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JEAN SHEPHERD–more researching a book
SHEP INFO QUESTS & RELATED MATTERS
Click on images to enlarge
Researching can take one onward and upward into unexpected quests. Peripatetic encounters for my Jean Shepherd book and, seemingly, forever after. I spoke with various people who knew him at the Village Voice, WOR, and some other stations and occupations. Some informants gave me further references to contact and some I searched for based on unexpected clues; some just fell into my lap.
Thinking about all this stuff—some of which, obsessed, I know I’ve written about before. What I go through in my glorious quest for Shepherd! Not being able to get back to sleep at three A. M., scribbling notes on my 3” X 5” pad in the dark with my luxurious-beyond-our-means Montblanc ballpoint.
Scrolling daily through computer hits on Google and Ebay for Shep’s hoax-book I, Libertine (I’m in possession of five copies of it—all different) and now encountering what appears to be a pristine hardcover for a buy-it-now $25! Only to find that for sale is a mere facsimile of the dustjacket (no book included).
Scrolling daily through computer hits on Google and Ebay for both “Jean Shepherd” and “Jean Shepard,” because so many don’t get it right and post the name of that country/western singer we don’t give a damn about–and that very error had bedeviled Shep, too. Dismayed about once again encountering professional writers and publicists who ignorantly claim that Shepherd grew up in Gary, Indiana and that A Christmas Story depicts a ten-year-old kid living in Cleveland, Ohio.
(And—ah!–trying to remember what it felt like just a few years ago to be interviewed on the radio about my book in the same WOR studio that Shepherd sometimes broadcast from at 1440 Broadway.)
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LAURIE SQUIRE
I got good material from Herb Squire, Shepherd’s favorite engineer at WOR. As we were finishing our talk, he suggested that his wife, Laurie Squire, who had been Shep’s producer for about a year, would also be good to interview. Indeed, Laurie provided significant information regarding the importance of Leigh Brown in Shepherd’s life and work.
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HUGH HEFNER
I contacted Playboy to get permission for a photo they’d used with one of Shepherd’s stories—it was a multiple image. Their person in charge said it would cost me $300. I said that as author, I couldn’t afford it. He got back to me and said that if cost was the only issue, I could use it for free. The new price was right and I accepted. (When I received the image, I saw that the original had several more exposures of Shepherd than what was used in the magazine—I used this complete version.) I casually mentioned that I’d wanted to ask Hugh Hefner a few questions about his having published 23 stories and the Beatles interview by Shepherd. He connected me with Hefner’s assistant and we arranged for an interview. Hefner and I spoke on the phone for twenty minutes. I used several of his answers in the book, and a quote in the “Accolades For Jean Shepherd” with which I began the book:
“He was a tremendous addition to [Playboy] and a part of Americana,
and I loved his work. I’m proud to have had him in our pages.”
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U.S. POET LAUREATE BILLY COLLINS
I noted in a magazine article about him, that Collins had a photo of Shepherd above his desk. (He’d commented in the article that Shep looked sad in the photo. Apparently it was the one accompanying the New York Times Book Review of the hoax-book I, Libertine, and Collins hadn’t realized that the photo they published had been the one of Shepherd duplicitously portraying the non-existent author.) Seeing that Collins was a Shepherd enthusiast, I found two possible professional addresses for Collins and wrote to both. He responded and we had a fruitful half-hour phone conversation. I also used a comment in “Accolades”:
“I had to get my Shepherd fix. He actually made you feel that you weren’t alone…
I think he had the best influence on my sensibility. And I think it helped me
kind of pursue that sense of being different, being an individual.”
*
JULES FEIFFER CARTOONIST, PLAYWRIGHT
Well-known people maintain a “gate-keeper” to prevent most of us from contact. But when I checked Feiffer’s website, there was an email direct address! (More recently, that address is now gone from his website.) We spoke by phone for a few minutes and I realized that he had only a bit of information usable in the book. He had mostly negative personal comments to say about Shepherd. Ironically, the small cassette tape player I used for recording, held up against the phone, had inadvertently gotten switched to pause so I lost all audio record of his negativity—and was left with a seemingly positive quote I remembered and used in “Accolades.” (Did he say this sarcastically?):
“Listening to him was like a religious experience.”
*
HELEN GEE, FOUNDER/OWNER, LIMELIGHT CAFÉ
I believe I contacted Helen through someone at the Village Voice. We spoke in her Village apartment on my birthday in 2003. I quote her several times in the book, and was disappointed that she remembered having some of Shepherd’s ink drawings on napkins but forgot where they were. After she died, her executor told me that such trivial stuff had been thrown out. Eventually he did supply me with a photocopy of an elaborate Shep drawing of the inside window setting of the Limelight.
