasureand ours. There was love thereactually, his inability to express it sometimes made him positively brim with itbut speak the words, his voice could not. All rights reserved. I enjoy doing it. Thats it, George cried out. George Plimpton. Showdown in the Pits. "I've decided to stay over here in . He appeared in commercials for Oldsmobile and Intellivision, and appeared. Brown & Co. Re-issued George Plimpton Sports Books, 2016. Archie Moore, after all, had broken his nose. ESPN.com: GEN - George Plimpton dies The Wikipedia entry for it is quite detailed. Daniel Kunitz, managing editor of the Paris Review from1995-2000: I once heard George joking with William F. Buckley on the phone about how they had the last affected accents in New York. Back to Plimpton I dont remember the LL affect at all. He was a great addition to the human race. Would you like Mike to run for you, George? the coach asked. Next up: some sociological explanations of why someone like George Gershwin might have tried to speak like Westbrook Van Voorhis. She is the product of a line of the original Dutch settlers of New York and grew up in Tuxedo Park and the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan, very exclusive. Could it be fairly said that Plimptom had it? **Thats a common name for such an accent. [19] Another sports book, Open Net, saw him train as an ice hockey goalie with the Boston Bruins, even playing part of a National Hockey League preseason game. It was as if some old gentlemans code prohibited us from interacting as human beings. Its a shot from a YouTube video that itself is a fascinating time-capsule portrait of language change. George Plimpton Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family . While I don't normally think of Lithgow as speaking with a Mid-Atlantic accent, he does a great job affecting one for the role. To me, it meant admission to this little exclusive club at the Paris Review. Being, And Appreciating, George Plimpton - krvs.org It was horrifying.. Paris Review - Writers, Quotes, Biography, Interviews, Artists Sidd Finch was a fictional character George had created for a Sports Illustrated story, supposedly the greatest and fastest pitcher in the world. Think of the accent of Jane Hathaway on the Beverly Hillbillies. Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback: Plimpton, George The Mid-Atlantic accent, or Transatlantic accent, is a . But he came right down to our level. Timothy Seldes, George Plimptons literary agent:Whenever George wanted me to do something for him, he would call me up and say, Hello, Old Tim. One day, I got a call, and heard his voice, and my heart sank. In that regard, Plimpton is the perfect candidate, and the proof is in "George, Being George," the compulsively readable oral biography edited by his friend Nelson W. Aldrich Jr. Losing, he knew, always makes a better story than winning. The clearest example of the Mid-Atlantic accent is the accent of the Frasier & Niles Crane characters on the TV show Frasier. his prose, and his down east, cultivated accent, although perhaps a bit pretentious, will remain with me as I reread one of my favorite books. Plimpton was a writer-raconteur and dilettante in the best sense of the word: He co-founded an important literary magazine, the Paris Review, and tried his hand at everything from quarterbacking for the Detroit Lions (which he wrote about in Paper Lion), boxing with light-heavyweight champ Archie Moore (which became Shadow Box), and becoming New Yorks unofficial official fireworks commissioner. His exploits were such that at one point, The New Yorker ran a cartoon in which a patient eyed a surgeon with misgiving and said, But how do I know youre not George Plimpton?, But perhaps foremost among his accomplishments was his elevation of the interview to a literary form, both in the Paris Review and in his two superb works of oral history, Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career, and Edie, a biography of Edie Sedgwick, which he and Jean Stein compiled. The name George Plimpton is synonymous with a kind of all-in participatory journalism. *Originally posted by Phlosphr * [21] The prank was so successful that many readers believed the story, and the ensuing popularity of the joke resulted in Plimpton's writing an entire book on Finch. "[34] A feature in Mad titled "Some Really Dangerous Jobs for George Plimpton" spotlighted him trying to swim across Lake Erie, strolling through New York's Times Square in the middle of the night, and spending a week with Jerry Lewis. After several problems with transporting and preparing the fireworks, Plimpton and Grucci became the first competitors from the United States to win the event. That is, until I saw the documentarythe assassination of his dear friend Bobby Kennedy. The clipped English of George Plimpton and William F. Buckley, Jr. were vestigial examples.. Vault. George Plimpton. As an old film buff, I am used to this voice, though it figures unevenly in old movies. For such admissions to escape my fathers lips, they always had to be a little removed somehow. Indeed, the police deposition the filmmakers managed to uncover may be the only time my dad ever spoke about the tragedy, publicly or privately. Peter even came with us on our honeymoon in Ravello, though George didnt. In 1992, Plimpton married Sarah Whitehead Dudley, a graduate of Columbia University and a freelance writer. George Plimpton Biography - life, family, children, wife, school, son Jean Stein became his co-editor. Even Orson Welles on occasion. Charles McGrath, editor of the New York Times Book Review:I dont think George had played golf in years, but he used to save up oddball tips for me and others. Except