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Studs Terkel: Curiosity Didn't Kill This Cat
"I have, after a fashion, been celebrated for having celebrated the lives of the uncelebrated among us; for lending voice to the face in the crowd." That is the opening line of Studs Terkel's long-awaited memoir, "Touch and Go." I made a pilgrimage to Chicago to see Terkel, one of the 20th century's greatest journalists, interviewers and storytellers.
After writing a dozen books, winning the Pulitzer Prize, having a play produced on Broadway, winning the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the George Polk Career Award and the presidential National Humanities Medal, and hosting a daily radio show on WFMT in Chicago for close to half a century, he has, at 95 years old, written his memoir. "I tape, therefore I am," he writes. "I tape, therefore they are. Who are they, these etceteras of history, hardly worth a footnote? Who are they of whom the bards have seldom sung?"
Though he won his Pulitzer for his oral history "The Good War," about World War II, he says there is a greater generation:
"It was in the '60s, there was the civil rights movement, it flourished, at least for a time, and the rise, resurgence, of feminism; the gays and lesbians coming out as free people. So that's the generation, I think the greatest."
While he is a man of the 20th century, he continues to write about the 21st century. In fact, he has just sued AT&T for collaborating with the government in eavesdropping.
Terkel says this is not new. He was wiretapped in the 1950s, during the McCarthy era. Of the government spies and their telecom allies, then and now, Terkel says:
"They are un-American. Thomas Paine, the most eloquent visionary of the American Revolution, speaks of this country in which a commoner can look at a king and say, 'Bugger off!' I've known this before, because my phone was tapped in the days when the keyword was 'Commie.' "
Terkel was blacklisted for his views, and lost his show, "Stud's Place." Then legendary African-American gospel singer Mahalia Jackson insisted that he be hired as the host of her show. CBS demanded Terkel sign a loyalty oath. When he refused, they threatened to fire him. She told them, "Look, if you fire Studs, find another Mahalia Jackson." CBS backed off. Studs recalled: "Do you know what happened? Nothing. You have to face them down."
Terkel is a fierce critic of the Bush administration, but also of the lack of historical context in American society, which has allowed this government to persist, to attack Iraq, to plan on attacking Iran:
"How could it be, at the end of World War II, we were the most honored, powerful nation in the world? 'Honored' is the key word. Today we are the most despised. How come? The American public itself has no memory of the past. Gore Vidal uses the phrase 'United States of Amnesia.' I say, United States of Alzheimer's. What do we know about it-why are we there in Iraq? They say, when you attack our policy, you are attacking the boys. On the contrary, they're defending those boys. Welcoming them back home with their families. The war is built upon an obscene lie. We know that now. This lack of history has been denied us."
One of the great listeners of the past century, Studs Terkel is now losing his ability to hear. He told me: "When Robert Browning wrote, 'Come and grow old with me, the best is yet to be,' he was lying through his teeth. But the one thing you can retain is the memory." His almost photographic memory is matched only by his continued intense interest in people's lives and the movements that make those lives better. He jokes: "My epitaph has already been formed: Curiosity did not kill this cat." He's already at work on his next book.
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20 Comments so far
Show AllIt's great to see someone so well along in years and yet as sharp! that's inspirational.
One of the ways to keep the mind active, it seemed to me demonstrated by Mr. Terkel on the show, though I know nothing about Alzheimer's, is to have a constant fascination in what other people say and do, and with staying very up to date in world events.
I thought the interview was first rate!
Being cognitive in your old age; it help to not believe in lies your whole life!
Studs will always be among the few heartfelt heroes of mine. He taught me the word "amateur" is "one who does for the reasons of love" -- and hence, I too have become an oral historian who seeks to champion the lives and stories of everyday people -- giving faces to the faceless and voices to the voiceless.
We now live is in a society steeped in commercialism , corporatism and despotism. We now have an entire generation who were reared as "Children of the Broadcast" who got their life framings and life instructions from commercials and sound-bite authority figures and celebrities.