She told me that Shepherd had wanted to broadcast from there soon after they met, but she wanted to limit the site to the photo gallery/coffee shop she’d established. (Later, when she sold it, the new owners permitted him to do Saturday night shows there from mid-February 1964 through December 1967.)
(More to come.)
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JEAN SHEPHERD “The Village” Part 3 of 3 &(20) ARTSY Memorabilia
[Shepherd says he was one of the earliest writers for the Village Voice and for a time had his name on their masthead. (See my EYF! page 129 for some detail about how he began his association with the VV.) His writing mostly consisted of his column titled “Night People.” He comments that he wrote for The Realist, a Village-type of publication. His name is connected with three issues of The Realist, two of which appear to be Leigh Brown’s partial transcriptions of his radio broadcasts.]
[He relates that he did the Village section of an NBC TV program about New York at night. During his narration for this video he says, “I can’t imagine myself seriously living anyplace else.” ]
The Village is essentially a night area. By night, I mean during the daytime the Village is just another kind of a city. I love the Village. It’s a good place to live and I suspect, a hellish place to visit–quite the opposite of what most people think of New York. But I dig living down there for a number of reasons. Most of them only a resident could understand.
It’s one of the most historical parts of the city. For example, right off Sheridan Square is where Thomas Paine, the great revolutionary, wrote “The Crisis.” [He mentions Mark Twain, Henry James, and other literary people.]
And people who made the Village a bohemian hangout in the 20s were people like Edna Vincent Millay. A lot of people think that they’d love to live in the Village. They get the Village bug–it’s the kind of thing to do. [Here Shepherd begins to offhandedly criticize what would represent a fair portion of his young listeners. Cut ’em a bit of slack, Shep.]
When I was in my 20s-40- I’d go to the Village sometimes one night a week, not as a bohemian, but to see some avant garde and foreign films and have coffee at Reggio’s.
End of Part 3 of 3
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ARTSY MEMORABILIA
Recently I came upon a major New York Times article in their special “Science Times” section. Titled “Dickinson’s Inspirations Grow Anew,” it describes how her home in Amherst, Massachusetts, now the Emily Dickinson Museum, is unearthing and replanting the gardens that inspired some of her poetry:
Some keep the Sabbath going to Church—
I keep it staying at Home—
With a Bobolink for a Chorister—
And an Orchard for a Dome
How delightful to be able to have and to hold some flower that inspired her—or have in a glass bell jar, a stuffed Bobolink.
Regarding non-literary items, to have and to hold:
Archimedes’ Eureka-moment bath towel
One of the bloodstained knives that stabbed Caesar
A relic of the True Cross
Nero’s fiddle
Newton’s apple (freeze-dried)
But better, some high marks from the world of literature and the visual artsys:
A Whitman first edition with, in it as a bookmark, a plucked-by-Walt leaf of grass
One of Picasso’s paint-clogged brushes
Faulkner’s empty booze bottle
A Norman Mailer boxing glove
One of David Foster Wallace’s balls (tennis)
From one of my literary heroes, the book Hemingway slammed into author Max Eastman’s face in their publisher’s office because Eastman had written an essay, “Bull in the Afternoon,” saying that Ernie’s literary hair-on-his-chest was phony.
Failing that, it would be good enough to have, to use as a bookmark, from an English ocean liner, a wine card signed by Hemingway to pay for his liquor. Oh, by the way, I do have that:
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JEAN SHEPHERD–“The Village” Part 1 of 3
My previous blog about “The Village” focused on what the book, The Village, had to say about Shep’s Greenwich Village. I just re-encountered the audio of Shepherd’s program (reportedly broadcast sometime in 1972) about his connections with the Village. He talks about his various associations with it, but, as related to him as it mostly is, he treats it in a rather objective list as explanation for his affection toward it. Although I wished for a more heartfelt paean, what he has to say is worth repeating in order to get a fair surface picture of Shep-and-the Village. Because portions of the program he devotes to some basic background info, I edit out and rearrange some of this to make it more concentrated regarding issues that fatheads would find of special interest. As always, I don’t change anything and I don’t leave out important stuff. For Shep, follow the bold text.
Washington Square Arch,
near which Shep held a “mill-in,”
one Saturday afternoon, listeners having made,
at his suggestion (and attempted
to fly there) 3″-5″ box kites .
⊆
According to one of the letters I’ve just received—the letter here says, “Shepherd, the trouble with you is it’s obvious that you live in Greenwich Village. Of course that totally warps your view and makes you somehow suspect.” Well, this is one of the most prevalent ides of the outside world RE the Village.
You know I rarely talk about that part of the world. Even though I live in the Village. You probably know that, don’t ya, Herb, that my home is the Village, and I’ve lived in the Village for a long time. And various parts of the Village. I used to live in what is now called the East Village over on 7th Street. And now I live in what is called the West Village. And I also lived in the Village when they just called it the village-Village.
