Results tagged “studsterkel”

Gapers Block points us in the direction of this story, showing that famed Chicago writer Studs Terkel was tracked by the FBI for most of his life under suspicion of being a Communist. You can check out all 99 pages here [PDF].

Frankly, we’re sick of hearing about the economy. And when the new show at Second City e.t.c. opened singing, “The economy blows,” we settled in ready to tally the number of times the actors poked fun at the economic down turn. Thankfully, we didn’t get very far.

Chicago legend Studs Terkel, who passed away last fall, is being honored with a posthumous induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. Joining Studs as posthumous honorees are legendary Philadelphia Phillies announcer (and Naperville native) Harry Kalas as well as Jose Miguel Agrelot, the Radio Hall of Fame's first Hispanic inductee. [via Windy Citizen]

No doubt the art of oral storytelling has been around since even before Beowulf, but in Chicago’s own history no figure has loomed larger than Studs Terkel. From 1952 to 1997, Terkel broadcasted his conversations with writers, politicians, labor organizers, and artists on “The Studs Terkel Program,” chronicling a shifting narrative of the city’s structure. This Friday, May 1rst, The Windy City Story Slam celebrates Terkel, his modern day progeny . . .and the month of May.

The above is very likely the worst demonstration of alliteration in a while, but what the hell. On this week's entry into the Chicagoist Podcast Series, we check in with our own Chuck Sudo to get a little more perspective on the experience that was this weekend's Dark Lord Day at the Three Floyds Brewery in Munster, Indiana. Following that, I had the opportunity to go on WLS radio Sunday afternoon to talk about my own response to Talk Like Shakespeare Day, called Talk Like Terkel (or Speak Like Studs if you prefer). Just for fun, we've included that audio here.

A whole lot more than just the Oscars comin' up. For instance:

Between now and Wednesday, we're counting down the top 8 local stories that captivated us in 2008.

We know this is bordering on overload, but the admiration many of us here at Chicagoist have for Studs can't be overstated. So we'll leave you tonight with this outstanding and extensive interview with Studs from 2003.

Photo by efroten
• Eight people were hurt, some seriously but none life-threatening, in a multiple car accident on the Northwest Side this morning that involved a Fire Department ambulance
• Internet muckraker Matt Drudge is reporting that representatives from three newspapers that have endorsed McCain are being booted from the Obama campaign pool. Some reports are that room is being made for documentary filmmakers or for major television reporters.
• Test results were revealed today for the state's schools. Both the Trib and the Sun-Times have rundowns of the report.

We thought we were going to make it through the afternoon without any bad news, but unfortunately that's not the case. Chicago legend Louis "Studs" Terkel passed away today at his home here in Chicago at the age of 96.

Studs Terkel is a national treasure and one of Chicago's crown jewels. So with all the punditry and talking heads why did it take so long for someone to ask him what he thought of the Obama race towards the presidency? Edward Lifeson, who usually blogs about architecture at Hello Beautiful, called Studs Terkel to talk Presidential politics (which, presumably, isn't the hardest conversation to start) over at the Chicago branch of the Huffington Post.

In celebrating Time Out's 40th anniversary, our colleagues at Time Out Chicago have assembled a list of Chicago's 40 Cultural Heroes, honoring Chicago's best and brightest and leaving no stone unturned. The issue focuses on "people who continue elevating our flat prairie metropolis to even headier heights," says TOC Editor Frank Sennett. The Chicagoans featured span a wide range, from Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan to Mayor Richard M. Daley to acclaimed, award-winning writer Achy Obejas.

It's that time of year again, summer is officially starting, regardless of what the weather says. And one of our favorite early summer festivals, the Printers Row Book Fair, is this weekend! Touted as the Midwest's largest literary event, Printers Row features nearly 150 vendors from Women and Children First bookstore to Featherproof press to the Art Institute of Chicago's museum store.

Today is the birthday of one Louis Terkel. Parroting Michael Sneed, "Studs" would be ageless and priceless. Actually, he's 96 today, but still priceless.

A request for a street named in honor of Chicago author Saul Bellow was denied due to controversial remarks and writing by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Bellow's University of Chicago colleague and friend, Richard Stern, made the request to Ald. Toni Preckwinkle. Stern told the Chicago Tribune that Preckwinkle sent him a letter saying she had heard Bellow made racist comments and so would not endorse a memorial to him. Raised in Humboldt Park from...

You might have already heard of the City 2000 project. The mission was to document life in Chicago in the first year of the 21st century for future generations and all that (which, as NASA's "Ask an Astrophysicist" informs us actually started in 2001). Over 200 photographers set out to capture life in the city, as well as sounds and video, which are housed at UIC's library. You can watch parts of the project...

