Caught Mr. Terkel's appearance on The Daily Show tonight, where he was promoting And They All Sang, his book of entertainment-related interviews ranging from the likes of jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong to blues and rock artists like Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Dylan, and Janis Joplin.
My first exposure to Terkel was in high school, when I absently picked up a copy of The Good War to go along with my Time-Life photographic history. It was also where I first got an inkling that WWII might be something other than the noble and heroic pursuit countless John Wayne movies had taught me it was. He's one of our last great writers, and I was impressd both by his spirit (the guy had open heart surgery a little while back, and he's almost 94 years old) and the unabashed reverance Jon Stewart showed toward his subject.
Any Terkel is a good read, but in addition to The Good War, you should especially check out Hard Times: And Oral History of the Great Depression and The Great Divide: Second Thoughts on the American Dream.
Studs is great, but I couldn't help think throughout the interview that if they ever make a live action Simpsons movie*, Studs would be perfect for Mr. Burns. He's got the look down cold and his utter contempt for people like C. Montgomery would add an extra oomph to the performance.
* - Not a good idea
Live Action Movie? That's so 20th Century.
Broadway, baby.
When I went off to college one of my mom's friends gave me a copy of Terkel's Working. I enjoyed it then, but haven't really thought about it in a couple of years. I may need to pull it back off the shelf soon.