(Original recording made in 1997)
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. He was a
man who stirred up complex emotions among the American electorate, some
loathed him, others responded as if he was a famous entertainer, think
Elvis Presley, or the Beatles. There were young women known as "jumpers"
who would jump up and down with excitement when Elvis was nearby. JFK's
presence could often cause the same kinds of reactions.
In 1997, I interviewed John Hellmann for his book "The Kennedy
Obsession — the American Myth of JFK," and we discussed how JFK turned
himself into an almost mythical figure — a living icon until that day in
Dallas — when he was transformed by violence into this timeless martyr.
The Book Nook airs Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO 91.3 FM and streams at WYSO.org or wherever you get your podcasts.The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, Wright Memorial Public Library, and Tipp City Public Library.
