I used to have a guitar‐playing roommate. He was the troubador of the quad — whenever I saw him outside our room he had his guitar slung over his back and his eyes in “brooding” mode. Chicks ate that shit up. You’d think that women in the honors dorms would be a…
Randy Newman’s Jewish awakening came rather abruptly. While in high school, he was invited to a country‐club cotillion. When the night of the ball arrived, he received a surprise phone call from the girl’s father. “I’m sorry, Randy,” the father said, “my daughter had no right to invite you, because no Jews are allowed.” Newman answered, “That’s all right, sir,” hung up the phone, and asked his father, “Hey, Dad, what’s a Jew?”