Second Annual - Award presented to Jean Shepherd - April 7th, 1981

Below is a copy of the letter Jean Shepherd wrote accepting the award.

---

2 July 1980

Mr. Edward B. Hayward, Director
Hammond Public Library
564 State Street
Hammond, Indiana 46320

Dear Mr. Hayward:

Of course, I am delighted to accept your invitation to be
the recipient at the second annual Hammond Achievement Award
dinner. I can't tell you how delighted I was when I recieved
your letter, since every artist or performer or whatever has
a secret, usually unfulfilled desire to be at last honored in
his home town.

In fact, yours is the first letter of any sort that I've ever
in all the years recieved from Hammond, good or bad. I have
always had a sneaking suspicion that an undercover Select
Committee of watchful Hammond citizens was operating success-
fully to keep my books, short stories, TV shows, and any mention
of my name out of the records of the town, for their own sinister
purposes.

Hammond, of course, is where I grew up, 2907 Cleveland Street,
Hessville, to be exact. Hammond is also the town that is the
center of all my writing. In fact, not too long ago an inter-
viewer from The New York Times asked me "That do they think of
your work in Hammond?"

I was afraid he'd ask that, so I tried to change the subject
by mentioning that I was a White Sox fan. He persisted, in the
manner of New York Times reporters, until finally, in a fit
of irritation I answered "Well, dammit, man, what do they think
of you in your home town, wherever that is?"

Caught off guard, he answered "Hell, they probably don't even
know I exist." With my impeccable timing, I shot back "Well,
there's your answer." Not to be put off, he gamely came back
with "Come on, after all, you've written two novels, at least
forty short stories, and told on television and radio God knows
how many tales of Hammond, Indiana. They gotta know about you!"

And then, with a look of quiet cool on my face, I calmly
answered "Ahah, my ink-stained wretch, you don't know Hammond."

Needless to say, I am honored deeply by the Award, and I will
be eagerly on hand to accept whatever plaudits Hammond may see
fit to bestow on this graduate of Hammond High, who still has his
sacred purple and white block "H" safely stored away and who
actually remembers the words to the Wildcat fight song.

Hammond, we'll fight for you
Purple victory is our hue.....

Excelsior! Jean Shepherd

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