at parties. When he found a story to be short of the mark, he rejected it no matter who the author wasan old friend, a Pulitzer winner, an unknown. Final Twist of the Drama. What exactly is a Boston Brahmin accent? It was always as if one were setting out with him on a special adventure. So it was that George Plimptons accent could not be imitated. BTW, I cant imagine a presidential candidate today getting anywhere close to a nomination with FDRs accent, cigarette holder, and aristocratic bearing. What fine manners he had! I'm not an expert, but Bill Labov from UPenn is, and he is quoted thusly: According to William Labov, teaching of this pronunciation declined sharply after the end of World War II. He was also an accomplished birdwatcher. [35], Plimpton was known for his distinctive accent which, by Plimpton's own admission, was often mistaken for an English accent. Plimpton sparred for three rounds with boxing greats Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson while on assignment for Sports Illustrated. These interviews are a collaborative effort, and, I believe, a fascinating contribution to literary history. We had the book party for my selected poems, Sailing Alone Around the Room, at Georges house on Sept 10, 2001. The picture at the top of this post is of the same Westbrook Van Voorhis who epitomized FDR-era announcer-speak but didnt fit the sensibility of the early-cool-cat-era Twilight Zone. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. On Sept. 26, George Plimpton died in his sleep, at the age of 76. Just when Jim and I thought we had finished, and we had been working a long time, George, who loved the result of our efforts, decided he wanted to talk to me as well. *Originally posted by CBCD * The book offers memories of Plimpton from among other writers, such as Norman Mailer, William Styron, Gay Talese and Gore Vidal, and was written with the cooperation of both his ex-wife and his widow. Between 2000 and 2003, Plimpton wrote the libretto to a new opera, Animal Tales, commissioned by Family Opera Initiative, with music by Kitty Brazelton directed by Grethe Barrett Holby. There was intellectual heft in the Plimpton genes too: one Ames was a Professor of Botany, another was Governor of Massachusetts, another relation was a publisher, and yet another a writer-philanthropist fascinated with the subject of how the great figures of the past were educated Young Georges educational path was precisely that of a [41] She is the daughter of James Chittenden Dudley,[42] a managing partner of Manhattan-based investment firm Dudley and Company, and geologist Elisabeth Claypool. Finally I did. His father co-founded the law firm Debevoise Plimpton. Plimpton died on September 25, 2003, in his New York City apartment from a heart attack later determined to have been caused by a catecholamine surge. He died on September 26, 2003 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. Now the interview is perfect!. He was one of her original supporters and had published an article about her work in The Paris Review. George, Being George: George Plimpton's Life as Told, Admired, Deplored After her transformation, I noted that Mia sounds precisely like her mother, Maureen OSullivan, who had that patrician manner of speaking on and off screen. Is your language rhotic? After the technology improved the need to speak so histrionically went away, and so did "announcer English.". [47][48] Never heard of this decidedly imprecise term. A lordly accent acquired at St. Bernard's and burnished later at Cambridge, in England, enhanced his distinguished aura, as did elevated stature and a silver head of hair which might have encouraged a career in politics but mercifully did not. [citation needed], In 1963, Plimpton attended preseason training with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League as a backup quarterback, and he ran a few plays in an intrasquad scrimmage. He Was Shot by John Wayne. I had made about five thousand egg and tuna sandwiches. George Plimpton | Military Wiki | Fandom And he told everyone that night, and for many years after, that hed diverted me from a career of filling prescriptions. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. An Oral History of George Plimpton: The Man Does Everything - Observer Congratulations Carnac, for posting about George Plimptons death at 3:44 PM. If you say, I parked my car in Harvard Yard, you are being rhotic. If you say, I pahked my cah in Hahvahd Yahd, like some vaudeville version of a Boston accent, you are non-rhotic. He liked the fact that I had broken my nose in defeat. And what have we here? My moms initial impression was that he was a little hoity-toityI mean, who did this guy think he was?, But the second time they met, it was, in fact, my fathers voice that won her over. Orson Welles notably spoke in a mid-Atlantic accent in the 1941 film Citizen Kane, as did many of his co-stars, such as Joseph Cotten. [33] A later attempt, fired at Cape Canaveral, rose approximately 50 feet (15m) into the air and broke 700 windows in Titusville, Florida. Above all, he was a gentleman, one of the lasta figure so archaic, it could be easily mistaken for something else. He smiled broadly, signaled for the coach to send Lupica in to run for him, and trotted back to the sidelines. 1. Lionel on Twitter: "News children today have no concept of the Mid And he stood there ebullient and charming all night; he bid on many items himself. He was so open to life and all its new and unexpected situations. People two or three deep stood looking out at the East River. What was our problem? In this campaign, Plimpton touted the superiority regarding the graphics and sounds of Intellivision video games over the Atari 2600.