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Today is the birthday of Louis "Studs" Terkel (May 16, 1912 – October 31, 2008), author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. In 1985, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his book, The Good War: An Oral History of World War II (1984).

“Perhaps it is this specter that most haunts working men and women: the planned obsolescence of people that is of a piece with the planned obsolescence of the things they make. Or sell. It is perhaps this fear of no longer being needed in a world of needless things that most clearly spells out the unnaturalness, the surreality of much that is called work today.” - "Studs" Terkel

"That`s what we`re missing. We`re missing argument. We`re missing debate. We`re missing colloquy. We`re missing all sorts of things. Instead, we`re accepting." - "Studs" Terkel

"I'm not up on the Internet, but I hear that is a democratic possibility. People can connect with each other. I think people are ready for something, but there is no leadership to offer it to them. People are ready to say, Yes, we are part of a world. " - "Studs" Terkel

"I want people to talk to one another no matter what their difference of opinion might be." - "Studs" Terkel

"But once you become active in something, something happens to you. You get excited and suddenly you realize you count. " - "Studs" Terkel

“Most of us have jobs that are too small for our spirits.” - "Studs" Terkel

Trivia bit: Louis "Studs" Terkel never learned to drive.

Terkel image source (1)