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New Book and Video on Ham Legend Jean Shepherd

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by K8QS, Nov 18, 2024.

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  1. K8QS

    K8QS Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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.
     

    Attached Files:

    W3KW, KQ4GIK, NQ8J and 10 others like this.
  2. K1OIK

    K1OIK XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    K2ORS is on the air today, not the original.
    Jean Shepard was a great storyteller.
     
    N3TGY likes this.
  3. K3CQR

    K3CQR Ham Member QRZ Page

    I have been a fan of Jean Shepard, the country music artist since the 60's!
     
  4. N2EY

    N2EY Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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.

    W3STE.png



    73 de Jim N2EY
     
    W3KW, K0UO, K3LU and 8 others like this.
  5. K8NY

    K8NY Ham Member QRZ Page

    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!
     
    N2EY likes this.
  6. N8DXZ

    N8DXZ Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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!
     
    WJ1MK, KA2CZU, W2FV and 1 other person like this.
  7. N1YR

    N1YR Ham Member QRZ Page

    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.
     
    KI4ZUQ and (deleted member) like this.
  8. K8QS

    K8QS Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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'"
     
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  9. K8QS

    K8QS Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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
     
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  10. K8QS

    K8QS Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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
     
  11. K8QS

    K8QS Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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
     
  12. KO4SMF

    KO4SMF XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    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
     
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  13. N2EY

    N2EY Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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
     
    WJ1MK likes this.
  14. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Fra--gil-layyyy!
     
    AE8EM and N2EY like this.
  15. K8QS

    K8QS Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    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.

     
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