Edge, episode #107: Studs Terkel interview

Studs Terkel discusses his new book, "Race" and some of the most compelling stories he's heard in his career of documenting oral history.  He tells these stories with the backdrop of related video footage of the world of work, the Great Depression, World War II, and race relations in America.

00:00Copy video clip URL Tape opens with black.

00:11Copy video clip URL Intro by narrator, who introduces Studs Terkel and discusses his career in documenting oral history.

00:57  Studs’ voice-over comes in with video footage of related scenes. He says, “I try to explore what I feel is uncharted territory. For example: work.” He talks about how he’s fascinated by documenting peoples’ lives of work, from the moment they wake up through their working day. He tells a few amusing stories that people have told him about working.

03:40Copy video clip URL Terkel says, “What was it like to live in a certain time under a certain circumstance?” Studs talks about the Depression through the stories of people he’s interviewed and its effect on the American mentality. He cites the Great Depression and World War II as the two key turning points in world history. He tells a compelling story of a soldier in World War II.

06:23Copy video clip URL He goes on to discuss racism, saying, “Race: it is THE issue of our time.” He tells a story about a woman driving through a Black neighborhood and her assumption that they were out to get her, when they were trying to tell her that she was going the wrong way on a one way street.

07:36Copy video clip URL To close, he says, “Each individual is different, but we have a common vision, I think, and that is basically to be respected by that other person I think, to be acknowledged, and to make a living, and to make some little dent in life.” He narrates the story and dream of a construction worker to finish and says, “I think that’s what it’s all about!”

08:46Copy video clip URL Narrator comes back in to announce that Studs’ new book “Race” will soon be available.

08:52Copy video clip URL End of tape.