Excelsior, You Fathead!: The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd
by Eugene B. Bergmann
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Book Summary Information
Author: Eugene B. BergmannEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-03-28
ISBN: 1557836000
Number of pages: 496
Publisher: Applause Books
Book Reviews of Excelsior, You Fathead!: The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd
Book Review: classic
Summary: 5 Stars
Christmas Story was Jean Sheppards mainstreem moneymaker, and God bless him. This is how most people know Jean, if they have the absolute privalge.
But Sheppard did radio on WOR in New York from the 1950s to the 1970s. This was the era of civil rights, student protests, Woodstock, where everything happened. The radio was the place where the night people gathered to get the skinny--the Google of the 50s and 60s.
It was also a period where you could talk on the air for hours without a hint of meanesss. What a cool time to do radio.
Sheppard was from the midwest and was as American, down to earth and folksy as they come. Yet he went to the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington--did a hell of a show on it the next day. He also had sympathy with the hippies. The way he combigned his Americana roots with his big hearted liberalism and kind hearted satire was masterful. He spun a stories about mom making bread and peace rallies in the same show, giving them the same ammount of love and care from his sweet, giant character.
We need A lot more of this now, though I doubt people could take it in the spirit given, Isn't that sad? You could argue that Garrison Keilor's work is like this, but it does not have the same social scope. It is impossible in today's world for something this clean and genuine to wind up anywhere except PBS.
This book explains all this in detail and is a perfect sketch of the world Sheppard came from and how he made his life into high art. It is a great biography Read it, but when you do, make sure you also Google Jean and hear the shows, widely available on line.
I have a list of superheros. The Beatles, Coltrane, Sidney Portier
Not far from the top is Jean.
Summary of Excelsior, You Fathead!: The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd
Jean Shepherd (1921-1999), master humorist, is best known for his creation A Christmas Story, the popular movie about the child who wants a BB gun for Christmas and nearly shoots his eye out. What else did Shepherd do? He is considered by many to be the Mark Twain and James Thurber of his day. For many thousands of fans, for decades, "Shep" talked on the radio late at night, keeping them up way past their bedtimes. He entertained without a script, improvising like a jazz musician, on any and every subject you can imagine. He invented and remains the master of talk radio. Shepherd perpetrated one of the great literary hoaxes of all time, promoting a nonexistent book and author, and then brought the book into existence. He wrote 23 short stories for Playboy, four times winning their humor of the year award, and also interviewed The Beatles for the magazine. He authored several popular books of humor and satire, created several television series and acted in several plays. He is the model for the character played by Jason Robards in the play and movie A Thousand Clowns, as well as the inspiration for the Shel Silverstein song made famous by Johnny Cash, "A Boy Named Sue." Readers will learn the significance of innumerable Shepherd words and phrases, such as "Excelsior, you fathead," and observe his constant confrontations with the America he loved. They will get to know and understand this multitalented genius by peeking behind the wall he built for himself - a wall to hide a different and less agreeable persona. Through interviews with his friends, co-workers and creative associates, such as musician David Amram, cartoonist and playwright Jules Feiffer, publisher and broadcaster Paul Krassner, and author Norman Mailer, the book explains a complex and unique genius of our time. "Shepherd pretty much invented talk radio ... What I got of him was a wonder at the world one man could create. I am as awed now by his achievement as I was then." - Richard Corliss, Time magazine onlineGeneral Books
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