Part 26: "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" and Riley Sells Songs...
Why did my father work so hard to get respect, fair treatment, and equal pay for hillbilly performers, only to squander his own money?
Part 24: Living the Life of Riley
Victor Shepard had stories to tell. He loved to gossip. "Your father was the horniest man I've ever met," Victor said.
Part 23: "He Enjoyed Tricking People," She said.
Here's what I grapple with. Did my father believe his lies sometimes, or lie so often that he became confused about reality?
Part 19: This is the Blog Where I Attempt to List All of Riley Shepard's Pen Names...
Since masks are on everyone's mind around here, what better time to attempt to list all the names my father used throughout his life.
Part 18: Riley's Journal Fragments: "There is Suffering and Misery Everywhere Throughout America."
The most productive nation in the world, yet unable to properly feed, clothe, and shelter a third of its population. --- Riley Shepard 1938
Part 17: Riley's Early 20s and His Journal: A Look Back
“They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by...
Part 16: Women, a Nudist Lawyer, Colonel Tom Parker, and Hillbillies.
My Dad introduced me to Colonel Tom Parker, telling Parker that it was my 16th birthday."Oh? Sweet sixteen and never been kissed?"
Part 14: Alma Anderson, Riley’s First Wife’s Suicide
When I was a little girl, Dad told me about Alma. He announced, out of the blue, that his first wife committed suicide.
Part 12: More on Riley's Journal and His Escapes From The Labor Camp/Prison for Boys
I've had a revelation reading through my father's various escapes and how he hid from the authorities. I finally understand why Dad would ne
Part 11: Writers, Thinkers, & the Past is Never Dead
In the 1960s and early 70s, my father was writing a series of sex books under the pen name Zachary Quill. The books were classified as porn.