Excelsior You Fathead

Author : Eugene B. Bergmann
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
Page : 496 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2006-01-01
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781476848822

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Excelsior, You Fathead! by Eugene B. Bergmann Pdf

Jean Shepherd (1921-1999) master humorist is best known for his creation ÊA Christmas StoryÊ the popular movie about the child who wants a BB gun for Christmas and nearly shoots his eye out. What else did Shepherd do? He is considered by many to be the Mark Twain and James Thurber of his day. For many thousands of fans for decades Shep talked on the radio late at night keeping them up way past their bedtimes. He entertained without a script improvising like a jazz musician on any and every subject you can imagine. He invented and remains the master of talk radio. Shepherd perpetrated one of the great literary hoaxes of all time promoting a nonexistent book and author and then brought the book into existence. He wrote 23 short stories for ÊPlayboyÊ four times winning their humor of the year award and also interviewed The Beatles for the magazine. He authored several popular books of humor and satire created several television series and acted in several plays. He is the model for the character played by Jason Robards in the play and movie ÊA Thousand ClownsÊ as well as the inspiration for the Shel Silverstein song made famous by Johnny Cash A Boy Named Sue. Readers will learn the significance of innumerable Shepherd words and phrases such as Excelsior you fathead and observe his constant confrontations with the America he loved. They will get to know and understand this multitalented genius by peeking behind the wall he built for himself ä a wall to hide a different and less agreeable persona. Through interviews with his friends co-workers and creative associates such as musician David Amram cartoonist and playwright Jules Feiffer publisher and broadcaster Paul Krassner and author Norman Mailer the book explains a complex and unique genius of our time. Shepherd pretty much invented talk radio ... What I got of him was a wonder at the world one man could create. I am as awed now by his achievement as I was then. ä Richard Corliss ÊTimeÊ magazine online

Author : George H. Sirois
Publisher : George Sirois
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2010-06-21
Category : Juvenile Fiction
ISBN : 9780741460882

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Excelsior by George H. Sirois Pdf

"Matthew, so few humans achieve their destiny before leaving this world. You have that chance."Matthew Peters had spent the last seven years creating the ultimate online comic hero. He never dreamed that he would find the true hero within himself.

Author : Satsvarūpa Dāsa Gosvāmī
Publisher : Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
Page : 307 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780911233858

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Write and Die by Satsvarūpa Dāsa Gosvāmī Pdf

Author : Marc Fisher
Publisher : Random House
Page : 402 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2009-04-02
Category : History
ISBN : 9780307547095

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Something in the Air by Marc Fisher Pdf

A sweeping, anecdotal account of the great sounds and voices of radio–and how it became a bonding agent for a generation of American youth When television became the next big thing in broadcast entertainment, everyone figured video would kill the radio star–and radio, period. But radio came roaring back with a whole new concept. The war was over, the baby boom was on, the country was in clover, and a bold new beat was giving the syrupy songs of yesteryear a run for their money. Add transistors, 45 rpm records, and a young man named Elvis to the mix, and the result was the perfect storm that rocked, rolled, and reinvented radio. Visionary entrepreneurs like Todd Storz pioneered the Top 40 concept, which united a generation. But it took trendsetting “disc jockeys” like Alan Freed, Murray the K, Wolfman Jack, Cousin Brucie, and their fast-talking, too-cool-for-school counterparts across the land to turn time, temperature, and the same irresistible hit tunes played again and again into the ubiquitous sound track of the fifties and sixties. The Top 40 sound broke through racial barriers, galvanized coming-of-age kids (and scandalized their perplexed parents), and provided the insistent, inescapable backbeat for times that were a-changin’. Along with rock-and-roll music came the attitude that would literally change the “voice” of radio forever, via the likes of raconteur Jean Shepherd, who captivated his loyal following of “Night People”; the inimitable Bob Fass, whose groundbreaking Radio Unnameable inaugurated the anything-goes free-form style that would come to define the alternative frontier of FM; and a small-time Top 40 deejay who would ultimately find national fame as a political talk-show host named Rush Limbaugh. From Hunter Hancock, who pushed beyond the limits of 1950s racial segregation with rhythm and blues and hepcat patter, to Howard Stern, who blew through all the limits with a blue streak of outrageous on-air antics; from the heyday of summer songs that united carefree listeners to the latter days of political talk that divides contentious callers; from the haze of classic rock to the latest craze in hip-hop, Something in the Air chronicles the extraordinary evolution of the unique and timeless medium that captured our hearts and minds, shook up our souls, tuned in–and turned on–our consciousness, and went from being written off to rewriting the rules of pop culture.

