Listen to New Voices on Studs Terkel our partnership with 826CHI-here! Read the Story
Through an interpreter, Jean Cau discusses his book "La pitié de Dieu", or translated, "The Mercy of God". Cau's book is about four prisoners and their interactions with one another. Cau explained, in one way or another, with a reference to Kafka, we are all condemned and it will be a great surprise to all to learn what we are guilty of.
Jean Auel discusses her novel, "The Clan of the Cave Bear," including the anthropological research that informed her writing, feminism in her main character, Ayla, and the book's themes of cooperation, adaptation, tribal memory, and reverence for life. Includes excerpts from the book and recordings of pygmy music made by anthropologist Colin Turnbull.
Studs Terkel interviews blues singer song-writer Janis Joplin. This program discusses the following: Joplin's song "Turtle Blues"; Joplin's idols Bessie Smith and Lead Belly; Joplin's style of singing; Joplin's song writing; the blues; Joplin's interpretation of "Summertime"; and various renditions of the jazz song "Summertime". The following musical excerpts were presented: "Turtle Blues"; "Summertime" (interpreted by Janis Joplin); "Summertime" (interpreted by Mahalia Jackson); "Summertime" (interpreted by Billie Holiday); "Ball and Chain"; "Piece of My Heart"; and "Billie's Blues".
Janis Ian discusses her career, life, and her songs. The songs she talks about are "Society's Child", "Janey's Blues", "Honey D'Ya Think", "There Are Times", "Shady Acres", and "Lonely One". Janis Ian also discusses society, race relations, and responsibility. Includes Studs Terkel reading Janis Ian's poem "Poem One". Includes Janis Ian reading her poem.
If her novel's any good, says Janet Stevenson, it's a place where the reader goes inside, living in the skins of both and black and white people, in another era, with their continuous problems. Sarah and Angelina Grimke faced a dilemma that their brother Henry had placed upon the family. If the sisters acknowledged their brother's family, then they would be acknowledging publicly that their brother had become a brut and a sinner by marrying a black woman.
Interviewing author-photographer of "Street People" Janet Beller.
Jane Stedman discusses the lives of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan and the works they created jointly as Gilbert and Sullivan with emphasis on their comic opera "Utopia, Limited."
*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations
*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations
In Jane Leavy’s book, “Squeeze Play,” similar to her main character, Leavy recalled her 1st time in a men’s locker room, covering a New York Knicks game. Luckily for Leavy, a player by the name of Phil Jackson, helped her feel comfortable being with the other players. Leavy explained that at that encounter, it was Jackson, who fed her the story that she needed. The theme of the book throughout is fragility. Some players, Leavy explained, felt more comfortable talking about their infertility issues with Leavy, a woman sportswriter.
Jane Kennedy talks about her political views and her view of society as a whole. She also discusses her experience in an all women's prison and how the prison system dehumanizes the inmates.
Jane Kennedy (part of the group Beaver 55) went to prison for the scrambling of magnetic tapes at the Dow Chemical napalm producing plant in Midland, Michigan, and, a week later, the destruction of draft files in Indianapolis, Indiana. Both companies were profited from the Vietnam War.