A gentleman at my church attended Kenyon College at the same time that Paul Newman did. And while he wasn't good friends with Newman, he did know him as an acquaintance, as they traveled in somewhat the same circles. Newman, he told me once, hated small talk. In fact, he used to carry a telephone receiver around on his belt. Whenever he was around people who began to engage in small talk, Newman would take the telephone receiver from his belt and pretend he was talking to someone on it. As this was a long time before cell phones were invented, I'm sure it was a hilarious sight, if not an irritating and obvious insult to whoever Newman was reacting to when he did this. As one who hates small talk myself, I have a great appreciation for such a response to mindless babble.
Paul Newman died yesterday after a bout with lung cancer. He was 83.
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