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Jean Shepherd

Jean Shepherd Quotes

Raconteur

Jean Shepherd, born on July 26, 1921, was an American raconteur known for his unique storytelling style and wit. His career began in the 1940s, and he became famous for his deep insights into everyday life and his love for the culture of the American Midwest. Shepherd's work is characterized by its humorous and intelligent portrayal of human nature, often with an autobiographical touch.

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Famous Jean Shepherd Quotes

“Dynamite was the milk of life to the average hillbilly of the day. He celebrated with it, feuded with it, and fished with it. The Sporting instinct runs strong in the hills. When the fishing season would open, the river would literally be aboil with TNT.”

Fishing Celebrating Sporting Tnt

Book:In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash

Source: In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash

“What the hell time is it?" muttered the old man. He was always an aggressive sleeper. Sleep was one of the things he did best, and he loved it. Some look upon sleep as an unfortunate necessary interruption of life; but there are others who hold that sleep is life, or at least one of the more fulfilling aspects of it, like eating or sex. Any time my old man's sleep was interrupted, he became truly dangerous.”

Book:Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters

Source: Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters

“Being a White Sox fan meant measuring victory in terms of defeat. A 6-5 defeat was a good day. A big rally was Wally Moses doubling down the right- field line.”

Bigs Term Lines White Fans Fields Victory Defeat Good Day Moses Measuring

Author:Jean Shepherd

“I had woven a tapestry of obscenity that as far as I know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.”

Knows Stills Space Lakes Woven Michigan Tapestry Obscenity

Book:In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash

Source: In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash

“Randy lay there like a slug. It was his only defense.”

Lays Defense Slugs Randy

Book:A Christmas Story: A Play in Two Acts

Source: A Christmas Story: A Play in Two Acts

“In God we trust; all others pay cash.”

Pay Credit Cash God We Trust

Book:The Phantom of the Open Hearth: A Film for Television Co-Ordinated by Leigh Brown

Source: The Phantom of the Open Hearth: A Film for Television Co-Ordinated by Leigh Brown

“There are fewer things more thrilling in life than lumpy letters. That rattle.”

Letters Fewer Thrilling

Author:Jean Shepherd

“The reality of what we really are is often times found in the small snips, way down at the bottom of things.”

Way Reality Found Bottom

Author:Jean Shepherd

“The Bumpuses were so low down on the evolutionary totem pole that they weren't even included in Darwin's famous family tree. They had inbred and ingrown and finally emerged from the Kentucky hills like some remnant of Attila the Hung's barbarian horde. Flick said that they had webbed feet and only three toes. It might have been true.”

Has Beens Said Might Three Family Tree Feet Lows Hills Hung Toes Might Have Been Barbarians Kentucky Remnants Horde Totems Inbreds

Author:Jean Shepherd

“Can you imagine 4,000 years passing, and you're not even a memory? Think about it, friends. It's not just a possibility. It is a certainty.”

Thinking Years Memories Imagine Possibility Passing Passings Certainty

Author:Jean Shepherd

“I had been an eyewitness to a truly historic moment in American pop culture.”

Moments Culture Pops Usa Historic Pop Culture Eyewitnesses American Pop Culture

Author:Jean Shepherd

“The hand of fate had dipped into the ragbag of humanity.”

Hands Humanity Fate

Author:Jean Shepherd

“Some men are Baptists, others Catholics; my father was an Oldsmobile man.”

Men Father Catholic Baptists

Author:Jean Shepherd

“I've met them down in the Cost and Accounting Department, clean-shaven and in white collars. They can't see a damn thing ridiculous about themselves... only about you.”

White Mets Cost Clean Ridiculous Damn Department Cleaning Accounting Collars Damn Things White Collar Clean Shaven

Author:Jean Shepherd

“A man today never feels so alive as when he is hurtling from one point to another on the azimuth.”

Men Feels Today Alive

Book:The Ferrari in the Bedroom

Source: The Ferrari in the Bedroom

“In all my years of New York cab riding I have yet to find the colorful, philosophical cabdriver that keeps popping up on the late movies.”

Years New York Late Philosophical Riding Colorful Cab Popping

Book:The Ferrari in the Bedroom

Source: The Ferrari in the Bedroom

“Manhattan cabs are born old.”

Born New York Manhattan Cab

Book:The Ferrari in the Bedroom

Source: The Ferrari in the Bedroom

“The truth will always have a market.”

Book:The Ferrari in the Bedroom

Source: The Ferrari in the Bedroom

About the Author

Born: July 26, 1921
Died: October 16, 1999
Known for: Raconteur
Quotes: 18

Related Topics

Cab Men New York White Years Accounting Alive American Pop Culture Baptists Barbarians

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

The Ferrari in the BedroomRelated source material

In God We Trust: All Others Pay CashRelated source material

A Christmas Story: A Play in Two ActsRelated source material

The Phantom of the Open Hearth: A Film for Television Co-Ordinated by Leigh BrownRelated source material

Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other DisastersRelated source material

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