Author : Ada Calhoun
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2015-11-02
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780393249798

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St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America's Hippest Street by Ada Calhoun Pdf

A vibrant narrative history of three hallowed Manhattan blocks—the epicenter of American cool. St. Marks Place in New York City has spawned countless artistic and political movements. Here Frank O’Hara caroused, Emma Goldman plotted, and the Velvet Underground wailed. But every generation of miscreant denizens believes that their era, and no other, marked the street’s apex. This idiosyncratic work of reportage tells the many layered history of the street—from its beginnings as Colonial Dutch Director-General Peter Stuyvesant’s pear orchard to today’s hipster playground—organized around those pivotal moments when critics declared “St. Marks is dead.” In a narrative enriched by hundreds of interviews and dozens of rare images, St. Marks native Ada Calhoun profiles iconic characters from W. H. Auden to Abbie Hoffman, from Keith Haring to the Beastie Boys, among many others. She argues that St. Marks has variously been an elite address, an immigrants’ haven, a mafia warzone, a hippie paradise, and a backdrop to the film Kids—but it has always been a place that outsiders call home. This idiosyncratic work offers a bold new perspective on gentrification, urban nostalgia, and the evolution of a community.

Author : Jean Shepherd
Publisher : Crown
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2010-10-27
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780307768667

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In God We Trust by Jean Shepherd Pdf

A collection of humorous and nostalgic Americana stories—the beloved, bestselling classics that inspired the movie A Christmas Story Before Garrison Keillor and Spalding Gray there was Jean Shepherd: a master monologist and writer who spun the materials of his all-American childhood into immensely resonant—and utterly hilarious—works of comic art. In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash represents one of the peaks of his achievement, a compound of irony, affection, and perfect detail that speaks across generations. In God We Trust, Shepherd's wildly witty reunion with his Indiana hometown, disproves the adage “You can never go back.” Bending the ear of Flick, his childhood-buddy-turned-bartender, Shepherd recalls passionately his genuine Red Ryder BB gun, confesses adolescent failure in the arms of Junie Jo Prewitt, and relives a story of man against fish that not even Hemingway could rival. From pop art to the World's Fair, Shepherd's subjects speak with a universal irony and are deeply and unabashedly grounded in American Midwestern life, together rendering a wonderfully nostalgic impression of a more innocent era when life was good, fun was clean, and station wagons roamed the earth. A comic genius who bridged the gap between James Thurber and David Sedaris, Shepherd may have accomplished for Holden, Indiana, what Mark Twain did for Hannibal, Missouri.

Author : Theodore Sturgeon
Publisher : Open Road Media
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2013-06-18
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781480410107

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I, Libertine by Theodore Sturgeon Pdf

DIVThe novel that began as a radio hoax, Theodore Sturgeon’s I, Libertine is a hilarious erotic romp through the royal boudoirs of eighteenth-century London/divDIV Inspired by a notorious radio hoax in the mid-1950s, popular radio host and prankster Jean Shepherd exhorted his faithful listeners to approach their local booksellers the next morning and request copies of the historical novel I, Libertine by Frederick R. Ewing—a book that had never been written, by an author who had never been alive. The hoax was so successful that I, Libertine became the talk of the town, even earning the unique distinction of being banned by the Archdiocese of Boston, despite the fact that it didn’t yet exist. Now there was nothing left to do but write the thing . . . and fantasy and science fiction legend Theodore Sturgeon was called in to work his magic./divDIV /divDIVOriginally written pseudonymously, Sturgeon’s I, Libertine is a glorious tale of close shaves, daring escapes, and wildly licentious behavior. It covers the bawdy misdeeds of Captain Lance Courtenay as he carelessly romps through the royal court and the bedchambers of London’s finest ladies. Chock-full of wicked wit and Sturgeon’s trademark twists and turns, it is a hilarious, picaresque adventure that Ewing himself would certainly have been proud to call his own, if he had existed./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Theodore Sturgeon including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the University of Kansas’s Kenneth Spencer Research Library and the author’s estate, among other sources./div

Author : Zeke Jarvis
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 570 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2015-04-07
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9798216113447

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Make 'em Laugh! by Zeke Jarvis Pdf

