Trivia

Played five minutes in goal for the Boston Bruins against the Philadelphia Flyers in 1977. The Flyers scored only once against him. At the end of the five minutes, the Bruins deliberately threw their sticks on the ice, causing the referee to call for a penalty shot. To the delight of both teams and the Philadelphia fans, Plimpton stopped the shot.

Present at the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy

Plimpton was the long-time editor, and one of the founders, of "The Paris Review". He interviewed Ernest Hemingway for the magazine.

As a "participatory journalist", quarterbacked in a preseason NFL game, pitched to several all-stars (retiring Willie Mays & Richie Ashburn) in an exhibition prior to Baseball's 1959 All-Star game, performed as a trapeze artist for the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus, and fought boxers Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson.

Spoke in a mid-Atlantic accent, reflecting a privileged Upper East Side (in New York City) upbringing.

Played by Alan Alda in "Paper Lion" (1968), based on his non-fiction book.

He appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Lawrence d'Arabie (1962), Reds (1981) and Will Hunting (1997). Of those, Lawrence d'Arabie (1962) is a winner in the category.

Biography/bibliography in: "Contemporary Authors". New Revision Series, Vol. 133, pp. 359-366. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 429-432. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.