"Never let the facts get in the way of a good story" (J. Frank Dobie?)

Tue Jan 9 15:15:15 UTC 2007

Google Books shows a "snippet" from John Stephen Strange's novel _The Bell in the Fog_ (1936): "Never one to let the truth stand in the way of a good story . . . ."

--Charlie
_____________________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2007 22:51:27 EST
>From: Bapopik at AOL.COM
>Subject: "Never let the facts get in the way of a good story" (J. Frank Dobie?)
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>
>Did anyone coin "(Never/Don't) let the (facts/truth) get in the way of a =20
>good story"? (Search for "way of a good story.")
>...
>It's been credited to Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie (one quote in YBQ), =20
>but I don't know if anyone in particular can take credit.
>...
>...
>...
>_http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/never_let_the_facts_get_in_=
>th
>e_way_of_a_good_story/_=20
>(http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/never_let_the_facts_get_in_=
>the_way_of_a_good_story/)=20
>...
>=20
>=E2=80=9CNever let the facts get in the way of a good story=E2=80=9D
>=20
>Texans are known for their bragging. Common sayings are =E2=80=9CIt ain=E2=
>=80=99t braggin=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D=20
> (if you can do it, or if it=E2=80=99s true) and=20
>_=E2=80=9Cno  brag, just fact.=E2=80=9D_=20
>(http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/no_brag_just_fact/) =20
>
>=E2=80=9CNever let the facts get in the way of a good  story=E2=80=9D (somet=
>imes given with =E2=80=9C
>truth=E2=80=9D replacing the word =E2=80=9Cfacts") is something  that seems=20=
>either from=20
>Texas or Hollywood (or a bit of both). The phrase dates  from at least 1940.=
>=20
>
>Folklorist J. Frank Dobie is sometimes credited with  this phrase, but this=20
>has not been verified with documentary evidence. Delbert  Trew (another Texa=
>s=20
>folklorist) has claimed: =E2=80=9CI never let the truth stand in the  way of=
> a good=20
>story=E2=80=9D=20
>
>
>_The 1824 Flag of the Texas  Revolution_=20
>(http://www.texianlegacy.com/1824flag.html) =20
>Texians and Hollywood seldom allow facts to get in the way of  a good story=20
>and sometimes these stories take on the guise of history.  =20
>
>_=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s All Trew=E2=80=9D  Texas columns by Delbert Trew_=20
>(http://www.texasescapes.com/DelbertTrew/It's-All-Trew.htm) =20
>=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s All Trew=E2=80=9D by Delbert Trew =20
>Appears in the Amarillo Globe News=20
>Delbert Trew was born in  Ochiltree County in the northern Panhandle of Texa=
>s=20
>in 1933. His wife Ruth was  also born in the Panhandle on a farm near=20
>Follett, Texas. This was during the  darkest days of the Great Depression an=
>d in the=20
>heart of the Dustbowl. They are  retired and live 65 miles east of Amarillo=20=
>on=20
>a ranch that=E2=80=99s been in the family  for 54 years.=20
>(...)=20
>As a disclaimer he sometimes says, =E2=80=9CI never let the  truth stand in=20=
>the way=20
>of a good story=E2=80=9D and other times he says, =E2=80=9CIf you=E2=80=99ve=
>  already heard this=20
>story, don=E2=80=99t stop me, =E2=80=98cause I want to hear it again,  mysel=
>f.=E2=80=9D=20
>
>_Handbook  of Texas Online_=20
>(http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/DD/fdo2.html) =20
>DOBIE, JAMES FRANK (1888-1964). J. Frank Dobie,  folklorist, was born on a=20
>ranch in Live Oak County, Texas, on September 26,  1888, the eldest of six=20
>children of Richard J. and Ella (Byler) Dobie. His  ranching heritage became=
> an=20
>early influence on his character and  personality. =20
>
>_Wikipedia: J. Frank Dobie_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Frank_Dobie)  =20
>James Frank Dobie (September 26, 1888=E2=80=93September 18, 1964) was an  Am=
>erican=20
>folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for many books  depic=
>ting=20
>the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of  the=20
>open range. As a public figure, he was known in his lifetime for his  outspo=
>ken=20
>liberal views against Texas state politics, and for his long personal  war=20
>against what he saw as bragging Texans, religious prejudice, restraints on =20
>individual liberty, and the assault of the mechanized world on the human spi=
>rit. =20
>He was also instrumental in the saving of the Texas Longhorn breed of cattle=
> =20
>from extinction. =20
>
>_Google  Groups: alt.old.west_=20
>(http://groups.google.com/group/alt.old-west/browse_thread/thread/a9350d6cc0=
>491418/07233879f8a496c2?lnk=3Dst&q=3D"way+of+a+good+s
>tory"+and+texas&rnum=3D2&hl=3Den#07233879f8a496c2) =20
>From:  laro=20
>Date:  Fri, Feb 21 2003  11:44 am=20
>
>Gerald, I had a hard time believing that Bigfoot was a  descendant of Willia=
>m=20
>Wallace...I went to the Handbook of Texas and sure enough,  there it is.=20
>
>Then I noted that J. Frank Dobie actually penned that  article before he die=
>d=20
>and was reminded of a quote OFTEN attributed to Dobie,  =E2=80=9CNever let t=
>he truth=20
>get in the way of a good story.=E2=80=9D=20
>
>I=E2=80=99m still  wondering.  Do you have any personal sources of knowledge=
> or were=20
>you  accepting the Handbook, as I always do (well, almost always.  Dobie did=
> =20
>have a way with the truth!)=20
>
>I like Dobie, don=E2=80=99t get me wrong.  I=E2=80=99ve  got all of his book=
>s with about two=20
>exceptions.=20
>But he was a  folklorist!   =20
>
>29 June 1940, Nebraska State Journal (Lincoln, NE),pg. 5, col. 7: =20
>...the women (and men) who won=E2=80=99t let truth stand in the way of a goo=
>d story =20
>and embroider a little on every bit of gossip they hear;...=20
>
>15 December  1956, Winnipeg , pg. 32, col. 6:=20
>His book, which he calls  frankly a novel, is a stringing together of=20
>vigorous and racy anecdotes, and if  the facts get in the way of a good stor=
>y, so=20
>much the worse for the facts. =20
>
>9 March 1964, Fresno (CA) Bee, pg. 28, col. 8:=20
>Lawrence  Lader=E2=80=99s writing in Sunday=E2=80=99s Parade Magazine on the=
> bail system=20
>followed with  slavish devotion the slogan: =E2=80=9CNever let the facts sta=
>nd in the way=20
>of a good  story.=E2=80=9D=20
>
>13 December 1969, Northwest Arkansas Times (Fayetteville,  AR), pg. 4:=20
>Murray writes for the Los Angeles Times, and wears the literary  mantle of=20
>Artemus Ward, Josh Billings and Don Rickels. He=E2=80=99s a colorful writer,=
>  and he=20
>rarely lets facts get in the way of a good story.=20
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org