When Studs Terkel Interviewed Me: What I Learned from Being Interviewed by the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Master Conversationalist

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Adults: 18 and up, Teens: 13 to 19 years. Before becoming an oral historian himself, Mark Larson had the unique experience of being interviewed twice by Studs Terkel, once for Race (under the pseudonym Peter Soderstrom) and later for Hope Dies Last. Larson also sat with Terkel in the WFMT studio as Terkel conducted a live interview for his radio program. Drawing on these encounters, Larson recalls what it felt like to be Terkel's interviewee and what it was like to watch one of America's great listeners at work. He reflects on what Terkel taught him about asking questions and truly listening for what's underneath the answers, and how those experiences inspired his own work in oral history. Photo by Sarah Larson Mark Larson is the author of Ensemble: An Oral History of Chicago Theater, drawn from more than 300 interviews with Chicago theater artists across generations, and Working in the 21st Century: An Oral History of American Work (2024), named one of the best nonfiction books of the year by Esquire and published to mark the 50th anniversary of Studs Terkel's Working . He is currently completing Whole and True, based on 35 conversations with legendary Broadway composer John Kander (Cabaret, Chicago) and interviews with his collaborators, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alan Cumming, Colman Domingo, Bebe Neuwirth, Susan Stroman and David Hyde Pierce. This program is presented in partnership with Pulitzer on the Road and the American Library Association during the exhibition of Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works that Inform, Empower & Inspire, on display at Harold Washington Library Center through December 31. Accessibility Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or email [email protected] to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event.