But the curious thing about the Village, I think–which to me is very interesting–it’s one of the few places in America, really, where you can live–you live in an area–it’s almost a state of mind.
End of Part 1 of 3
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JEAN SHEPHERD: Celebrity Fans, Friends
Here is my ever-growing list of well-known people in the entertainment world who are/were listeners to Jean Shepherd. Following includes those who can be rather positively believed were listeners, either because they themselves claim they were or through other rather definite evidence. I note just one or two prominent fields for each listing. This list is not definitive–it’s just of those I can think of. I’d appreciate hearing about others–with source of the info.
UNDOUBTEDLY LISTENERS
COMEDY
Penn Jillette (Comic, magician–Penn & Teller)
Andy Kaufman (Performance artist)
Ernie Kovacs (Video innovator)
Bruce Maher (Comic, “the Rabbi” in Seinfeld)
Henry Morgan (Comic broadcaster)
Roger Price (Comic, author, editor of Grump magazine)
Jerry Seinfeld (Sitcom and standup comic)
Harry Shearer (Broadcaster, “Simpson” voices)
•
WRITING/PUBLISHING
Bob Brown (Editor: Car and Driver)
Milton Caniff (Comic strip artist–pre 1955 “Terry and the Pirates”)
Billy Collins (Poet—U. S. Poet Laureate)
Kate Collins (Writer– humor/crime books—(“Flower Shop Mysteries”)
Ed Fancher (Publisher: Village Voice)
Herb Gardner (Cartoonist, playwright—“A Thousand Clowns”)
Jules Feiffer (Playwright, cartoonist)
Bill Griffith (Cartoonist–“Zippy the Pinhead”)
Hugh Hefner (Publisher: Playboy)
William Hjortsberg (Author–Gray Matters, Toro! Toro! Toro!)
George S. Kaufman (Playwright)
Jack Kerouac (Author–On the Road)
Paul Krassner (Writer, publisher)
S. J. Perelman (Comic writer)
Shel Silverstein (Cartoonist, writer)
R. L. Stine (Goosebumps book series)
Dan Wakefield (Author: New York in the 50s)
Tom Wolfe (Author: Bonfire of the Vanitites, etc.)
•
MUSIC
George Antheil (“Ballet Mécanique”)
John Cage (Shep describes him as early listener he talked with various time by phone)
Donald Fagen (Steely Dan)
Mitch Leigh (“Into the Unknown With Jazz Music,” “Man of La Mancha”)
Charles Mingus “The Clown”)
Dee Snider (Twisted Sister front man and songwriter)
•
THEATER, MEDIA
Fred Barzyk (Video director–major Shepherd TV)
John Cassavetes (Actor, Director–Shadows)
Ron Della Chiesa (WGBH Broadcaster)
Bob Clark (Film director—Porky’s, A Christmas Story)
Bruce Conner (Avant garde film maker, sculptor)
Art D’Lugoff (Concert producer)
Barry Farber (Broadcaster)
Helen Gee (Founder of “The Limelight”)
Larry Josephson (Broadcaster)
Larry King (Broadcaster)
Arch Oboler (Playwright)
Lois Nettleton (Actress, wife)
Keith Olbermann (Media–politics & sports commentator)
• • •
POSSIBLE/PROBABLE LISTENERS
There are also many who had connections to Shep and/or were described by Shep or others as having been his friends, but we can’t know which of these people were indeed friends or which of them may or may not have been listeners. For example, Bob & Ray were fellow broadcasters and friends of Shep; Shep claimed to be friends with Jack Kerouac; Lois Nettleton said that from time to time Shep went on sketching expeditions not only with Shep Silverstein, but with watercolorist Dong Kingman and Playboy illustrator LeRoy Neiman.
I also tend to think that a good portion of those connected to the Village, creative, and intellectual scene in New York City in the late 1950s and into the 1960s were likely to have been Shepherd listeners. These would include people like Laurie Anderson, Bob Dylan, and Woody Allen.
Please let me know of others, giving me whatever evidence you may have of connection to Shep.
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JEAN SHEPHERD–Obdurate Acts, Extenuating Circumstance–& Road Not Taken (8)
Thinking about Shepherd’s important moments and decisions in his life.
How did he get to where he became.
Some repetition and a continuation to not really a conclusion
in enigmatic, unsatisfactory endings–that can only continue.
WHAT DOES ALL THAT MEAN!?
•
Why–was he happy with his choices–what might he otherwise have done?
This is a difficult area and one which I usually avoid, because it is to a large extent speculative, and based–inevitably–on incomplete/inaccurate information. But maybe by doing little more than listing some milestones, one might get some clues about the Jean Shepherd enigma.
