Books Between Bites to celebrate Studs Terkel with friend Rick Kogan
Batavia's popular monthly noontime book program, "Books Between Bites," continues Thursday, April 19, with Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune and WGN radio.
He returns to continue his discussion of Chicago legends. This year, it will be about his late friend, Studs Terkel. Regular "Books Between Bites" attendees have come to know how the Chicago broadcaster, author and historian was a close friend of Rick's newspaperman, Herman Kogan.
Matter of fact, Stud's took his father out for a drink on the night Rick was born.
Kogan will talk about the Studs Terkel Radio Archive. The WFMT Radio Network, along with the Studs Terkel Center for Oral History of the Chicago History Museum and many other committed partners, have been working toward turning this site into the first, comprehensive online archive of his shows.
Starting in May, you will be able to browse through the archives of over 1,000 radio shows and features at studsterkel.wfmt.com.
Terkel, who died in 2008 at age 96, hosted the one-hour "The Studs Terkel Program" on WFMT Chicago 98.7FM for 45 years.
He interviewed authors, musicians, political activists, social service workers and "regular joes" discussing their own experiences. Guests included Martin Luther King, Leonard Bernstein, Eartha Kitt, Bob Dylan, Dorothy Parker, Lorraine Hansberry, Rosa Parks, and others.
Terkel was devoted to preserving American oral history. In 1986, he received a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for his book, "The Good War: An Oral History of World War II," which featured a series of interviews with individuals around the world recalling their wartime experiences.
His 1974 book, "Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do," was later made into a musical by Stephen Schwartz. This winter, the musical was put on by the Elgin Community College Musical Theatre.
The series is held from noon to 1 p.m. at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. The public is invited to attend these free programs, presented on the third Thursday of the month, September through May. Reservations are not required.
The season ends May 17 when Batavia Karl Bruhn tells the story of the Batavia/Chicago connection to a great (and nearly forgotten) architect: Solon Spencer Beman.
The programs are held in the large Founders Room on the main level of the Batavia Public Library. Parking is available in the lot just south and adjacent to the library.
People are invited to bring their lunch and eat as they enjoy the program and discussion. Lunch items, beverages and baked goods can be purchased at Chapters Coffee House & Café, just inside the library and adjacent to the meeting room. To pre-order for pickup just before the program, call (630) 406-8005.
Books Between Bites was established in Batavia in 1987 by the late Lee C. Moorehead. The program has been continued by Moorehead's wife, Betty, and his daughter, Becky Hoag, in partnership and cosponsorship with George H. Scheetz and Stacey Peterson of Batavia Public Library.
For information, call Becky Hoag at (630) 482-9157 or visit booksbetweenbites.com.