[24]. When George Plimpton Met the Best Bartender in Brooklyn Two New York Legends Collide By Tim Sultan February 26, 2016 The only other person that I had known who possessed a similar charisma to Sunny Balzano's was my first employer in New York: George Plimpton. Now you know! The s. Kaltenborn was a famous mid . Bill and I met in Rome, several months after the Paris Review was startedwe were, as they say, courtingand he drove me to Paris so George and Peter [Mathiessen] could look me over. This speech pattern might be common among US expatriates in the UK, of which Grossman would seem to represent just the most ostentatious example. Ad Choices. But Labov said that in post-World War II New York, fancier people started becoming rhotic, and recovering their Rs. Consider his duties as host of Mousterpiece Theatre (my first intro to my father as celebrity), a childrens TV show in which he debated the adventures and psyches of Donald Duck and Goofy in that marvelously serious voice: Is Donald Duck really a strident existentialist and a hero? How wonderfulwhat fun!to have a constant reminder emerging from your lips that life was absurd, and identity, too; all of it a great game to be played at, enjoyed. [30] Plimpton later wrote the book Fireworks, and hosted an A&E Home Video with the same name featuring his many fireworks adventures with the Gruccis of New York in Monte Carlo and for the 1983 Brooklyn Bridge Centennial. Best-selling author George Plimpton shares his experience as a "Storyteller For Life" with Dean Nelson of Point Loma Nazarene University as part of PLNU's 5th Annual Writer's Symposium By The. Here's a look inside the space, where the Paris Review editor hosted legendary parties. Look out, Wilson! He was previously married to Sara Whitehead Dudley and Freddy Medora Espy. George Ames Plimpton (1927 - 2003) - Genealogy - geni family tree Peter Matthiessen took the magazine over from Humes and ousted him as editor, replacing him with Plimpton, using it as his cover for Matthiessen's CIA activities. Shootout at Rio Lobo", "The Smaller the Ball, the Better the Book: A Game Theory of Literature", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Plimpton&oldid=1137974740, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 10:19. So we got together and, after some preliminaries, he popped the question that he was really there to ask. Announcer-Speak: The Video Highlights Reel - The Atlantic Impressively liberated from our opulent life-style, Sidd's deciding about yogaand his future in baseball. [26] He also appeared in an episode of the NBC sitcom Wings. It was as if he was trying out again. Were taking off from Teterburo, N.J., at 4 a.m. tomorrow. Quite sad, as he just had a daughter not many years back. So, pairing the Cagney hint with the Kennedy Inaugural, could we date the changeover to 1961? Get book recommendations, fiction, poetry, and dispatches from the world of literature in your in-box. My fathers voice was like one of those supposedly extinct deep-sea creatures that wash up on the shores of Argentina every now and then. In 1966, George Plimpton's book Paper Lion, recounting his attempt to play football with the Detroit Lions, allowed millions of Americans to vicariously live out their childhood dream of playing in the NFL. ), this isnt some kind of morbid contest to see who can be the first to inform the board of some celebritys death. George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 September 25, 2003) was an American writer. Tom Nowatzke, fullback, Detroit Lions (In the 1960s, Plimpton briefly played with the Detroit Lions asresearch for the best-selling book Paper Lion, which was later made into a film):I was the No. tweedy demeanor and Oxford accent. These are some of the things my father could not say: Shit. Fuck. I love you. His curses were never actually curse-words, though it was perhaps because of this that they held such weight. He had been in the war, if briefly (stationed in Italy towards the end of it, hed missed action, but met the Pope, an early sign of the great good fortuneone of his favorite phrasesthat marked his life). **Your transparent jealousy is very unbecoming, Carnac. Almost twenty years ago, writing quirky sports pieces for the Village Voice, I decided to enter the world of championship arm wrestling.Like many young writers, I was inspired by the sports adventures of the gaunt but game George Plimpton, who had made a literary career out of placing himself in . [13], Plimpton's son described him as a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant and wrote that both of Plimpton's parents were descended from Mayflower passengers.[14]. Plimpton also appeared in a number of feature films as an extra and in cameo appearances. [17], In 1953, Plimpton joined the influential literary journal The Paris Review, founded by Peter Matthiessen, Thomas H. Guinzburg, and Harold L. "Doc" Humes, becoming its first editor in chief. George Plimpton - Wikipedia You can. Sign up for the Books & Fiction newsletter. George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 - September 25, 2003) was an American journalist, writer, literary editor, actor and occasional amateur sportsman. The Dudleys established the 36-acre (15ha) Highstead Arboretum in Redding, Connecticut. 5 Things You Didn't Know About George Plimpton | Mental Floss "[44], In 2006, the musician Jonathan Coulton wrote the song entitled "A Talk with George", a part of his 'Thing a Week' series, in tribute to Plimpton's many adventures and approach to life. He was stationed primarily in Italy, where he worked as a tank driver.
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