02-11-2007
( Reply#: 799 ) |
duane |
I'd suggest that you start with the books. In my opinion, the two best ones are "In God we trust, all others pay cash" and Wanda Hickey's night of golden memories and other disasters." These two books are full of short stories that make up much of the movies like Christmas Story, My summer story, and the PBS films. Even now that I've read them several times, they still make me actually laugh out loud when I reread them. I believe these books are still in print and you can order them online or at your local bookstore.
The other two books "Fistful of Fig Newtons" and "Ferrari in the Bedroom" I believe are not in print....but I found them not as interesting anyway. They have a couple of stories of Ralphie, Flick and the others, but generally the stories are set when Ralph is older.
The PBS movies are very good, although you have to get used to having a less than DVD experience, since they are made from someone's videotape of the TV show. They are not available commercially, but if you look under some of the other forum topics here (like under movies) there will be some locations where you can get them at a very good price. They are well worth it.
Also, Barnes and Noble once supplied a series of audio tapes of shep reading some of the stories from his two best books, I think there were 6 or 7 tapes in the series. Its great to listen to these in your car while travelling on a long trip....they too will make you laugh out loud. Unfortunately, they are no longer available, but again - if you check around on other topics on this forum, you will find someone that can provide them for a modest fee.
You are in for a treat. There is great humor here, as well as some great time travel back to your past. Especially, if, like me, you grew up only a few miles from Cleveland Street in Hessville (Hammond) Indiana. Happy viewing and reading. -Duane |
02-12-2007
( Reply#: 800 ) |
ebruceb |
Shep was greatest in his broadcasts. I've heard about a thousand of them and I'm still enjoying them tremendously. Thus, I recommend that you start with audios of his radio programs. Several sources including Schmidco and The Jean Shepherd Project found on this website can provide you with hundreds of these, as can ebay.
The written stories, videos, and A CHRISTMAS STORY are good, but as secondary sources--they were mostly done based on his spoken radio stories. Nothing compares to listening to Shep broadcasts. As they vary so greatly in style and subject matter, you need to listen to a number of them to get the feel and range of his radio work. I recommend that you listen when you are in a relaxed mood, without distractions and other activities encroaching on your mind. (You can't be reading or writing or talking or watching TV at the same time and still appreciate what he's doing.) I mostly listen when I'm a captive audience driving. --Eugene B. Bergmann
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02-12-2007
( Reply#: 801 ) |
diskojoe |
Both Fistful of Fig Newtons & Ferrari In the Bedroom are back in print, so all of Shep's books are available. As for the broadcasts, check out the Links section of www.flicklives.com for the Shep Archives MP3 site or the Brass Figalee Pod site for Shep broadcasts over the Net, as well as going through the Schmidco catalog. Also, Max Schmid's WBAI broadcasts can be accessed through said www.flicklives.com. As Mr. Bergmann said, the best way to listen to Shep is to be by yourself w/no other distractions & you especially should do it at night, the later, the better. |
02-13-2007
( Reply#: 804 ) |
Bill Bucko |
quote:
Originally posted by ebruceb
Shep was greatest in his broadcasts ...
The written stories, videos, and A CHRISTMAS STORY are good, but as secondary sources--they were mostly done based on his spoken radio stories. Nothing compares to listening to Shep broadcasts.
It all depends on what you like. I love the printed word, and have always enjoyed the first two books of stories more than the broadcasts (good though the latter usually are).
Bill
Warren G. Harding Class of '63 |
02-13-2007
( Reply#: 805 ) |
m10bob |
As Mr Bergmann suggested, get the radio programs and become an addict.
I also strongly urge Mr Bergmann's book "EXCELSIOR-YOU FATHEAD" as a primer on all things "SHEP"..It is as good as Little Orphan Annie's secret decoder ring in explaining and making observations on the many facets of the Jean Shepherd phenomena.
In Hoc Agricula Conc
In Est Spittle Louk |
02-23-2007
( Reply#: 826 ) |
francine |
I am also new to this forum. I am 44 years old and when I was still in the belly, my grandmother listened to Jean Shepherd on I believe it was WOR, and those are some of the best memories I have. Where can you get them? In what format do they have the episodes on. I am excited to talk to others who loved him too. He will live on now in popular culture because of A Christmas Story. Before that no-one really knew who he was and certainly no-one from my generation.[:o)]
francine e herrmann |
02-24-2007
( Reply#: 827 ) |
ebruceb |
This flicklives site gives several sources of hundreds of audios of broadcasts on cassette and on CDs. So does ebay (search: Jean Shepherd). There's about a thousand or so broadcasts easily available at very little or no cost. Flicklives has the last several rebroadcasts of the Mass Backwards program. Look around. |
