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- "Diamond" Jimmy Roy
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- Long Haul Productions
Once Jimmy Roy owned half the businesses in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a steel town just outside Pittsburgh. Braddock's decline paralleled Jimmy's; he now sells jewelry out of a family restaurant. But he managed to remain optimistic, and argued he held the secret to being rich and happy.
First broadcast on This American Life in 1999.
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Piece Description
Once Jimmy Roy owned half the businesses in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a steel town just outside Pittsburgh. Braddock's decline paralleled Jimmy's; he now sells jewelry out of a family restaurant. But he managed to remain optimistic, and argued he held the secret to being rich and happy. First broadcast on This American Life in 1999.
3 Comments
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Review of "Diamond" Jimmy RoyLong live Diamond Jimmy and may this piece find a place on radio. I was drawn in to the subject almost immediately and only a couple of times did my interest wane. And I loved the ending. Our protagonist, Jimmy, has an enthusiasm, optimism, and charisma worth hearing about. I fell in love with the guy and found him inspirational. How nice it was for the producer to allow me to arrive at my own decision about Jimmy and his world. On one hand he's employing sales techniques while his honest and principled hand is betraying that slickness. Dan told a good story. Rather, he stayed out of the way and let Jimmy tell a good story, his story in song and colorful language and in conversation with fellow residents of Braddington. Jimmy's vernacular and his speaking voice simply demanded my attention. Dan was there enough to fill in the gaps with excellent descriptions. Nice rhythm, nice flow and solid and conversational delivery by Dan. May have to be edited to fit some station's needs but, if you have a hole for feature work like this, play it. |
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Review of "Diamond" Jimmy RoyThe story zooms in beyond the possible macro economic forces responsible for a community’s misfortune into the micro world of Jimmy Roy’s personal theories, beliefs and experiences. The structure of the story gradually guides you through Jimmy Roy’s life, not only through his head, his heart, his dreams but also through his physical reality. Both worlds (the inner and outside) intertwine; they play, fight with, support and fool each other. Jimmy’s philosophy of life (wonderfully expressed in aphorisms and metaphors) is constantly interrupted by his daily necessities: he’s got to make a living in a society that has never stopped challenging him.
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Broadcast History
First broadcast on This American Life in 1999.
Transcript
HOST INTRO:
Jimmy Roy had been a salesman all of his adult life. At one point Jimmy seemed to be on top of the world-owning virtually half the businesses in Braddock, Pennsylvania just outside Pittsburgh. But when the steel mills shut down, Braddock went bust and so did Jimmy. He landed on his feet-partly because he was a natural born hustler and partly because of his irrepressible optimism. Jimmy Roy died in 2005. Near the end of his life, he was selling jewelry out of a family restaurant. Dan Collison has this profile of the man known as Diamond Jimmy Roy.
Tape
Diamond Jimmy Roy was produced by Dan Collison and Edited by Gary Covino for Long Haul Productions.
Read the full transcript
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bryan askew
Posted on November 08, 2009 at 03:13 AM | Permalink
Jimmy is the Greatest
I feel that I have known and met Diamond Jimmy. He is truly a kindred spirit. Jimmy still lives through those of us who relate to him.