Photo: Fred W. Mcdarrah November 30, 1966

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4.0 out of 5 stars Worth getting

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2023

Verified Purchase (Amazon)

If you’re a Shep fan you’ll love the pieces from his shows.

The author goes a little overboard with his opinions,

but it’s a minor problem. Very informative.

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The NYTimes book section of Sunday June 25, 2023

contains a difficult-to-believe closing statement in the interview

of author Len Deighton! Is he for-real, or is it a misguided sense of humor?:

Whichever, the comment is a bad influence on the world off literature.

For conservative readers who prefer the perfectly horizontal,

the obvious solution for you is to grasp your computer screen in both fists. Now tilt.

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You will see (or be reminded) gentle reader, in case you overlooked or forgot,

my page 10 of Excelsior, You Fathead’s! INTRODUCTION (SEE BELOW).

I trust that you will understand why the book is NOT a biography, but a description and appreciation of Shep’s genius—and thus why front matter of the book is crucial–ebb

The openings of my EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD! are meant to explain that the book (despite the publisher’s unwanted and inaccurate flyleaf comment) that it’s a “biography.” Rather it is a very personal approach to what and why Jean Shepherd is of such importance to each listener’s thought processes that assist us in our way of seeing and responding to our world. That is the essence of why the book was written this way. Jean Shepherd would expect no less.

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There are, to my dismay, some readers who do not read a book’s preface and introduction! They must think those openings of a book are but wasted paper, ink, and the author’s ruminations regarding the essence of the book as-a-whole. (pardon me for comparing them to a touch of foreplay!)

The openings of my EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD! Are meant to explain that the book (despite the publisher’s unwanted and inaccurate flyleaf comment) is not a “biography.” The openings are a precursor of contents and interpretation to come. They are a very personal approach to what and why Jean Shepherd is of such importance to each listener’s thought processes that assist us in our way of seeing and responding to our world. That is the essence of why the book was written, and, indeed, was written the way I did.

Jean Shepherd signing my copy of I, LIBERTINE. The event started with a Shep “mill.” Shep on occasion would suggest that listeners gather at some location, say nothing, do nothing but silently mill–then quietly disband, leaving others puzzled at what may have just happened.

After a “mill” at Manhattan’s 8th street Marboro’s book store (when we were gently asked to leave as we were preventing potential sales), we reconvened on the balcony of the 14th-Street Horn and Hardart’s where Shep signed my book. (Photo by Eugene B. Bergmann, April. 1957.)

EBAY ONE

In my voluminous tome that describes and comments on our hero (EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD! THE ART AND ENIGMA OF JEAN SHEPHERD) under the category of words, we encounter a discussion of Shepherd’s “Excelsior.” I quote from pages 216-217.

Shepherd says, You know what “Excelsior” means, don’t you? We will not go any further. “Excelsior” has a really deep hidden meaning in our lives, and certainly in my life. Etcetera, etcetera.

And of course, what is the countersign? When you hear that password belted out at you, you just look the guy right in the eye and say, “seltzer bottle, you slob.” “As you clammer up the icy slopes, reaching forever, reaching, grasping eternally, forever at that shifting cloud of reason….”

My comment on “seltzer bottle,” (Giving all one knew of at the time of the book’s publication in 2005): As for the “seltzer bottle” response one gave for “Excelsior”? It conveniently has the same ”sel” sound as “Excelsior,” linking the pompous word to the common, unflavored soda at the candy store, a two-cents plain –and the self-deluding, pomposity of “Excelsior” should deservedly elicit a slapstick clown’s squirt of it in the face!”

One should remember the Shepherd film, A CHRISTMAS STORY, the tale set in 1940. The old man’s major award is a leg lamp safely packed in excelsior wood shavings, which, to reveal his leg lamp, he strews the shavings (excelsior) all over the living room. The leg lamp safely arrived unscathed, but became no match for the mother “watering her plants.”

Nowadays, the protective excelsior would be bubble wrap. Which would cause a nasty problem for my book’s name. I’ve worked hard at a few alternate titles for EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD!, and although none falls so engaging from my quivering lips, I’ve settled on BUBBLE WRAP, YOU FATHEAD! THE ART AND PACKING MATERIAL OF JEAN SHEPHERD.

