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Anna Deavere Smith (05/04/1995)

May 15, 2026, 11:00 pm

Anna Deavere Smith (Photo: Mary Ellen Mark)

Anna Deavere Smith (1950 – ) frequently credits Studs Terkel’s book Working for revealing to her the dramatic power of spoken language, and for inspiring her groundbreaking plays such as Fires in the Mirror and Let Me Down Easy. The visionary and prolific actor and author spoke with Studs on WFMT in May 1995.

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Meet the Host

Studs Terkel (1912-2008) radically redefined the concept of radio interviews. For 45 years starting in 1952, WFMT was his homebase. His daily radio show was a pillar of WFMT’s programming, with its eclectic and astute mix of music and conversation. Studs juxtaposed interviews with the many of the 20th century’s most significant figures with the voices of uncelebrated, working people from Chicago. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Studs helped established oral history as a popular and socially ambitious literary genre. Some of his titles include: Division Street, Hard Times, Working, Race and And They All Sang (Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey). Studs was also a recipient of the National Book Award.

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Anna Deavere Smith (05/04/1995)