Archives for May 2012

But what a dear tough tasty lamb of a man he was when he was here.

In the introduction to Working, Studs Terkel, a radio interviewer before a book writer, describes his work precisely the same way I'd describe mine:

I find some delight in my job as a radio braodcaster. I'm able to set my own pace, my own standards, and determine for myself the substance of each program. Some days are more sunny than others, some hours less astonishing than I'd hoped for; my occasional slovenliness infuriates me … but it is, for better or worse, in my hands. I'd like to believe I'm the old-time cobbler, making the whole shoe. Though my weeekends go by soon enough, I look toward Monday without a sigh.

Luckiest man in the world, he.

(And me.)

This Saturday a group of us are gathering to rededicate the Studs Terkel Bridge, which is a working man's bridge to give all other working men's bridges a bad case of tetanus.

This week in this space we're going to contemplate excerpts from Working, the 1972 Studs Terkel book that laid tongue to my suspicion that making one's work meaningful was the best favor you could do for yourself.

"You can't eat for eight hours a day nor drink for eight hours a day nor make love for eight hours a day," Terkel quotes William Falkner, "—all you can do for eight hours a day is work."

So this week, we'll talk about work.