This has taught too many of us that it takes someone "special" to do something special! A lie. When we get to the depths of the human story what we learn is a life truth -- that so many acts that are extraordinary were undertaken by people who were ordinary. This is what real story has to teach us. The ordinary among us are not shy to share what they had to overcome to become. They share this not to brag about themselves -- but to pass on empowerment and inspiration to others in the human family.
Today, we have strange political figures and candidates -- who speak carefully crafted scripts. They seem to have no real tales of having to overcome to become. If they did, they would have more empathy -- more backbone in defending the rights of others to overcome. Acts of courage and goodness are alive -- and happening everyday among everyday people. But, the media sees the telling of this as not good business. No, better to tell about division and feed fear -- now, that's a captive market.
As the saying goes, aside from humor -- story is the shortest distance between people. By connecting in this manner -- we come to see all the folly that divides us. The more we interconnect ourselves by sharing our stories -- the less influence the forces of commercialism, corporatism and despotism will have in our lives. Despotism might very well seen in the unemployment line -- along with some of those silver-spoon fed corporate clowns.
Curiosity kills no one -- not even cats. That notion is what has caused a decline in the critical thinking that makes us great as humans -- as a people and as a broader community. Questioning makes life worth living. Better to die while questioning -- than to live years in the prison of unquestioned compliance. Questioning is a deomocratic, human right.
This is what Studs work teaches us. Thanks and bless you Studs! The work of collecting and sharing stories will go on. Right now, it's the work of an underdog. No self-pity about it. It's fighting the good fight -- and in the long haul is what will prevail.
I watched Studs on "Democracy Now!" yesterday and could have listened to him for an additional hour. Even at 95 he is sharp and well spoken. Listening to the wisdom he has gathered from his years of interviews is a real treat and there is so much that can be applied to the situations that the United States finds itself in today. He is a true voice of the people and has never been afraid to speak up when times call for it most. The world needs more voices like his today.
Studs Terkel is very inspirational. Though much younger, so is Amy Goodman, who I recently saw at the Green Festival (www.greenfestivals.org). We need many more like them.
I met Studs at a conference in 2001, he brought the house down with a completely unscripted talk. He reminds me of my great-uncle who used to tell it like it is until his passing, and that we shouldn't write off the elder generation as they've actually had some time to learn a few things or two. Go Studs! And let's hope there are many more in his footsteps.
Terkel's book "Working: People Talk About What They do All Day and How They Feel About What they Do," is glorious. A country that can produce a man like him can't be all bad. The trouble seems to be that country stopped making guys like him.
Running into a couple of Studs Terkel books in my youth was a major event in my education!
"You have to face them down" -- and the corallary is that, if it costs you your job to face them down today, tomorrow it will cost your freedom and the day after that your life, so, face them down today!
Vidal speaks of the "United States of Amnesia", Terkel of the "United States of Alzheimer", I speak of the "United State of Arrogance"
I have always thought it a privilege to live contemporaneously with social commentators such as Studs Terkel, Mike Royko, and Molly Ivins.
Reading Mr. Terkel's books allowed me to glimpse events and activities from the perspectives of the many he interviewed.
Historical narratives rarely include the perspectives of a broad and diverse cross section of ordinary people.
Studs Terkel pioneered what Ken Burns is now doing with different media.
Having lost Vonnegut and Mailer, Studs must hang on to make at least 100. I share his view of the 60's completely, and find it appalling that so many contemporary political figures are terrified to even talk about the great things that were accomplished during that era, much less formulate public policy from the lessons that should have been learned from those struggles.
Bill from Saginaw
great interview with studs terkel on dem now.glad to see him again.as you would say,"its good to have him with us." by the way,its really great to see you looking so much better.each of you is a tremendous talent.
JEFFREY COURION: Powerful posting.
