Kathleen O'Connell Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 For 45 years, writer and broadcaster Studs Terkel hosted a daily radio program on WFMT Chicago and seems to have interviewed just about everyone who was anybody worth talking to. (Not to mention a number of people few prominent radio hosts might have thought to talk to, such as a hotel porter, a cleaning woman, and a cowboy.) WFMT has begun the process of making its vast archive of Terkel interviews available online, and to date has posted over 1200 of them. It turns out that quite a few feature dancers and choreographers, including Igor Youskevitch (1959), Flemming Flindt (1968), and Merce Cunningham (1971). (Alas, not all of the interviews have been digitized yet, including those with Anna Sokolow, Gerald Arpino, Ruth Page, and Danil Nagrin.) To give you a sense of how extensive the archive is in terms of subject matter, here's the list of headline topics. I'm heading down the rabbit hole; if I'm not back in a week, send a search party. African-American History and Culture 110 RECORDINGS Anthropology & Sociology 79 RECORDINGS Architecture, Design, Urban Planning 40 RECORDINGS Chicago 180 RECORDINGS Childhood & Youth 75 RECORDINGS Civil Rights 94 RECORDINGS Cold War 13 RECORDINGS Comedy, Satire 54 RECORDINGS Community Activism & Social Reform 115 RECORDINGS Dance 13 RECORDINGS Education 136 RECORDINGS Elderly & Elderly Care 9 RECORDINGS Environment, Ecology 43 RECORDINGS Feminism, Women, Women's Studies 81 RECORDINGS Film 130 RECORDINGS Great Depression 48 RECORDINGS Healthcare, Medicine, Mental Health 109 RECORDINGS Journalism & Broadcasting 191 RECORDINGS LGBTQ Culture & Rights 9 RECORDINGS Latino Culture & History 29 RECORDINGS Law, Crime, Prison 79 RECORDINGS Literature 170 RECORDINGS Multidisciplinary Arts 26 RECORDINGS Music - Blues & Gospel 42 RECORDINGS Music - Classical Music & Opera 163 RECORDINGS Music - Experimental Music 22 RECORDINGS Music - Folk Music 78 RECORDINGS Music - Jazz 107 RECORDINGS Music - Other 25 RECORDINGS Music - Religious Music 16 RECORDINGS Music - Rock & Pop 22 RECORDINGS Music - World Music 48 RECORDINGS Music 384 RECORDINGS Myths, Stories, Storytelling 22 RECORDINGS Native American History & Culture 16 RECORDINGS Pacifists, Peace Activists & Anti-Bomb Activism 43 RECORDINGS Philosophy 29 RECORDINGS Poetry 67 RECORDINGS Race Relations 122 RECORDINGS Science & Science Writers 52 RECORDINGS Sports and Sports Writers 20 RECORDINGS Technology 30 RECORDINGS Television 38 RECORDINGS Theater 171 RECORDINGS Theology, Religion, Religious Organizations 76 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - China 9 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - Denmark 7 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - France 30 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - General 31 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - Germany 27 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - Italy 11 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - Russia 17 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - South Africa 25 RECORDINGS Travel & Culture - United Kingdom 74 RECORDINGS Urban Life 91 RECORDINGS Vietnam War 46 RECORDINGS Visual Arts 55 RECORDINGS Working, Labor, Economy 129 RECORDINGS World War II 46 RECORDINGS Link to comment
nanushka Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 Thank you so much for sharing this, Kathleen! I've only encountered Terkel through reading his book Working, though I knew he'd been a broadcaster as well. I really look forward to listening around in the archive. Link to comment
sandik Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 I'm a big fan of Terkel, but didn't realize he'd spoken to so many dancers. Thank you so much for doing the homework, and pointing us in the direction! Link to comment
pherank Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 Thank you , KO'D - I've been meaning to go back and read his book, Working, but maybe now I should just listen to the archive. ;) Link to comment
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