This lighthearted and eye-opening book explores the role of comedy in cultural and political critiques of American society from the past century. This unprecedented look at the history of satire in America showcases the means by which our society is informed by humor—from the way we examine the news, to how we communicate with each other, to what we seek out for entertainment. From biographical information to critical reception of material and personalities, the book features humorists from both literary and popular culture settings spanning the past 100 years. Through its 180 entries, this comprehensive volume covers a range of artists—individuals such as Joan Rivers, Hunter S. Thompson, and Chris Rock—and topics, including vaudeville, cartoons, and live performances. The content is organized by media and genre to showcase connections between writers and performers. Chapters include an alphabetical listing of humorists grouped by television and film stars, stand-up and performance comics, literary humorists, and humorists in popular print.

Author : Caseen Gaines
Publisher : ECW Press
Page : 361 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2013-10-01
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9781770904156

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A Christmas Story by Caseen Gaines Pdf

“The definitive book about Bob Clark’s 1983 classic holiday film. Filled with untold stories, unreleased photographs, and much more” (Parade). This ultimate guide to everything fans want to know about A Christmas Story shares the inside scoop behind the film’s production, release, and unlikely ascent to the top of popular culture. From Jean Shepherd’s original radio broadcasts to Bob Clark’s 1983 sleeper hit film and beyond, A Christmas Story has become a beloved Yuletide tradition over the last three decades. This is the untold story of the making of the film—and what happened afterwards. Ralphie Parker’s quest for a Red Ryder air rifle didn’t end with the movie’s release; the tale inspired massive VHS sales, a Broadway production, and a mountain of merchandise. Complete with rare and previously unreleased photographs, now fans of the movie and film buffs alike can lean all they didn’t know about the timeless classic. “Entertainingly and exhaustively sheds new light on a movie that everyone loves and thinks they know inside and out. Engaging and packed with enlightening anecdotes, it’s a perfect companion to the movie.” —Richard Crouse, author of 100 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen and Raising Hell: Ken Russell and the Unmaking of The Devils “Caseen Gaines’ comprehensive, insightful, and beautifully illustrated look at Ralphie Parker and his family will make perennial viewings of this beloved comedy an even richer and more entertaining tradition.” —Jeremy Kinser, Queerty “An iconic and brilliant part of Americana is brought back to life through Caseen Gaines’ book. I couldn’t stop smiling while reading it!” —Noah Levy, cohost of VH1’s The Gossip Table

Author : Derrick Bang
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 323 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2020-04-01
Category : Music
ISBN : 9781476639888

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Crime and Spy Jazz on Screen, 1950-1970 by Derrick Bang Pdf

Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn theme. Lalo Schifrin's Mission: Impossible theme. John Barry's arrangement of the James Bond theme. These iconic melodies have remained a part of the pop culture landscape since their debuts in the late 1950s and early '60s: a "golden decade" that highlighted an era when movie studios and TV production companies employed full orchestral ensembles to provide a jazz backdrop for the suspenseful adventures of secret agents, private detectives, cops, spies and heist-minded criminals. Hundreds of additional films and television shows made during this period were propelled by similarly swinging title themes and underscores, many of which have (undeservedly) faded into obscurity. This meticulously researched book traces the embryonic use of jazz in mainstream entertainment from the early 1950s--when conservative viewers still considered this genre "the devil's music"--to its explosive heyday throughout the 1960s. Fans frustrated by the lack of attention paid to jazz soundtrack composers--including Jerry Goldsmith, Edwin Astley, Roy Budd, Quincy Jones, Dave Grusin, Jerry Fielding and many, many others--will find solace in these pages (along with all the information needed to enhance one's music library). The exploration of action jazz continues in this book's companion volume, Crime and Action Jazz on Screen Since 1971.

Author : Jean Shepherd
Publisher : Crown
Page : 306 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 1987-11-17
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780385188432

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A Fistful of Fig Newtons by Jean Shepherd Pdf

From the wild and wacky world of favorite funnyman Jean Shepherd, a dozen truer-than-life tales of tailgating on the Jersey Tumpike, infuriating infants, and other everyday catastrophes, defeats, and humiliations that are the familiar fate of Americans everywhere. Jean Shepherd was one of America’s favorite humorists, his most notable achievement being the creation of the indefatigable Ralphie Parker and his quest for a BB gun in the holiday classic A Christmas Story. But he was so much more, a comic Garrison Keillor–like figure whose unique voice transcended the airwaves and affected a whole generation of nostalgic Americans. A Fistful of Fig Newtons is classic Jean Shepherd—sidesplittingly funny and sardonically irreverent. It is a brilliant comic assessment of American life—all of them delivered in Jean Shepherd’s witty, classy, unforgettable style.

