Quin Schultze, K8QS, describes his work with Jean Shepherd (K2ORS), a legendary ham operator and storyteller, and introduces his new book ("You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!") about Jeans' storytelling and views of technology and amateur radio, especially in the movie "A Christmas Story," which follows Ralphie's quest for a Red Ryder BB rifle for Christmas. Includes an audio clip of Jean telling the story of how he first fell in love with ham radio as a kid. Links mentioned in the video are included on the YouTube description rather than here on QRZ.
Back about 1952, Shep lived less than a mile from where I live now. His call then was W3STE and he worked at KYW in Philadelphia. 73 de Jim N2EY
Who could not love Jean? Had the privilege of working him through a 2 meter repeater in the state of Maine when we were on vacation there, 1978. Down to earth guy, the real deal. Of course his radio show on WOR AM NYC as well as his phenomenal "A Christmas Story" were two of the many delightful and wonderful contributions he left us. Great voice and story teller, perfect old school Ham!
i had the great joy of listening to Shep every night over WOR-AM, happily corrupting my New Jersey childhood. had the opportunity to bring him to Metuchen High School for "An Evening With ..." back in 1970. Excelsior, you fatheads!
I first 'met' Jean Shepherd when he started writing a monthly column in Car and Driver in perhaps the late 1960s. I had no clue about his radio career. Later, I stumbled into one or two radio programs, probably syndicated on NPR. In retrospect, I envy those who heard him every night. I think I found out about Shepherd being a ham when he voiced the introduction to 73 Magazine code practice cassettes in the mid 1970s. A Christmas Story came later.
That's neat, Jim. I knew when Jean was living at a different NJ location. Quin, author of "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out! Life Lessons from the Movie 'A Christmas Story'"
Right, Tom. I mention the code cassettes in the video. He wrote the C&D column for many years. That's where Jerry Seinfeld first ran across Jean. Jerry now says that he learned his "entire comedic sensibility" from Jean. Many of Jean's old WOR radio programs are being remastered and put on YouTube. Quin, K8QS, author of "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out! Life Lessons from the Movie 'A Christmas Story'" https://amzn.to/4eI2JYe
Thank for your comment, Dr. Jerry. Jean did many performances at schools across the country, and in Princeton annually. He first learned storytelling by doing this kind of "stand up" work, then refining it on radio, later TV and films. As I mention in the book, Jean learned how to put his stories in written form from Shel Silverstein when they were living together at the Playboy Mansion in Chicago. Check out my book. You'll get a kick out of the background -- that you, too, were part of: https://amzn.to/4eI2JYe
Yes, I give thanks at the end of my video to the ham who activated Jean's old call and is keeping it going. Quin, K8QS
I grew up in New York listening to Shep every night on my transistor radio under the covers. He was a master of the theater of the mind. One of my friends Chris, had an uncle that gave him an old Collins 75 A 2 . That was it, I was hooked. Another of my friends, Bruce ( KG0LH) was interested in control line model airplanes. That cinched it, down the rabbit hole I went. I ended up going to Brooklyn Technical High School, training to be an AP, then an aeronautical engineer. That fell through but my love for tech never died. Got my pilot's license and drove sports cars for years. And while I love the new radios and all the innovations, There's something about those moving dials that just captivates me
One of the greatest pranks of all time was the "I, Libertine" hoax. True genius, with a serious message. ---- Besides "A Christmas Story" there were the lesser-known movies "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven Of Bliss" and "The Phantom Of The Open Hearth". 73 de Jim N2EY
Hi, Jim. Jean was also a great BSer, and the hoax that you mention did not quite "go down" the way Jean told it. For instance, the book never made the bestseller lists. On the other hand, Jean believed that there was "fake news" long before it became popular to believe so. One of the chapters in my book is titled "Don't trust the media" (which Jean believed). Jean used the decoder ring episode in "A Christmas Story," in particular, to capture his view of the media; Ralphie discovers that has been snookered by Ovaltine. Jean learned filmic storytelling while working on "Phantom," with Boston public media. It was a triumph in many ways and cemented Jean's use of "parallel plots" in his screenplays (each sub-story comments on the surrounding stories). Thanks for your post. I hope you'll ask for a copy of my book for Christmas! Or contact me directly if you'd like a personally signed copy. Shameless plug. I posted below a link to my latest video, a 20-minute "remembrance" of Jean from someone who knew him (me). I think you know enough about Jean and that you'll find it fascinating.
