Re: Jean Shepherd, RIP

[Richard Chonak <rac@gabriel.cambridge.ma.us>]

Public radio's "On the Media" reported on Jean Shepherd's death this
weekend, in the last ten minutes of the show.  WNYC's web site says
the program will be available online Monday.  (http://www.wnyc.org)

The piece featured recollections by radio producer Larry Josephson,
and a short clip of Shep telling the tale of his Little Orphan Annie
decoder ring.  In the story, little Ralph hid in the bathroom to
decode his first secret radio message from Little Orphan Annie to all
her pals; and he found out to his dismay, one letter at a time, that
it was -- well, I'm not going to spoil the ending.

NPR's "Weekly Edition" also presented an obit on Shep, with a longer 
audio
sample, tapping into the Master's sardonic view of life.  It's
available on the web:
  RealAudio: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/weed/19991023.weed.01.ram
  Summary: http://www.npr.org/programs/weed/archives/current.html

--RC