Author : Jean Shepherd
Publisher : Hal Leonard Corporation
Page : 215 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2013-07-01
Category : Performing Arts
ISBN : 9781623160135

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Shep's Army by Jean Shepherd Pdf

(Book). Disclaimer: No U.S. Military Personnel were harmed during the making of these fictional reminiscences. No warrior is more forgotten than he who has been left behind by the war department. Most men who have never tasted combat beyond the occasional fistfight on poker night quickly learn to lay low and zip the lip when battlefield stories are unfurled by the Purple Hearters at the dinner table. Except, of course, for our man Jean Shepherd. Fearless in his uncombativeness, he manfully fought his dearth of frontline duty with the weapons he wielded unmatched by even the most decorated dogface: rapid-fire griping and explosive laughter. Jean Shepherd was, and remains, a pervasive part of American culture. His quirky individuality was portrayed for posterity by Jason Robards in the play and film, A Thousand Clowns , written by Shep's close pal, Herb Gardner. Jack Nicholson embodied a Shepherd-like late-night radio talker in The King of Marvin Gardens . While in Network , by Paddy Chayefsky (another of Shep's comic cohorts), the television newscaster beseeches his listeners to open their windows and yell, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore," an unmistakable echo of Shepherd's radio habit of "hurling an invective" like a hand grenade out into the nation's air waves. Shepherd was a spiritual father to Garrison Keillor, Daniel Pinkwater, Bill Harley, Paul Krassner and Joe Frank. Tens of thousands of rabid fans stayed up past their bedtime with transistor radios stashed under their pillows to follow Shep's always unpredictable, usually extemporaneous, verbal forays into current events, social mores, idle thoughts, stories about his childhood in northern Indiana ("I was this kid, see..."), his army days, and his idiosyncratic take on his world-wide travels. Shepherd once bamboozled an innocent public, and gullible publishing world, by promoting a non-existent book ( I, Libertine ) and author (Frederick R. Ewing), then co-writing it with sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon. It sold in best-seller numbers. Shepherd wrote nearly two dozen stories for Playboy and even interviewed the Beatles for the magazine. He published several best-selling books of his stories and articles; he appeared at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, and in hundreds of jam-packed college auditoriums. Shep's Army is the first volume of new Shepherd tales to be published in a quarter century.

Author : Richmal Crompton
Publisher : Rare Treasure Editions
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2024-01-09T00:00:00Z
Category : Juvenile Fiction
ISBN : 9781774645789

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Just William's Luck by Richmal Crompton Pdf

In this full-length "Just William" novel, William and the Outlaws decide to form the Knights of the Square Table, 'rightin' wrongs' for a minor fee. In their quest to earn enough money to become tramps, they stop at no amount of do-gooding, embarking on a plan to marry off their older brothers. William becomes a veritable Don Juan as he woos a visiting film star for his brother (much to the surprise and annoyance of his brother's girlfriend). Soon the gang have planned a midnight haunting to scare off old monkey face from the big house on the hill - after all, where else will they find a home for the happy young couple? This riotous comedy leaves William teetering on the brink of disaster and success...

Author : Robert William Service
Publisher : New York : Barnes & Noble Books
Page : 212 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0760702349

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Dan McGrew, Sam McGee : the Poems of Robert Service by Robert William Service Pdf

This volume contains fifty-seven poems by the incomparable Robert Service, including: The Pines; The Spell of the Yukon; Over the Parapet; The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill; The Shooting of Dan McGrew; The Trail of Ninety-Eight; The Cremation of Sam McGee; The Ballad of Pious Pete; The Trapper's Christmas Eve; The Law of the Yukon; The March of the Dead; The Ballad of One-Eyed Mike; Bill the Bomber; The Blind and the Dead; etc.

Author : Kirk McElhearn
Publisher : Prentice-Hall PTR
Page : 466 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Computers
ISBN : PSU:000054236776

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IPod and ITunes Garage by Kirk McElhearn Pdf

This book covers Apple's iTunes digital music software and its iPod portable digital music player by looking at the many ways of using the iPod for music, contacts, calendars, tunes to manage digital music on a Mac or PC with Windows, and to share it across a local network.