Summary
Overview
This Hidden Brain episode explores the life of Riley Shepard, a small-time musician and conman who spent decades creating an encyclopedia of American folk music. The episode examines obsession, secrets, and self-disclosure through Riley's story and listener contributions about the secrets they keep and the costs of concealing parts of ourselves from others.
The Discovery of Riley Shepard's Work
Host Shankar Vedantam ventures into the Library of Congress basement in 2018, guided by folklorist Steve Winnick, to examine the collection of Richard Riley Shepard. What begins as a seemingly minor investigation into a small-time crook's papers reveals an unexpected treasure: a monumental, decades-long project to catalog American folk music. The discovery sets up a story about the fine line between genius and folly, and how obsession can create both beauty and destruction.
- Vedantam explores the Library of Congress stacks searching for clues about Riley Shepard
- Folklorist Steve Winnick retrieves Riley Shepard's rarely-used collection from 1979
- The collection reveals an encyclopedia project that Riley worked on for decades
" He was a genius, I think. He just was a compulsive liar. "
Stasia's Magical Childhood with Her Father
Stasia Shepard Silverman recalls her early years with her father Riley in Hollywood during the 1960s. She describes an idyllic childhood filled with smoke rings, stories about movie stars, and the constant presence of her father typing away at his mysterious encyclopedia project. Riley created a bubble of enchantment around his daughter, positioning himself as an artist and philosopher, even claiming to have written the hit song "Blue Christmas" (which he didn't). These memories form the foundation of Stasia's complicated relationship with her father.
- Stasia's earliest memory is sitting on Riley's lap watching him blow cigar smoke rings
- Riley claimed to have written "Blue Christmas," though it was actually written by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson
- Riley worked constantly on his Encyclopedia of Folk Music, with huge boxes of materials spread throughout their apartment
- Riley would blame the post office for not delivering checks to creditors and investors
" I was told constantly that we were artists and that there were artists and there were ordinary people and we were artists. "
📚 6 more sections below
Sign up to unlock the complete summary with all insights, key points, and quotes
Get this summary + all future Hidden Brain episodes in your inbox
100% Free • Unsubscribe Anytime
Sign up now and we'll send you the complete summary of this episode, plus get notified when new Hidden Brain episodes are released—delivered straight to your inbox within minutes.