{"product_id":"excelsior-you-fathead-the-art-and-enigma-of-jean-shepherd-applause-books-9781557836007","title":"Excelsior  You Fathead!: The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd (Applause Books)","description":"\u003cp\u003eJean Shepherd (1921-1999)  master humorist  is best known for his creation A Christmas Story  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 Playboy  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 A Thousand Clowns  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  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.   Richard Corliss  Time magazine online\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45666271526965,"sku":"ByrdShop_1557836000","price":42.78,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781557836007.jpg?v=1782426313","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/excelsior-you-fathead-the-art-and-enigma-of-jean-shepherd-applause-books-9781557836007","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}