false 5 0 false false Mon Nov 24 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 23 18:21:09 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 24 20:16:51 -0800 2008
(If you don't want to read the whole book, This American Life recently played a number of them on the Nov. 7 show.)

The book has such a simple premise- Studs Terkel interviewed people about their experiences during the Great Depression. He talked to a wide cross section of society - musicians, hobos who traveled on train cars, the wealthy, coal miners, Cesar Chavez, farmers, migrant workers, union activists, doctors, social workers, newspaper reporters, New Deal government workers, actors, painters, Saul Alinsky, Congressmen, Dorothy Day, civil rights activists, segregationists, and also a few people who didn't suffer or who even benefited financially during the Depression. He also interviews a few young people about what they knew about the period from their parents or grandparents.

More than thirty years after the fact (when Terkel was interviewing them), nearly everyone has very vivid memories of this time and how it had an immense impact on their life. It made me wish I had asked my grandparents about this before they passed away.

Even though the people speak in very simple language, most people are surprisingly articulate about the whole era, the hunger, the bread lines, being on "relief," FDR, the WPA and other New Deal programs, and a host of other topics.

One woman summarized her feelings, "The Depression affected people in two different ways. The great majority reacted by thinking money is the most important thing in the world. Get yours. And get it for your children. Nothing else matters. Not having that stark terror come at you again...
And there was a small number of people who felt the whole system was lousy. You have to change it."

After reading this, I really don't think we young'uns are ready for another one of these!!!!]]>