"Franklin Roosevelt found the polite small talk of social functions at the White House somewhat tedious. He maintained that those present on such occasions rarely paid much attention to what was said to them. To illustrate the point, he would sometimes amuse himself by greeting guests with the words, 'I murdered my grandmother this morning.' The response was invariably one of polite approval. On one occasion, however, the president happened upon an attentive listener. On hearing Roosevelt's outrageous remark, the guest replied diplomatically, 'I'm sure she had it coming to her.' (Maxwell Perkins, the distinguished editor, peppered his own small talk similarly at literary gatherings. Evidently writers, as well as politicians, don't listen to one another.)"
~ THE LITTLE BROWN BOOK OF Anecdotes by Clifton Fadiman General Editor, 1983.
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| "Where Friends & Family Meet" |