Who knew that U of C's DOC Films has been showing movies for 75 years? (Rhetorical question, as we're sure that many of you already knew that.) Well, they have. In fact they're the longest continuously running student film society in the U.S. As you can imagine, they've collected a lot of cool mementos in that time. Things like letters from Samuel Fuller and Jean Renoir, movie posters autographed by Hitchcock, and old programing calendars. And, yes, Fritz Lang's martini recipe (we're anxious to compare it Buñuel's). They're putting some of the neater stuff on display with a new exhibition which opens today and runs through August 31 at the school's Joseph Regenstein Library, 1110 E. 57th St. There's an opening reception this afternoon from 3:00 to 4:30 in the gallery.

We're sweltering in the heat here, the CTA sometimes seems to barely function and both of our baseball teams suck. All annoyances no doubt. But let's not forget that in the midst of all this a little thing called the Iraq War just keeps marching on: $442 billion and several thousand lives later. We can protest against it and agitate for change but most of the time it's much easier for us to put it...

A.O Scott’s review of the new Michael Moore movie begins with a very astute observation; namely, that whenever Moore’s name is brought up it is inevitably attached to adjectives such as “polarizing,” “controversial,” “provocative,” and “muck-raking.” And that it is the media itself which perpetuates the use of these adjectives. Would one describe Steven Spielberg as “polarizing?” Spielberg has two films in the top ten highest-grossing films of all time and no one describes him that way. Yet (among documentaries) Moore has two films in the top five. How “controversial” can a filmmaker be and yet sell so many tickets? We just think he’s a filmmaker possessing a keen instinct for issues that get people riled up, which is a good thing.

“I promise you, this story is going some place. I’m not simply blogging,” said author Erik Larson at the Printers Row Book Fair, which was in full swing today.

Consummate Chicagoan, supreme storyteller, raconteur, and the man who elevated the interview to high art, Studs Terkel turned 95 years old on Wednesday. Other media outlets can't seem to agree on what to call him: interviewer, author, activist, media pioneer, oral historian, blacklisted lefty. We prefer to think Studs wouldn't mind any of those labels as long as you didn't call him late for his daily scotch. During Studs' birthday celebration this week he bemoaned...

Chicago filmmaker Daniel Kraus is looking for another job. No, he doesn't want to change careers. He wants to make a movie about it. Earlier this month his documentary Sheriff was broadcast on the PBS series "Independent Lens." It chronicles the day-to-day job of Sheriff Ronald E. Hewitt as he attempts to maintain order in the small community of Brunswick County, North Carolina. Sure, there are guns involved and people drawl. But "The Dukes of...

"Sunday Social" via pantagrapher in Contribute.

We’re gearing up for the weekend and to see some of our favorite authors at the Printers Row Book Fair. We thought we’d tell you who we’re planning on seeing, but remember there are a gajillion more events; so make sure you check the schedule; there’s much too much to even fathom.

We’re sure by now that everyone has heard at least something about the whole National Secuity Agency/AT&T, phone records debacle (this is where you look it up if you haven't). Well, it’s about to hit a lot closer to home. Meaning that if the possibility of a near-omniscient (as far as records go) entity like AT&T handing over regular, domestic phone records to the NSA bothers you at all, the American Civil Liberties Union is...

Three recordings by artists with strong Chicago ties were added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry this year: Nat "King" Cole for his recording of "Straighten Up and Fly Right"), Mahalia Jackson’s "Move On Up a Little Higher" and an interview with James Baldwin conducted by Studs Terkel in 1962. Sadly, neither “Veronica Hates Me” or “Cindy’s On Methadone” by Screeching Weasel were included this year.

Our city has a lot of nicknames, “Second City”, “City of Big Shoulders” and “Windy City”. But perhaps none is as sacred to us, the real Chicagoans, as “City on the Make”, the title of the prose poem by Nelson Algren. We like to think we know our Chicago history pretty well, but often find it lacking when we come to look at Algren’s piece again. We realize how much there still is to learn...

Chicagoist needs to pull its corduroy jacket out of the closet, our elbow pads are looking a little too new. Good thing it's Story Week so we can start rubbing some elbows. Story Week is Columbia College’s week of lectures, readings, panel discussions and performances, from authors large and small, local and from away. There’s way too much cool stuff to list here, so we’ll list some of the highlights, but make sure to check...

Please excuse us; we can't help but be exclamatory: stop by the Chicagoist Happy Hour on Thursday, and this will be your one good excuse to leave early. Author, radio personality, and all-around legendary Chicagoan Studs Terkel will be at Women and Children First Thursday at 7:30 to talk about his new book: And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey.

It’s a bad sign when even watching the news makes you miserable. While the flood waters have started to recede along the Gulf Coast and positive stories are emerging about Katrina survivors reunited with their families, the 24/7 aftermath coverage and Oprah’s inspired but rather graphic reporting have worn us down. As we approach the anniversary of another tragedy, we will set aside time to reflect but still plan to get on with our weekend....