Talking to Myself: A Memoir of My Times [Paperback]

Studs Terkel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1565843193 | ISBN-13: 978-1565843196 | Publication Date: September 1, 1995

In Talking to Myself, Pulitzer Prizing-winning author Studs Terkel offers us an autobiography for our times--the stirring story of a man whose life has been so vivid that its telling mirrors the events of our century. From Mahalia Jackson to Bertrand Russell, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Frederico Fellini, Studs has met them all and captured their voices for us. With the addition of a marvelous new postscript, Talking to Myself is as enjoyable now as when it was first published--a work that is as unusual as it is compelling.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A magnificent book. . . It's a privilege to share Studs Terkel's experiences. . . Few autobiographies have been as equally moving and funny as this one. -- Nora Sayre

A roller coaster of a book, with glorious company for the ride. -- Cosmopolitan

Marvelous. -- John Leonard

Simply grand company. -- Boston Globe

What a delight to bone up on recent history, as seen through the eyes of this witty and perceptive participant. -- Jessica Mitford

Product Details

• Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: New Press, The (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565843193
• ISBN-13: 978-1565843196
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,029,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Studs Terkel (1912-2008) was a free spirit, an outspoken populist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a terrible ham, and one of the best-loved characters on the American scene. Born in New York in 1912, he lived in Chicago for over eight decades. His radio show was carried on stations throughout the country.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lost Treasure, December 1, 2008

By 

Patricia Kramer (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Talking to Myself: A Memoir of My Times (Hardcover)

Studs Terkel's passing leaves a large gap in our ability to understand each other. He was able to get past all the usual barriers to communication, with his old tape recorder on he would get to the heart of what all kinds of people were feeling and thinking. This book is a treasure to read.

This is a stream of consciousness account of an amazing life with interactions with the people he met and talked with along the way. One of my favorite accounts was when Studs began a conversation with a waiter who has just been scared to death by a customer's dog.
"In despair, the waiter catches my eye. I shrug my shoulders, my hands raised imploringly toward the heavens. He does likewise. He tells me the story of his life. I know it, thought I don't understand a word. I interrupt the first sequence after four minutes of it. 'Scusi, per favore,'I say. I explain to my wife. 'You see, he has four kids. He works like a dog. Why must he daily suffer all these humiliations.'
My wife sighs. She has been through this before. Often, she has threatened to tell my sudden companions of my fraudulence. But it isn't fraudulent, I insist. That's what he told me, I KNOW. The waiter, feeling better, now that he has someone to tell his troubles to, continues......."

People felt listened to by Studs Terkel and he honored that trust by telling their stories to all of us so that we might listen and learn too.