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Working (9/5/1960)

August 28, 2026, 11:00 pm

The Harvesters (1888–89) by Léon Augustin Lhermitte (1844–1925) | CC0 via artic.edu

Studs Terkel’s book Working celebrates everyday people in their own words and the way they make their living. This Best of Studs Terkel archive rebroadcast is his 1960 tribute to Labor Day.

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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.

Through the Night with Peter van de Graaff

Through the Night with Peter van de Graaff

Working (9/5/1960)