Photo: Christopher Robbins
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Tell It Like It Was
By Studs Terkel - Interviewed by Jonathan Eig
A Pulitzer-winning journalist's tips for preserving your family story
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When I was a kid, I lived with my mother at the Wells-Grand Hotel in Chicago. She was the hotelkeeper. It's a posh joint now, but back then it was teeming with working men—railroad men, firemen, stone masons, seamen.
Back then men really worked. And they argued, too. They read books and they formed opinions and they debated those opinions. It was very exciting for me. That's probably when I first began to realize the power of an oral history, not that I was using that term at the time. To me, it was just storytelling. And oh how I loved those stories.
I think people have a natural-born tendency to tell stories. There's poetry inside each and every one of us. The job of any good listener is simply to get it out.
Every family has stories to tell. So think of yourself as a gold prospector, sifting through the family stories you've heard all your life. Gather up everything you can. Then ask relatives to tell you those stories again. Listen closely. No detail is too small. Then sort through for the best nuggets and make them shine. Here are some things that might help:
BUILD TO LAST
Before you start, get the best equipment and tapes you can afford. Rent or borrow if need be. You don't want all your hard work ruined because your recorder went on the fritz. Tape in a quiet place and don't use a hand-held microphone. Put the mike in a stand if possible. You won't hear as much annoying crackle and hiss that way. Also, ask your children or your grandchildren to show you how to use a video camera or a computer—even if you already know. This is a stealthy way to get them involved.
CATCH THE LAUGHTER
Once you have your interview subject in front of you, the trick is to help him or her relax. Let your strange old uncle tell his goofy stories. Let the rest of your relatives tell jokes about your strange old uncle, too. In other words, don't take yourself or the project too seriously. If you want people to know what your family's like, let them hear the laughter. There's magic in that laughter. Too often we remember the serious events. But not the funny ones.
GO AHEAD, GOOF UP
I'm inept mechanically. I don't drive a car. And I'm terrible with a tape recorder as well. I sometimes goof up and press the wrong button. But I make that an asset when I'm interviewing someone. I press the button and, look, it's not working. They're with me from then on. Mike Royko, the late great newspaper columnist, would accuse me. He'd say, "You deliberately mess up with the tape recorder." But I told Mike it's not true. I'm just naturally inept.
LOOK BACK IN TIME
Having a tough time getting started? Begin simply: "What did your father do during World War I?" Or, if that tactic fails, start with a question about the person today. Once I was interviewing someone about the Depression and the first thing I said was, "I hear you don't like bananas." He said, "No, I can't stand bananas, because during the Depression all we'd eat was rotten bananas." And just like that he was off. Remember, the beginning, the middle, and the end of the interview are not something written in stone. You never know what's going to happen. In a way, it's jazz.
START AN ARGUMENT
If your uncle remembers his wedding day differently than your aunt does, that's okay. Let them argue. Controversy makes for strong opinions, and people with strong opinions are usually great storytellers. Let them talk, but don't get involved in the fray. Interject just enough comments and questions to keep the subjects talking. The goal is to get the story, wrinkles and all.
HUNT FOR FLORENCE
The thing is, not everyone is good at telling a story. You want to talk to the people who articulate what others feel but can't say. I'll be doing an interview and some guy will say, "I can't explain it, but ask Florence, she's the one who knows." I always want to talk to Florence. Find your Florence.
THINK YOUNG
Everyone's got a childhood, and most people love to talk about it. Take your tape recorder and interview people about childhood, boyhood, anything. Do a little research ahead of time so you can ask the right questions. Be specific: Ask him what he was doing when he was 13. Ask her why she changed colleges. Remember, people love to talk—especially if you're interested in what they have to say. To show your interest, take your time. Rushing isn't going to get the job done. Make sure to give your subject enough time to reflect. Take a break now and then or spread the sessions out over several days.
PLAN A FOLLOW-UP
Okay, you got your subject started, then there's a lull. Here's a question that never fails: "What happened next?" That's always a good way to keep a person talking. Also be sure to ask, "What were you thinking?" "What were your parents doing?" "What were you hoping?" Let your natural curiosity guide you to the details. Encourage the subject to bring photo albums, documents, or letters. Ask, "Who is that person?" "Why do you look sad in that photo?"
CALL IN THE KIDS
Don't assume that older people are the only ones worth interviewing. Younger folks have memories, too. Ask a high school kid what's the most important thing in his life. Ask a young mother what it felt like the first time she held her baby. Ask a middle-aged couple about watching their children grow up.
TRY THE TABOO
Some topics that are off-limits in normal conversation are fair game when you're doing an interview. I learned that there's nothing wrong with asking people about death, for example. Life is finite and therefore it's precious. People know that, and they love to talk about it. My latest book, Will The Circle Be Unbroken? (The New Press, 2001), is all about death. It's the liveliest book I've ever done.
DON'T HIDE YOUR VIEW
By now, you probably get my main point: It's your story, and you can do it any way you like. You're like the director of a movie. If your sister gets long-winded, you can scream "Cut!" Sure, she might get angry. If she does, tell her to make her own oral history.
CLOSING LINES
When you're all done, label both the tape and the case, and remember to pop the tabs to prevent any accidental recording over the original. My next step is to have someone transcribe the tapes for me, then I move stuff around until it sounds like it's in the right order. It might not be exactly the way people said it, but it's close, and it usually sounds a little better.
My oral histories wind up in books. Yours don't have to. They can be written, recorded, videotaped, or put in special scrapbooks. No matter what form they end up in, you'll learn a lot. It's good therapy. And years from now your family will have great stories to tell.
Studs Terkel is best known for his chronicles of American life. Jonathan Eig is a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal.
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