false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168054114m/30144.jpg 30144 1 For that small but populous slice of the world reachable by radio station WOR (New York City and environs), Jean Shepherd was once a nightly fixture, back in the days when radio talk didn't shock. On the air, he would tell tales of his Indiana boyhood, which he eventually refined enough to write down. <i>Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories</i> collects the stories that first appeared in magazines in the 1960s and '70s. For that slightly larger slice of the world that has seen the hysterical 1983 movie <i>A Christmas Story</i>, the book's characters and setting will be instantly recognizable: the film was cobbled together from Shepherd's stories. (One thing you have to say for the man, not only was he funny, but boy, could he recycle.) <p> <i>Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories</i> guides you through every triumph and crisis of Shepherd's boyhood. One of the most entertaining involved the hijacking of the family's precious Easter ham: <blockquote> BLAM!<br> The kitchen door flew open. It had been left ajar just a crack to let the air come in to cool the ham.<br> I rushed to the kitchen just in time to see 4,293 blue-ticked Bumpus hounds roar through the screen door in a great, roiling mob. The leader of the pack--the one that almost got my old man every day--leaped high onto the table and grabbed the butt end of the ham in his enormous jaws. They were in and out in less than five seconds.<br> "HOLY CHRIST!" The old man leaped out of his chair.<br> "THE HAM! THE HAM! THOSE GODDAMN DOGS! THE HAM!!" </blockquote> They say comedy is tragedy plus time; that's why growing up is so funny. <i>Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories</i>--like its author--never disappoints. 30534 16 1 1976 Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters total:149|5:55|4:64|3:25|2:4|1:1| 149 615 226 32 4 4 false false Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 01 07:23:10 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 19 10:36:53 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Aug 14 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 30 22:53:41 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 14 19:02:24 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Apr 27 23:08:06 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 23:10:50 -0700 2009
Again, he pokes fun state fairs--and the HOllywood treatment of them--cars...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Apr 25 12:40:49 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 25 12:40:49 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat May 17 13:20:19 -0700 2008 Sat May 17 13:32:44 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Dec 12 19:09:18 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 12 19:11:47 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Sat Jul 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 11 12:36:37 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 11 12:40:23 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Dec 11 19:07:43 -0800 2007 Tue Jan 01 09:33:54 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Feb 09 10:44:40 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 09 10:47:14 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Mon Aug 25 08:28:57 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 20 07:25:43 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 25 08:28:57 -0700 2008
"The Christmas Story" is based on the events told in this book.

Jean Shepperd writes this book in first person with himself as the main character but I can't tell if thi...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 06 05:19:43 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 06 05:30:24 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 11 12:45:35 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 12:55:05 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jan 16 10:51:58 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 16 10:52:26 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1989 Mon Jan 26 19:04:50 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 19:08:03 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Tue Dec 09 16:55:06 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 19 17:57:21 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Thu Jun 11 09:31:16 -0700 2009 Tue May 26 12:35:01 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 09:31:16 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1972 Mon Jul 21 17:33:25 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 28 19:34:21 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Jun 27 14:32:10 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 27 14:33:19 -0700 2008 So far I'm just choosing lightweight books, but they are the ones I find myself re-read...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Jun 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jan 11 14:28:35 -0800 2008 Sat Jun 21 08:43:03 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Thu Jun 26 15:16:23 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 26 15:19:13 -0700 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=30144