The Snow-in
I wish I was a storyteller like Studs Terkel (and a few others).
I’m listening to Terkel’s Chicago snow-in broadcast from 1967. Beyond his magnificent voice, and the way the audio captures all those wonderful and chaotic background sounds, it’s the way he approaches people with simple questions.
In this particular recording, I’m inspired by the way he’s able to capture such a multitude of emotions from people who were experiencing the harsh weather in Chicago. When these stories were put together this way, it conveys so much about the soul of this city.
This recording features Chicago writer, Nelson Algren, and it’s about what defines the love of a city, our city… our magnificent city. Algren explains, “If Chicago really was interested in itself we would make our own documentaries. The people of Paris are fascinated by Paris, they take pictures, they make movies […] In Chicago we don’t do this…”
I have been thinking about Terkel, and other storytellers based in Chicago, as I think about my own journey with writing, radio, and storytelling.
I think about the unrecognized oral historians in our city, especially those with stories to share about the Latine experience in Chicago. Their stories, like Terkel’s, need to be heard on a national/global level. This has to happen. It is too important.
I’m working on my stories, for now. I will continue to share what I capture, that magic that happens when someone allows themselves to dig a little deeper in order to share a little more.
Pero, que se yo…
#januarysecond
