Studs Terkel

Studs Terkel

Louis "Studs" Terkel (May 16, 1912 – October 31, 2008) was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for “The Good War”, and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.

Read more about Studs Terkel:  Early Life, Career, Later Life, Selected Works

Famous quotes by studs terkel:

    “The first rule of education for me was discipline. Discipline is the keynote to learning. Discipline has been the great factor in my life. I discipline myself to do everything—getting up in the morning, walking, dancing, exercise. If you won’t have discipline, you won’t have a nation. We can’t have permissiveness. When someone comes in and says, ‘Oh, your room is so quiet,’ I know I’ve been successful.”
    —Rose Hoffman, U.S. public school third-grade teacher. As quoted in Working, book 8, by Studs Terkel (1973)

    “If a girl’s a stewardess, she might as well forget it after twenty-six. They no longer have compulsory retirement, but the girls get into a rut at that age. A lot of them start showing the rough life they’ve lived.”
    —Beryl Simpson, U.S. employment counselor; former airline reservationist. As quoted in Working, book 2, by Studs Terkel (1973)

    “The machine invades me all day.”
    —Sharon Atkins, U.S. receptionist. As quoted in Working, book 2, by Studs Terkel (1973)

    “I feel free as a bird. I’m in a unique position because I’m the boss. I buy what I like. I initiate things. I can experiment with all kinds of things I think the kids might be interested in. Nobody interferes. For me, it’s no chore to go to work. Most people never get to do this at any time in their lives.”
    —Sarah Houghton, U.S. librarian. As quoted in Working, book 9, by Studs Terkel (1973)

    “My job as a reservationist was very routine, computerized ... I had no free will. I was just part of that stupid computer.”
    —Beryl Simpson, U.S. employment counselor; former airline reservationist. As quoted in Working, book 2, by Studs Terkel (1973)