Yet, my comment when my book was published in 2005 -remains relevant—but, one day I thought I’d check “Excelsior” on ebay where I encountered scores of references besides the common wood-product packing material. I found a New Jersey company producing Excelsior-brand seltzer water!

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EBAY TWO

Onward and sort of upward!. Further ebay perusal led me to a British motor cycle company named “Excelsior.” They offered a small round pin for wearing on one’s jacket. See  mine below, which I wear on many occasions. (Size outrageously enlarged for easy viewing.)

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EBAY THREE—

Any future ebay treasures the inquisitive reader needs to discover him/her self.

For writing my EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD! THE ART AND ENIGMA OF JEAN SHEPHERD, I used a number of techniques besides my previous knowledge of him and his works. Allison, my wife, with her superior mind and librarian skills has the advantage over me.) I used my previous knowledge of some investigative skills, and a certain tenacity. A major assist was a certain amount of serendipity.

DOUG MCINTYRE, is a serious Shep scholar.

Despite Lois Nettleton having told a reporter years ago that she would not talk about her relationship with Shepherd, to whom she’d been married for several years, from December 1960, and, Doug, whose wife knew Lois, told me that he had interviewed her on tape, and sent me an audio copy. I asked if he could send me Lois’ Hollywood address so I could send her a note and inscribed copy of my book. She replied with a delighted phone call and a hand-written letter (Oh, how I love you, serendipity!)

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JIM CLAVIN website (www.flicklives.com)

Jim’s website is an encyclopedic depository of all things Shepherd, and included a place for people to comment—which I frequently read. Leigh Brown’s best friend, Barbara, posted on it that she’d be interested in corresponding with someone about Shep. I immediately responded, and we had several exchanges—then she told me that she had numerous type-written letters from Leigh from the early days of her association with Shepherd—did I want them?! The letters included in detail Leigh’s plan to steal Shepherd from his wife, Lois. I discuss this in an earlier blog post.

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DEE SNIDER of Twisted Sister  FEBRUARY 21, 2013

Years ago, with our son, Evan, at a bowling alley, another father asked me what I did after my retirement. I told him I’d just had published, the only book devoted to Jean Shepherd. He said he was a big Shepherd fan, and his brother, Dee was even a more enthusiastic fan!

I said I’d love to meet him and talk about Shep. Then one day a black Hummer pulled up in front of our house and out stepped a tall, slim man all in casual black—it was Dee Snider!

Dee and I spent three hours discussing the importance of Shepherd to his way of thinking and performing.

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WALLACE WOOD, Comic Artist & his Shep Connection

FEBRUARY 18, 2017

Wallace (Wally) Wood is considered by many to have been the greatest comic-book artist. A co-worker of mine told me that Wood would be at her apartment gathering one evening and asked if I’d like to come. There I met Wood, we talked, and he inscribed for me the “artist bio” from an issue of EC Comics. I have it as well as a Mad Magazine article, “The Night People vs. Creeping Meatballism,”about Shepherd’s enthusiasts, the illustrations by Wallace Wood–his name is in bottom right corner of illustration.

SERENDIPITY, Ya hit another outa da park!!!

Note: Although I’ve had serendipitous encounters throughout writing my EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD! The instances above all occurred after the book was in print. (I have no hopes that the book might be updated in a new printing. More extensive discussion can be found in my https://www.shepquest.wordpress.com]

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Allison

5.0 out of 5 stars not a biography!

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2023

Author Eugene B. Bergmann here. Some customer reviewers on this page think erroneously –in part because the publisher insisted on calling it a biography–it is NOT! It is a description and appreciation of Jean Shepherd’s creative work, using a rough biographical framework. I sometimes in the book refer to Shepherd’s influence on me (as well as on so many others)–because Shep, was such a personal creative force for so many of us. I explain this in the opening pages of the book. EXCELSIOR!

To the editor, NY Times. Not Published:

Maya Salam, author of the 5/15/23 perceptive and insightful article about “Seinfeld,” (the show about nothing) goes deeply into the nature of the program. Jerry Seinfeld attributed his way of thinking to the New York-area radio improvising humorist/commentator, Jean Shepherd, who spoke to us nightly from 1956 to mid-1977. Perceptive adolescents such as Jerry Seinfeld, and many adults of the New York and surrounding areas were obsessed with Shepherd’s every word and insight. He combined introspection, imagination, and improvisation in jazz-extemporized riffs.

