An illuminating encounter

Read e’s account of a Shabbos dinner, in which he attempted to bash stereotypes, but as usually happens in such cases, realized that stereotypes are not yesh m’ayin. Slight warning re: loshon ho’rah.

This reminded me of a few lines from Dovlatov:

Igor Yefimov had a party. There were about fifteen guests. Suddenly Yefimovs’ daughter, Lena, walked into the room. The poet Rein suddenly said: “Whom I feel sorry about is Lenochka. One day she will have to take care of fifteen graves.”

One day I met the poet Shklyarinsky with imported winter coat with fur.
— Wonderful, — I said, — coat.
— Yes, — answered Shklyarinsky. — It’s a present from Victor Sosnora. He gave me this coat for my birthday as a present. And I gave him as a present 60 rubles.

Chirskov brought a manuscript to an editor.
— Here, — he said, — is my manuscript. Please take a look at it. I would like to know your opinion. Maybe I can correct something, or change something?
— Yes, yes, — thoughtfully said the editor. — Of course. Please change it, young man, please change it.
And handed the manuscript back to Chirskov.

Actually, sorry, not these lines. I couldn’t find the ones I was looking for, so I am quoting it from memory:

— Would you like to accompany me to a dinner with N?
— N? No, thanks. I don’t like him. He’s too pro-Soviet.
— Pro-Soviet? N? Surely not!
— Well, maybe too anti-Soviet. What’s the difference? Go alone.