Studs Terkel

Studs Terkel (1912–2008) was an American author, broadcaster, and oral historian whose books used interviews to portray ordinary people and their lives.

Oral history: The collection and interpretation of recorded personal testimony as historical evidence. Terkel made extended interviews with ordinary people the foundation of his historical books.
Working: A 1974 oral-history book by Studs Terkel about how people experience their jobs. Its interviews make work, identity, and economic pressure the central subjects.
Norman Corwin: An American writer and producer known for influential radio dramas and broadcasts. Corwin and Terkel represent different ways radio could bring social issues and human voices to a national audience.
The Pulitzer Prize: A set of annual awards recognizing achievements in journalism, literature, music, and drama. Terkel received the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for The Good War.
Chicago radio: Radio broadcasting produced in Chicago, a major center of American commercial and public radio. Terkel’s long Chicago broadcasting career gave him a platform for conversations with a wide range of people.
The Good War: A 1984 oral-history book by Studs Terkel about the Second World War and its aftermath. Its many testimonies challenge simplified memories of wartime experience.
Mike Royko: An American newspaper columnist known for writing about Chicago politics and everyday city life. Like Terkel, Royko made Chicago’s ordinary residents central to public storytelling.
National Book Award: An American literary award presented annually for books published in the United States. Terkel’s Working received the 1975 National Book Award in the contemporary affairs category.
Interview: A structured conversation in which one person asks another questions to gather information or testimony. His books turn recorded interviews into portraits shaped by questions and edited speech.
Hard Times: A 1970 oral-history book by Studs Terkel about the Great Depression in the United States. Its interviews preserve contrasting memories of hardship, survival, and public policy.

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Nelson AlgrenRelated: Terkel shared Algren’s interest in working people and Chicago, though through nonfiction and interviews.