Celebrated Author Elevated Listening to an Art

His greatest fame in print came from his oral histories. "Division Street: America" consisted of 70 interviews with people in or near Chicago. To Terkel, these conversations reflected the divisiveness and antipathies among rich and poor, black and white, young and old. A New York Times reviewer called the book "a modern morality play, a drama with as many conflicts as life itself."

Then came "Hard Times," which he described as a "memory book" of the Great Depression, reflecting the "small triumphs" of those who survived the ordeal. It was a bestseller for five months and was translated into many languages.

To produce "Working," Terkel spent three years recording the thoughts and reflections of 133 Americans from almost as many occupations on what they did for a living. Many were frustrated and dissatisfied by the monotony of their jobs and the lack of personal fulfillment. Reviewing the book, Peter S. Prescott of Newsweek wrote, "Terkel understands that what people need -- more than sex, almost as much as food -- and what they perhaps will never find, is a sympathetic ear."

For " 'The Good War,' " Terkel talked to World War II privates and generals, civilians and celebrities, including Maxene Andrews, one of the singing Andrews Sisters. The book's title became a shorthand description of the nation's sense of common cause and shared sacrifice during World War II. In later books, including "The Great Divide" (1988) and "Race" (1992), Terkel's interviews reflected the widening abyss between the haves and the have-nots in American life. He was astounded by the high degree of ignorance of U.S. history and later described "The Great Divide" as being about "society's Alzheimer's disease."

President Bill Clinton awarded Terkel a 1997 National Humanities Medal for giving ordinary people a national voice. "Through their words, he gives us a portrait of ourselves," the citation said.

Terkel, who arrived at the White House ceremony in his customary red checkered shirt and red socks, told an interviewer: "Who do I choose? People who articulate what others feel but can't say."

Staff writer Matt Schudel contributed to this report.