Jean Shepherd: Old School Late Night WOR Radio Personality

Although nowadays seems to be mainly known for writing and narrating A Christmas Story. Long article hear about the famous bookstore hoax
http://www.theawl.com/2013/02/the-man-behind-the-brilliant-media-hoax-of-i-libertine

TS: Day People vs. Night People.

Actually haven't seen A Christmas Story. In my house they are always watching something called One Magic Christmas with Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton, which I don't like that much. I think I would prefer this one.

Neighbor who used to drive me partway to high school would always listen to Rambling With Gambling. Bored me to tears. Senior year every once in a while my friend would drive and we would listen to the New Wave station, such as WPIX, until its demise.

Maybe should have called the thread "Excelsior, You Fathead" but people might have gotten the wrong idea.

As you will see from the article, the book that never existed was eventually written by Theodore Sturgeon, which is kind of fitting since, as every ILXor knows, he was the original for the character of Kilgore Trout, who wrote a non-existent book called Venus on the Half-Shell which was later brought into this world by another writer, Philip José Farmer.

I guess Betty Ballantine wrote the last chapter.

(Someone will read this thread, maybe once the Criterions stop streaming)

I'm reading this thread + the awl article! Totally fascinating - had never heard of him - like a joe frank ancestor

+ well-formed book hoax.

Sorry, there isn't much of thread yet, letting the awl article do the heavy lifting. Didn't really know about Joe Frank, will have to investigate.

Another article from Time: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,92545,00.html. His latter-day dismissal of what people considered his best work reminds me of something I once heard Jonathan Schwartz say about him- that, like Steve Allen, he would have you believe he was this polymath functioning at the top level of all of these other different fields, in a way that is kind of detrimental to what he was actually really good at.

I didn't listen to him that often, but he was distinctive.

Quite a grouch toward his fans, apparently.

Recently discovered JS was allegedly the basis for his friend Herb Gardner's lead character (originated by Jason Robards) in the hit play/film A Thousand Clowns, which enraged Shepherd.

http://scratchbomb.com/02/2011/a_thousand_clowns_and_shep-colored_glasses/

Good find. I need to post link to book I have about radio which has long informative chapter on Shepherd, in case I was holding out on you upthread.

I'm reading this thread + the awl article! Totally fascinating - had never heard of him - like a joe frank ancestor

During his WFMU tribute show to Joe Frank, Irwin played an early-90s interview with Frank where Frank talks about being a big fan of Shepherd and how much he influenced him.

This book is essential if you want to go further down the Shepherd rabbit hole

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518lbOqMPmL._SX317_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Obligatory: http://jeanshepherdpodcast.blogspot.com