Thursday we lost comedian, actor, writer and painter Jonathan Winters. I've been a fan of his since the early days of the Tonight Show, hosted by Jack Paar.
Winter's improv talents were an inspiration to me from the very start, and made him the inveterate story teller. To be able to create a story, a world even, on the spot with no backup other than one's own fertile mind was an enviable talent.
As a novelist and screen writer, these skills were not as important as during my time as an on-air radio personality, and later as a stand-up comedian; improvisational creation was a skill I cherished even as I tried daily to become more facile with its use.
It's a shame that lazy journalists list Winter's short stint as Murph on Mork and Mindy as the biggest footnote of his remarkable career. Though he was not as visible on stage, or on the air, as in previous decades, I will miss him and mourn his passing.
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