America’s humanist: Studs Terkel

Just finished watching a wonderful tribute to Studs Terkel on C-SPAN2’s BookTV which is introduced here at their website. Studs Terkel died on October 31, 2008, at age ninety-six, having lived long enough to see much of his humanistic hopes for the U.S. re-energized by the campaign and election of Barack Obama as our 44th President. Here’s a resourceful website dedicated to Terkel’s life and work which is an integral part of the Chicago History Museum’s online media. Studs Terkel’s person and productive dedication to the humanity of neighbors and citizens continue to remind me and others to listen for the voices of people who live and love and dream in common ways most often drowned out by the pronouncements of presidents, generals, and other proponents of the ways of the mighty among us. In today’s many troubled world, his message of social solidarity is at a premium.

the unkindest cut

(written on Tuesday, March 1, 2005, at daybreak)

His billfold seemed more youthful and less patriotic
since it had been on a low-income, no plastic diet.
Its breath smelled less the chew of greasy greenbacks
and more the leather holster of a lone cowboy.

It didn’t come ‘round much anymore
to salute the American Dream,
but stayed behind, shy of company
that used to call on business
before stocks fell and depression struck
and work was hard to find.

But the unkindest cut was
not lost portraits of tendered presidents,
nor demagnetized swipes of other peoples’ money,
nor forgotten deals on cards of calling past.
Gone were love’s pictures without a kiss goodbye.

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