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Andrew HeiskellAndrew Heiskell
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Session:         Page of 824

Q:

What is he like?

Heiskell:

He's delightful. He's always in a good mood. He works sixteen hours a day, six days a week. He never gets really angry with people. He taught me a great thing. He never argues if somebody comes in with an idea. He says, “Yes fine, fine.” Sometimes I've said, “It doesn't sound fine to me.” His attitude is, “Bad ideas usually die of their own weight, and why get in to an argument with a guy.” Everybody loves Gregorian! [laughs] The staff, they just think he's fantastic. He's a funny looking man. He's small. He's put on thirty pounds since he's been at this job, because he has to go to breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day--or sometimes two or three dinners. He knows everybody in the city. Everybody. Everybody knows him. He's very funny. He's very good in social situations. He embraces everybody. He's very thoughtful. He is very well organized. I can't believe that he can get out as many letters a day. Obviously, he doesn't write them himself. But he makes sure they are properly written, and he makes sure that everybody gets an answer. He remembers birthdays and all of those things. As I said earlier, I guess it's because he doesn't have articles, he doesn't use articles. He says about New York Public Library. He never says, “The.” It's very funny! Speaks seven languages. He was born in what was then Persia--Tabriz. Brought up in Beirut, went to school in Beirut, then came over here and went to Stanford. I claim we get on well because I was born in Naples and he was born in Tabriz.





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