Studs Terkel Trivia Quiz

Answer: New York, New York

Terkel was born in 1912 to a Russian immigrant tailor. He lived in New York until he was eight then moved to Chicago where his parents ran a rooming house. Studs always credited his experiences at the rooming house with providing him with key insights into the plight of the human condition.

Answer: Law

Studs had a number of ideas about what he wanted to do with his life including being a concierge at a hotel and working in the theater.

Answer: From "Studs Lonigan" a novel by James T. Farrell

Stories vary about how he got his nickname. The three novels- "Young Lonigan" (1932), "The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan" (1934), and "Judgment Day" (1935)-by James T. Farrell were derived from the streets of Chicago and were popular during his youth. No doubt Terkel found parallels in his own life and experiences. Probably Terkel named himself although it may have come from friends or in situations where there was another Louis. Anyway--no one called him Louis anymore.

Answer: WPA Writer's Project

The WPA Federal Writer's Project was an employment program began in 1935 and ended in 1939 although individual states had the option of continuing. One of the tasks was to gather and preserve oral histories from all over the nation. Much of the work was formulaic and prescribed, such as the history of each town, but many of the writers employed managed to comment on social issues. The pay was about 80 U.S. dollars a month for a 20-hour work week.

Terkel used the WPA Federal Writers' Project to gain experience in radio, voicing radio dramas, announcing news, sports, and recorded music, in addition to writing scripts and advertisements.

Studs was not the only notable name that benefited from the project. A few others were Saul Bellow,John Cheever,Ralph Ellison, John Steinbeck, Richard Wright, and Frank Yerby.

Answer: Radio

Chicagoans from 1952 through 1997 could enjoy an hour of radio with Studs Terkel. The format was generally an interview situation. Many luminaries, when they came to Chicago, would make it a priority to share an hour with Studs. Examples would be diverse as Bob Dylan, Leonard Bernstein, Jean Shepherd, and Alexander Frey.

In 1998, Studs donated over 7,000 hours of recordings of his radio interviews to the Chicago Historical Museum. In 2010 the Library of Congress agreed to a joint program to preserve the collection. According to a spokesperson from the CHM, "For Studs, there was not a voice that should not be heard, a story that could not be told. He believed that everyone had the right to be heard and had something important to say. He was there to listen, to chronicle, and to make sure their stories are remembered"

Aside: As early as 1949, Studs ventured into television with a live sit-com. It was a cafe called "Studs' Place". It had a cast of regular characters with occasional guests who ad libbed the dialog. The program was cancelled when Studs was blacklisted. But he kept his day job and his first love--radio!

Answer: Giants of Jazz

"Giants of Jazz" was Studs' tribute to the artists that brought the genre of jazz music to the world.

Answer: Working

"Working" is sub-titled "People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do". The book consists for oral histories from people from all walks of life as they discuss the trials, tribulations, frustrations,and minutiae as well as the poignant aspects of their occupations. A friend of mine, in charge of orienting new employees into a company, gave each new employee a copy.

Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso wrote the play, with music also by Schwartz, based on the book. It opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in December 1977 through February 1978. It was nominated for six Tony awards. A 2011 revival ran for five months. Schwartz also wrote "Wicked", "Pippin" and "Godspell"

Answer: Hard Times

Terkel questioned people about their recollections of those "Hard Times" (1970). People grappled with employment problems, labor issues, crops being destroyed, and the New Deal programs. Terkel was interested in not only their personal plight but how their values changed and how they coped.

Answer: World War Two

As he did in "Hard Times" and "Working", Terkel molded a striking narrative of the experiences of those who survived World War Two based on their oral histories. It included narratives of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As with many awards, the Pulitzer Prize is often based on a body of work, which seems to be the case in this instance.

Answer: The election of Ronald Reagan

Studs was the eternal liberal. His last public appearances were for the support of universal health care. He led, unsuccessfully, a campaign to deny Homeland Security access to private telephone numbers. He once wrote that he abhorred the requirements to sit in the back of the bus or to use separate toilet and drinking facilities. Studs described himself as an agnostic which he defined as 'a cowardly atheist'.

In his last book, "Touch and Go", he says that he was still in "touch" with the issues of the day but that at his age, he was ready to "go". Studs Terkel died in Chicago October 31, 2008 at the age of ninety-six.