The boy’s name in the movie A Christmas
Story was Ralph Parker...surname
taken from “Shep”’s middle name—
Jean Parker Shepherd
Oh, yes. I have become a big Step fan, even though I didn’t discover him until after he had died. I live a stone’s throw from his home town, so his local connection intrigued me. I am a radio person so when I found out about recordings of his shows, I jumped at the chance to get them. There used to be a guy who would send recordings of hundreds of shows to anyone who sent him blank disks. I used to have a long commute to work and listened along the way. I know Shep wanted to be remembered for his writing and movies, but I have always thought the radio shows were his finest work.