•
Photo courtesy of
Steve Glazer and Bill Ek.
I believe it of value to note and define, what to my mind are important points of Shep’s life and career. Some relate strongly to his creative world. Surely there will be some disagreements in this list. (It should be noted that, although years of publication are given, some of these activities/creations obviously were in progress at least in the previous year as he worked on the project.)
• • •
1955
Moves to New York City, the center of the artistic/intellectual life he desired. It leads to almost all of his important creative achievements. At some early point in his life in NYC, he becomes involved with many of its artistic activities, including connections to: Greenwich Village and the Village Voice; relationship with Lois Nettleton; his reported introduction by Shel Silverstein to Leigh Brown.
• • •
1956-1960
This is the period I describe as “The Great Burgeoning.” It includes what I can think of as crucial and innovative parts of his professional life: Overnight, improvised radio from January to August 1956; Village Voice connections; connections to the modern jazz world including emceeing important jazz concerts, narrating Charles Mingus’ “The Clown,” and writing periodical columns on jazz; creating his I, Libertine book hoax; promoting John Cassavetes’ Shadows; editing and writing intro to his George Ade book. (From the front page of the Voice, the first image shows left to right: Shep, Lois Nettleton, Anne Bancroft.)
• • •
1966
Convinced (according to Hefner by Shel; Lois said convinced by herself and other friends) to transcribe and edit his improvised stories and get them published (Playboy and in books).
• • •
1971
Creation of first season of the television series
Jean Shepherd’s America.
• • •
1983
Co-creation and narration of movie A Christmas Story.
• • •
(1977?) 1984-1999
Moving to Florida. Shep had numerous times expressed that New York City was his true home because of its vitality, artistic ambiance–why did he move? Finances? Lessening of his intellectual interests? Other?
• • •
1985
Creation of second/final season of the television series
Jean Shepherd’s America.
• • •
1998
Leigh Brown, helpmate, supporter, and love of his life, dies.
• • • • • • • • •
10/16/1999–into the future
Shep dies. Tributes and remembrances flow from many sources.
• • • • • • • • •
(As always, I’d appreciate any and all comments,
including additions, subtractions, corrections,
and further thoughts.)
Excelsior & seltzer bottle
More to come
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JEAN SHEPHERD and THE VILLAGE
Shepherd, on his radio program, promoted Greenwich Village, The Village Voice, and other aspects of the then-prominent culture identified with it, such as jazz and the Beats. He narrated a TV video about it and narrated the commercial film “Village Sunday.” (His love, Lois Nettleton, plays the part of a young woman strolling along, observing the scene.) He obviously appreciated the Village culture, and in the 1970s, live there for years.
I recently encountered a 600-page book, The Village–A History of Greenwich Village, 400 years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues (John Strausbaugh, 2013).
I’ve read the sections on the 1950s and 1960s, encountering a few good pages with an overall description of Shepherd, especially regarding the I, Libertine affair. My Excelsior, You Fathead! is mentioned in passing and is listed in the bibliography. The chapter with the Shep material, titled “Village Voices,” focuses on, among other items, Shep, Mailer, and the Voice. Epigraphs for that chapter:
You have no idea what a terrible lure this place is to people who live outside of this place. –Jean Shepherd
Greenwich Village is one of the bitter provinces–it abounds in snobs and critics. –Norman Mailer
[I do believe that the Shep quote refers not specifically to the Village but to all of New York City.]
The Shepherd-section, hitting most of the high points in a few pages, containing little if anything not generally known about him, ends with:
Despite his adoring listeners, Shepherd increasingly chafed at limitations of regional radio. After leaving WOR in 1977 he concentrated on film and television with some success, the bittersweet (mostly bitter) 1983 holiday film A Christmas Story, which he wrote and narrated, is considered a seasonal classic. But he never quite achieved the status he thought he deserved as a modern day Mark Twain or Will Rogers and withdrew to Sanibel Island off the Florida gulf coast where, a self-professed sorehead, he lived in relative seclusion until dying of natural causes in 1999. No doubt he’d find some rueful satisfaction in knowing that today copies of I, Libertine are collectors’ items going for as much as $350 for the hardcover and over $200 for the paperback.
[If one has the persistence to wait, one can get a paperback these days for about $50]
I enjoyed and found well-done, the author’s extensive material on the Beats, Shepherd, the folk scene, Mailer, the Voice, the emergence of Bob Dylan, and other surrounding material. There are no major errors regarding Shepherd, and the author seems to have used good and knowledgeable sources. Few if any other descriptions of Shepherd that I’ve encountered seem so on-the-mark. One might assume that the rest of the book is also good.
Village Voice front page,
with Shepherd, Nettleton, and Ann Bancroft.
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