Radio Legend Norman Corwin Dies at 101

Emmy and Golden Globe-winning writer and radio star Norman Corwin died in Los Angeles yesterday at the age of 101. Corwin’s career ran across the media spectrum, but he was best known for his work on the radio–in a career that spanned more than 70 years.

From the AP obit:

Corwin, a creative giant of the Golden Age of Radio whose programs chronicling World War II are milestones in broadcasting, died Tuesday at his Los Angeles home of natural causes, according to the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism where Corwin remained a writer in residence until his death. He was 101.

Actor William Shatner, who narrated several of Corwin’s later radio programs, called him a legend and his hero. He is “the poetic soul of discretion and a monument to artistry in America,” Shatner once said.

Throughout the 1940s, Corwin was well known to millions of Americans who depended on radio for their link to the world. His work during that so-called Golden Age of Radio ran the gamut of creative offerings, from variety shows to dramas, comedies to documentaries.

Some of his most acclaimed programs dealt with World War II and provided perspective about a war being fought thousands of miles away. His writing brought the country together, inspiring patriotism, hope and optimism.

Aside from his radio work, Corwin wrote over 19 books and plays and penned the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for Lust for Life. Corwin was a writer-in-residence at USC up until his death.