A long time ago, when I was a kid of 10 or 12 living in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, I came upon a radio show, quite by accident. Well, as much as anything can be an accident, as I truly believe there is nothing random or accidental about the connections we make in this life.
The host, a raconteur by the name of Jean Shepherd, was to become a permanent part of my nightly radio listening habits until WOR canceled the show in 1976, and a life-long influence on my own writing interests and style. Shepherd was one of the originators of the oral narrative style, and a storyteller who was second to none.
Jean Shepherd at the mic - WOR-AM, NY. 1970
On that particular nite in the late ’60s/early ’70s, Shep was reading a short story of his that was to become one of the most beloved holiday tales of the latter 20th Century … “Duel in the Snow, or Red Ryder Nails the Cleveland Street Kid” from his anthology classic, “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash
Never heard of the story, the book, or the writer? What do you mean you never heard of it? Of course you have … You’ve probably seen the movie that was adapted from it, at the very least, a few dozen times. I referring to the now classic, “A Christmas Story
While the movie lives on in the collective pop consciousness, re-visited yearly by a generation of ’80s kids passing the film on to their families as a cherished holiday tradition, Shepherd remains largely relegated to the list of forgotten authors and radio personalities of old. That is, except for a collection of die-hard fans, such as myself, who would have him declared a national treasure. Books have been written about him. Many of the faithful have preserved and re-issued his broadcasts, and have created Shep Podcasts. My own dream is to make an indie film about his life in the ’50s/’60s, and his ill-fated marriage to actress Lois Nettleton, as the man was as much of an enigma and troubled soul as he was a genius, and his life both fascinating and tragic.
So if you’ve got kids who are a bit past the Dr. Seuss phase and not quite ready for the “Twilight” saga (and is anyone, really? ), do youself, and them, a favor. Pick up a copy of “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash
As a special Christmas Eve treat, I’m including an mp3 of Shep reading a shortened version of the story on his show in 1972. Hearing this story from the lips of Shepherd, the master storyteller himself, is the best way to experience this tale.
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Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to all!