During the Golden Age of radio Fred Allen ndash used comedic pessimism to bring smiles to a generation living in the shadows of economic depression and a world at war His sense of humor was born out of personal pain Having lost his mother before he was three he was later estranged from his father who struggled with addictions He once rescued a young boy from the traffic of a busy New York City street with a memorable ldquo What rsquo s the matter with you kid Don rsquo t you want to grow up and have troubles rdquo The [... more]

ldquo Mr Singerman why are you crying rdquo asked twelve-year-old Albert as he watched the master craftsman construct a wooden box ldquo I cry rdquo said Isaac ldquo because my father cried and because my grandfather cried rdquo The woodworker rsquo s answer to his young apprentice provides a tender moment in an episode of Little House on the Prairie ldquo Tears rdquo explained Mr Singerman ldquo come with the making of a coffin rdquo ldquo Some men don rsquo t cry because they fear it is a sign of weakness rdquo he said ldquo I was taught that a [... more]