I, too, felt the 60's (and into the 70's, an era when universities really opened to higher learning, and studies in comparative religions and realms of broader philosophical inquiry were in vogue) were a burst of light, a mini-Renaissance that planted a cognitive seed in the minds, hearts and souls of MANY who participated in the street life of activism. In those days when musicians gained huge crowds and the recording business was not owned and managed by authoritarian conservatives, REAL MESSAGES OF PEACE and love, of unity based on breaking the old chains were heard everywhere! Music is a powerful force (if it wasn't, Hollywood would not spend millions on soundtracks used to modulate the audiences' emotions) and has been co-opted like so many things (MSM, etc) to reflect the mores and attitudes of its fiscal masters. But the seed... it can never die!
Studs is so right that history has been denied us...Until this week watching the democracy now interview I had not heard of Mahalia Jackson or James Baldwin. I guess this could be a result of my own provincialism but I doubt it with the amount of education I've had. We need to do all we can to get voices like Studs and Amy and all the people they give voices to on their shows and writings into the mainstream American consciousness...then and only then can we have a sea change in our nation. We need a move towards real participatory democracy where EVERYONE COUNTS in vote and in deed, not the curent state of affairs wherein only the haves dictate policy for the have-nots and the have-littles....
Studs Terkel confirms the notion that, in most cases, when a person gets older they get smarter.
I can imagine a (hopefully fictional) future where a fearful and unquestioning people are stifled by their own inability to challenge their fate. When obedience is the primary virtue and silence the oppressive norm, I imagine an underground current of freedom and spirit holding firm no matter what.
I can imagine in that future gatherings of freedom lovers and still spirited people held in secret where much treasured copies of Studs' books were passed around. Books like his would likey be banned as having too much spirit in their stories of freedom.
They will pass his books around even if in secret and imagine... what it must have been like to have had such spirit. By reading about others just like them who lived it and what they did, maybe they'll be inspired and some of that spirit will be passed on.
The kind of freedom loving spirits written about by Studs gets banned by authoritarians who prefer only unquestioning obedience. On the other hand Studs work is the kind of stuff that people in such a fascistic society would take a risk to pass along to others in secret.
Freedom! Spirit! Courage! Studs always knew where he was standing... and how tall so many others have stood. Let's hope someday such feelings will not have to be kept secret.
Heck be a stubborn but gloriously freedom loving SOB if nothing else and just never give up on being a free people just out of sheer ... habit.
Thanks Studs. One American to another. Studs and Amy and others are ALSO Americans. So many forget that. America is not just defined by Bush and Cheney.
When I feel proud of being an American... I think about people like Studs.
Studs. What a pisser!
To use an old fashioned term Studs has SPUNK. Real down home American brass and sass! Of long habit and custom. All honors to him from those who love freedom.
Sass and a pair of brass ones too! LOL
A great American.
Studs.
Studs Terkel helped us to see what was best about ourselves and our country!
What a Great Guy!
The old saw as I have heard it:
Curiosity killed the cat...satisfaction brought it back.
Nine lives at least.
Studs Terkel remains one of the truly great journalists of our times. His books, his long-lived radio show, his listening ability and insight have given us so much. Others walk in his footsteps, but many fewer than we need right now. Despite this administration's increasingly insidious control of the press, and the apparent willingness of so many in the press to cede to the pressure, people like Terkel remind us what journalist CAN be--when intelligence, discernment and courage are there.
I remember being interviewed by Terkel in Chicago in the late 1980s. I was going through an immigration case at the time and so doing a lot of press work. Most interviewers were fed a fact sheet minutes before air time; their questions were rote and often misleading. Terkel was prepared with relevant background and useful questions. It was such a relief to be talking to someone who knew what he was doing and cared--a relief and an honor.
I can't wait to read the memoir!
AMY GOODMAN and STUDS TERKEL
Two of Americas finest.
Amen, SEQUOIABISON !
Thomas J. Comer