The central library in Austin, TX was dedicated to the memory of John Henry Faulk in 1995 – five years after Mr. Faulk’s death from cancer. Mr. Faulk, a local son born in 1913, was a gifted folklorist, story teller and freedom of speech advocate.
He studied under J. Frank Dobie – a noted folklorist and storyteller – and served in the Merchant Marines, the American Red Cross, and the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, he hosted a number of radio programs, most famously the John Henry Faulk Show beginning in 1951.
Faulk was active in the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, serving as vice-president. This union took a stand against the efforts of Senator Joseph McCarthy and, by extension, the House Committee on Un-American Activities, to identify and blacklist Communists in the entertainment industry. You may remember the movie Good Night, and Good Luck that dramatized that slice of ignoble history.
Subsequent to his efforts, Faulk was himself blacklisted and unemployed. With the help of attorney Louis Nizer, he won a six-year court case for libel. Despite the victory, it took years for Faulk’s career to even partially recover.
I’m familiar with Faulk through a recording that is played annually this time of year on NPR. It is a short story penned by Faulk and recorded by him in 1974. It is a very sweet story of Christmas that always manages to bring a tear to my eye. The transcript of the story is available at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5028755 .There is a link to the recording near the top of that page. It takes about ten minutes to hear. Grab a tissue and enjoy.
Information about Mr. Faulk gleaned from:
Photo of Mr. Faulk from:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be nice, sit up straight, don't mumble, be kind to animals and your family.