Wes Nisker Explained

Wes Nisker
Other Names:Scoop
Birth Date:22 December 1942
Birth Place:Norfolk, Nebraska, U.S.
Death Place:Oakland, California, U.S.

Wes "Scoop" Nisker (December 22, 1942 – July 31, 2023) was an American author, radio commentator, comedian, and Buddhist meditation instructor.[1] He was a fixture on the San Francisco free-form radio station KSAN in the late 1960s and 1970s, and later was heard regularly on KFOG. He was well known for the catchphrase, "If you don't like the news ... go out and make some of your own," which he also used as the title for a 1994 book.[2]

Nisker's radio features could be unconventional, like this traffic report: "People are driving to work to earn the money to pay for the cars they're driving to work in. Back to you." He and his books were covered in various publications of record.[3] [4] [5] He was the founder and co-editor of the international Theravada Buddhist journal Inquiring Mind[6] and was one of the regular teachers at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County, California.

Steve Feinstein of Radio & Records wrote of Nisker's work in 1985: "Nisker is the dean of FM rock radio newspeople. Since 1968 and the days of progressive pioneer KSAN, he's been crafting irreverent, satirical sound collages that present news as an ongoing drama in the theater of life. The timing and rhythm of his work brings to mind music; no wonder that two record albums have compiled his newscasts."[7]

Nisker was Jewish and his father was a Polish Jewish immigrant.[8]

Nisker died on July 31, 2023, from complications of Lewy body dementia.[9]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. News: Joke's Not Funny? Blame It on Buddha. Perry. Garfinkel. September 2, 2003. February 13, 2009. The New York Times.
  2. News: A liberal Scoop of wit and sanity: KFOG newscaster sounds more radical than ever. Kevin. Berger. February 7, 1995. February 13, 2009. The San Francisco Examiner.
  3. News: Q & A: Wes "Scoop" Nisker: Keeping the faith in more ways than one. Steve. Heilig. April 13, 2003. San Francisco Chronicle. February 13, 2009.
  4. News: What Would the Buddha Say to Darwin?. Gary. Gach. December 6, 1998. February 13, 2009. San Francisco Chronicle.
  5. Road-Testing Crazy Wisdom: Learn how to harness own crazy wisdom. Jon. Spayde. May–June 2002. Utne Reader. February 13, 2009.
  6. Web site: Spirit Rock Teachers: Wes Nisker . August 28, 2010 . October 12, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101012134710/http://www.spiritrock.org/display.asp?pageid=41&catid=4&scatid=8 . dead .
  7. Feinstein . Steve . No News Isn't Good News . Radio & Records . June 21, 1985 . 52 . October 5, 2022.
  8. Web site: Topic 188: Scoop Nisker, "The Big Bang, the Buddha, and the Baby Boom" . The Well . 2019-09-24.
  9. Web site: Sperry . Rod Meade . 2023-08-01 . Remembering Buddhist teacher and author Wes Nisker (1942–2023) . 2023-08-01 . Lion's Roar.

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