Seinfeld commented in his season 6 DVDs of his show, “[He] really formed my entire comedic sensibility. I learned how to do comedy from Jean Shepherd.” (Shepherd’s most familiar effort is the holiday film, “A Christmas Story,” which is based on his stories, and which he co-wrote and narrated.)

Shepherd, using much of his close observation to understanding “cracks in the sidewalk,’ which he called the seemingly inconsequential details in human activity, taught us that his perceptions often exposed more important, underlying connections. Seinfeld understands these connections.

In tribute to Shepherd, in 2005, Seinfeld spent an hour in a chock-filled auditorium at New York’s Paley Center for Media, explaining his fascination with Shepherd’s work. Also in 2005, Jerry Seinfeld named his new-born son Shepherd Seinfeld.

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Reasons for Letter

1. Importance of connections between Jerry Seinfeld and Jean Shepherd.

2. My ego trip.

.

Paley Center “Green Room”

He: “I love your book.”  Me: “I love your TV show.”

For decades we’ve had a Shep Shrine. The current one is in our one-car garage connected to our house, converted for some of my books, artworks, and an entire wall as the Shrine.

The large photo of the poster is by Village Voice photographer, Fred W. Mcnamara, who also photographed major figures in the arts/literature scene in the 1960s-1980s. The poster Shepherd advertised/sold through his radio program. I bought my used copy through ebay.

Just to right are several Excelsior Seltzer Bottles (I discovered in my varied searches, showing my discovery of how /why the response to “Excelsior, you fathead is “seltzer bottle.”) Below are my signed copy of INGOD WE TRUST—ALL OTHERS PAY CASH books about him as well as books by others that have parts of chapters about him, and related matters.

Also in cartons are files about Shep-related people and subjects, including Leigh Brown and Lois Nettleton. In addition to a signed copy pf Shepherd’s IN GOD WE TRUST ALL OTHERS PAY CASH, I have Lois’s long handwritten letter to me thanking me for writing my EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD! And the couple of dozen hand-written notes with her comments about my Shep book. Th red valentine to the lower right is Lois’ hand made valentine she made for Shepherd. Below and to the right are my hand-written book manuscripts, including EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD!, SHEP’S ARMY, and the unpublished manuscript of my book with transcripts of many of Shepherd’s radio tales of his world-wide travels.

EXCELSIOR, YOU FATHEAD!

EYF! Was published in March, 2005. Subsequently, through research and happenstance, I’ve become aware of more info on Shep –see my blog references for the complete essays on each subject. I’ve posted them on Facebook (Eugene B. Bergmann) and my blog, shepquest.wordpress.com. Here are the references to a couple of these. Below I just indicate a bit of each. Should there be an updated version of my EYF! (though I highly doubt it). I indicate where this info might appropriately be inserted.

Importantly is the information I’ve gathered on Lois Nettleton and Leigh Brown, indicating their importance to Shep’s personal and professional life. For complete article, including visual material, see my blog for June 30, 2021.

Lois was the “listener” in Shep’s earliest New York days. She and Shep talked on the phone live on his program, met, dated, and married. She listened to his earliest overnight programs–she and Jean would discuss the shows afterward. She supported him professionally and personally.

Leigh began at WOR as an assistant and worked her way up to becoming his wife, helper, sometime-producer, and book agent for him. Many friends and associates indicated her importance to him—he could not live without her.

I’ve encountered many Shep enthusiasts subsequent to the book’s publication. Most interestingly and importantly is Dee Snider, leader/creator of the group “Twisted Sister.” Dee and I spent three hours in my “Shep Shrine,” discussing Shep’s influence on him. See my blog for February 21, 2013.

When exploring the ebay.com site for “excelsior,” I encountered the Shep reference to his reply to the greeting, “Excelsior, you fathead.” Without question in my mind, it is the Excelsior Soda Bottle Company! See my blog for September 20, 2022.

FOR A POSSIBLE BOOK ADDITIONS, INSERT AS NOTED BELOW:

Lois and Leigh page 293-300.

“Seltzer bottle” page 217.

Dee Snider (frontman/creator of group “Twisted Sister” (Best known for “We’re Not Gonna Take It”) at end of page 405 titled MORE ACCOLADES.

Excelsior, you fatheads!