Writer George Plimpton has died.

[VolcanoJen]

Breaking on CNN.

[GOPisEvil]

1. What is it with Fridays and famous deaths?!?!

:-(

[Aristus]

2. Gosh! He's been around FOREVER!

He's part of the cultural landscape. I thought he'd never die. He was a lot of fun! :(

[Kat45]

3. Wow!

I just logged on to DU, and this was the first thread I saw.

[underpants]

4. The Paper Lion is dead?

Great book. Great writer.

[meegbear]

5. He was a great guy ....

He was one of the few poeple who could appear both intellectual and bohemian at the same time.

RIP Mr. Plimpton

[blondeatlast]

17. That is an excellent tribute. Go with God, George.

You are missed.

[Chovexani]

6. What a shame

Fine, fine writer. So much good talent just fading away before our very eyes these days.

Fridays are REALLY sucking lately. :(

[blondeatlast]

18. No kidding, and I thought Mondays were bad.

[GainesT1958]

7. I remember when he...

Worked out with the Detroit Lions--hence the "Paper Lion" book of his recounting the experience. AND when he tried his hand at comedy with some material done for him by two of "Laugh-In's" writers. He was a great guy who managed to do a lot of different--but always challenging--things. When you think about it, that's a pretty great thing for his family to look back on and say about him.

Thanks, George! You were-and still are--truly an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt "stuck"!:D

B-)

[BurtWorm]

8. He also had a great upper crust accent

like Thurston Howell the Third. Long Island Lockjaw, they call it, but I think he's Manhattan born and bred.

[smirkymonkey]

15. Son of a diplomat and

born into "Society", prestigious schools, etc. However, he never came across as anything but a mensch.

I loved that he did so many different things - what a great role model!

[CO Liberal]

9. Did He Die So He Could Write About It?

:-)

Seriously, he did so many things so he could write about them that if he could, I'm sure he'd write a book about this.

Farewell, George. And thanks.

[blondeatlast]

19. If anyone could write the book, it was he.

We can hope, can't we?

[MrBenchley]

10. Very sad...

A good writer, and quite a wit...

He had a wonderful scene with Tom Hanks in Volunteers...he played Hanks' father...

[CO Liberal]

11. Kickin' For George

:kick:

[OneBlueSky]

12. I had dinner with Plimpton years ago . . .

he was a speaker at my college's lecture/artist series, and they needed a few students to take him out for a meal prior to his speech . . . I pulled a few strings and got selected, and it was quite an enjoyable evening . . . Plimpton loved to name-drop, especially stories about the Kennedy "kids" . . . I then had the privilege of interviewing him for the alumni publication and writing a story about his recollections of his various exploits, from playing quarterback for the Detroit Lions to playing gong for one of the major symphony orchestras (forget which one) . . . intriguing guy, great raconteur, and generally all around good guy . . . he will be missed . . . RIP, George Plimpton . . .

[tsakshaug]

13. Sad

Good writer.
Didn't he pull the Sid Finch hoax with SI about 20 years ago?

[BrotherBuzz]

14. Good Will Hunting

I have to believe his cameo role as the gay psychiatrist outed by Matt Damon was fun.

We always enjoyed following George's career because my wife is a cousin of his, albeit pretty distant - his great-great-grandmother was her great-grandmother's older sister. Can you say 'six degrees of separation'?

My wife was proud of his role as the spelling bee moderator on a Simpson's episode because it captured the true essence of Plimpton, a man of words.

[mitchum]

16. I am very sorry to hear this. He was a wonderful writer...

who was always able to make me put aside class warfare while reading him. RIP

[noiretextatique]

20. george plimpton, robert palmer, and edward said

damn...

[DemoTex]

21. Plimpton a founder of The Paris Review

In 1953, a group of American expatriates in Paris -- George Plimpton, Donald Hall, William Pene du Bois, Peter Matthiessen and Harold L. Humes -- founded The Paris Review.

[HuckleB]

22. "Out of My League" is still one of my faves.

Plimpton's death is almost surreal. NPR did a fairly long interview with Frank Deford regarding Plimpton on Friday morning, immediately following the news report about of Gearge's death. I'd just received the latest Paris Review on Wednesday, including the invite to the 50th anniversary gala in NYC. And the Lions had a 40-year anniversary get together for the "Paper Lion" team last Sunday. Blah. Blah. Blah. For some reason, I just don't want to believe this one.

I guess that it really goes back to seeing him at the Portland Arts & Lectures Series last January. He was hilarious. Full of life. A true curious, humble member of the human race.

He will be missed.