Donald Barthelme

Donald Barthelme interviewed by George Plimpton

[@mramfisch]

“Kierkegaard Unfair to Schlegel,” “The Balloon,” “Margins,” just unutterably exquisite. “When Carl returned the two men slapped each other sharply in the face with the back of the hand-that beautiful part of the hand where the knuckles grow.” Closing line of “Margins.” Brilliant.

[@havefunbesafe]

Barthelme’s writing absolutely KILLS me!!!!! I truly love his stories…they are nuanced in the best kind of way. I particularly like The School, Rebecca, The First thing the baby did wrong.

[@zolluuu]

It's almost like I didn't know how thirsty I was until I had a drink of this water. We're so deprived of intelligent public conversation these days. Here are two men who are proud of their erudition; in fact, they wear it fearlessly on their sleeves. Much appreciated.

[@BrockLanders]

No more shenanigans. No more tomfoolery. No more ballyhoo.

[@avantgardenovelist]

Plimpton asks the right questions and follow-ups. Fascinating interview.

[@Singersal]

George Plimpton was the editor of the Paris Review, among other things! This is a treasure!

[@BrockLanders]

And one of Good Will Hunting’s many therapists.

[@charold3]

Thanks for posting, Bill! Great writer, good interviewer, valuable clip.

[@rhyshughes7663]

Tremendous interview with a superb writer.

[@thoughts0utloud]

This interviewer is a therapist in Good Will Hunting

[@BNardolilli]

and an advisor in Nixon

[@chriswilloughby48]

a spelling bee judge in the Simpsons

[@alfonsomango_suyu]

Two ideas I collected: 1) writing in oposition your masters; 2) writing as if you're making an AbEx painting

[@bananen1234]

Great! Love the synth intro :D

[@bubblegum2.0]

I am here for checking how to pronounce his name correctly

[@havefunbesafe]

Bar Thel Mee

[@cheeseburgerphone]

This is fab & not just due to the verbal content...

[@YawehthedragondogofEL]

Get ye to the vernacular isles, where the fish are three for a penny and the women are three for a fish. - Donald Barthelme. Good advice gentlemen. Take it.

[@kelechi_77]

Brother of Rick Barthelme from the Red Krayola

[@ryanand154]

Harold and the Purple Crayon was drawing trains rolling down the track.

[@toddchapman9038]

Excellent, thanks for posting. What year was the interview please, if anyone knows?

[@jamescalder326]

Considering he mentions Padgett Powell's 1984 debut 'Edisto' as "just published", I guess it'd be around '84-'85.

[@davidbow-tie]

It has a copyright date of 1984 at the end

[@hellyeahcox]

Too bad there's no subtitles :(

[@drobbi]

Odd that they discuss Robert Kennedy's assassination. George was present and helped wrest the gun away from the assassin. And of course he doesn't mention that here.

[@hankworden3850]

Maybe cause it's not about him...can you wrap your flaccid condom mind around that chunk of pee pee?

[@frankhesperado7239]

Quite a few comments here in praise of DB. I've been searching off and on in vain on the Internet for some discussion circle centered on DB's writing, but so far find only fallow, frostbit land, with his fans few and far between.

[@AleksandarBloom]

Search for Hiding Man, a very good biography of him.

[@hermeschbird]

Plimpton is Mr Rogers

[@michaelniemeyer5116]

Is this the only footage of him?

[@ai_bieu]

Check out those shin-high boots

[@reverendrider]

super pimp. I'll blow your mind with a short story...then check out my boots.

[@kelechi_77]

His son Rick Barthelme wore the same kind of boots all the time lol, cowboy boots

[@massgeneral9873]

that intro. they dont make them like they used to.

[@pienadb9120]

In which year was this interview

[@shanedm3396]

I’m guessing mid-80s cuz Barthelme died in ‘89

[@estebanmejia3473]

7:30

[@havefunbesafe]

20:34

[@bloskymeister]

Like si vienes por brito... #FuckBeat

[@sarapaulescastro68]

JAJAJAJAJAJAJA

[@MsSuperfilip]

Eres un grande tio xddd

[@johndow5599]

Who's George Plimpton and why is he speaking with an accent?

[@JC-kr8xu]

+john dow It's not an accent. It's cultivated English.

[@johndow5599]

+JC Well. Any manner of pronunciation, cultivated or not, is an "accent" , LOL.

[@JC-kr8xu]

+john dow You're right. Technically, it's referred to as a "Mid-Atlantic" accent, an English/ American hybrid that's neither one or the other. It was taught in Hollywood to actors and actresses from the talkies on to about the fifties. And there was a version codified by Elocution teachers on the east coast boarding school scene. Plimpton is the result of that latter world, the world of New England upper-crust society. But many academics used to speak with this sort of pronunciation as well.

[@ecaepevolhturt]

Well written.

[@johndow5599]

Oh, at last. Thanks, JC, for an informed explanation. I didn't know there was an American equivalent of "received pronunciation", LOL.

[@hansmaus2169]

I doubt that Barthelme was satisfied with his answers

[@thisisseb]

"do you put these facts on notecards or regular paper?" what a boring interviewer for such an incredible writer. Would've loved to see someone a little more perceptive and insightful speak with Barthelme