Chicago is not the most corrupt American city. It’s the most theatrically corrupt. Studs Terkel
I always love to quote Albert Einstein because nobody dares contradict him. Studs Terkel
I think it’s realistic to have hope. One can be a perverse idealist and say the easiest thing: ‘I despair. The world’s no good.’ That’s a perverse idealist. It’s practical to hope, because the hope is for us to survive as a human species. That’s very realistic. Studs Terkel
I’ve always felt, in all my books, that there’s a deep decency in the American people and a native intelligence – providing they have the facts, providing they have the information. Studs Terkel
In a democratic society, you’re supposed to be an activist; that is, you participate. It could be a letter written to an editor. Studs Terkel
With optimism, you look upon the sunny side of things. People say, ‘Studs, you’re an optimist.’ I never said I was an optimist. I have hope because what’s the alternative to hope? Despair? If you have despair, you might as well put your head in the oven. Studs Terkel