Larry King to Speak at Law School Forum

The man touted as the insomniac's best friend--late-night radio talk-show host Larry King--will bring his rambling speaking style to Cambridge next month when he delivers an afternoon speech at the Law School Forum.

King, who usually does his talking in the wee hours of the night on his nationally-syndicated show, aired in Boston on WHDH, will speak here on March 9.

King, a media renaissance man who boasts that he will be the first non-college graduate to speak at the forum, said yesterday that he will not hire a spechwriter or pull out his thesaurus to look for big words to impress his Ivy League audience.

"I never have a topic [when I speak]. It will be all off the top of my head," King said yesterday from his hotel in San Francisco, where he is addressing a broadcasters convention.

An official at the Forum said that Kind was a popular choice at the student-run organization which works to bring prominent speakers to the Law School.

"We have a couple of Larry King fans on the staff and we are hoping that he has something interesting to say," said Fiona J. Branton, a second-year law student and member of the Forum.

King said that the invitation to speak at the school was "an honor."

"The Larry King Show" is broadcast on more than 300 stations throughout North America, said Judy D. Thomas, the show's associate producer. King's show has been on the air for nine years, and he is known for his throaty voice, and for asking provocative and spontaneous questions.

The 52-year-old chain-smoker has appeared in movies including "Ghostbusters," writes a weekly column for USA Today and hosts "Larry King Live" on the Cable News Network in addition to his 4-hour nightly stint on the radio.

Students say that they appreciate the verbal skills of the professional conversationalist whose voice is carried to over 3.5 million listeners.

Andrew G. Hargens '88, who has been listening to King's show for the last five years, said that King "manages to pull all the important points from his guests while keeping up a peer relationship with [them]."

Another long-time listener, Jeremy Shapiro '89, said that he liked Open Phone America--the segment of the show during which listeners call in with questions on almost any topic--because "he's so obnoxious to the people who call in."

Shapiro added, "He's very interesting but not so interesting that I stay awake."

The Show airs Monday through Friday, 11pm-3am.