That was the first question celebrated oral historian Studs Terkel asked when he interviewed me for his 1992 book, Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Talk About the American Obsession. 

     

"Who are you?” So simple; so complex.

 

As I responded, I realized that I had begun to claim my own tiny place in Terkel's vast and diverse body of work. With his characteristic respect for the privacy of his subjects, Studs named me Peter Soderstrum to honor my Swedish roots. While a second interview a few years later didn't make it into his subsequent book, Hope Dies Last, it did grant me a another opportunity to witness firtst-hand his mastery, and I knew I wanted to learn his craft.

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Inspired by the lessons gleaned from his example, I embarked on my own oral history project in 2014, Ensemble: An Oral History of Chicago Theater.  In a gesture of gratitude, I dedicated the book in part to Studs for "the gift of his character."

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Soon after the pandemic lockdowns began, Doug Seibold, president of Agate Publishing, proposed a 21st-century rendition of Studs's seminal 1974 work, Working, timed to align with its 50th anniversary. The very next day, I began to work on Working in the 21st Century: An Oral History of American Work in a Time of Social and Economic Transformation. Over the next 4 years, I interviewed well over 100 workers nationwide, delving into the complexities and challenges, pressures and pleasures of their work lives.

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I am currently working on The Best We Can: Conversations with John Kander on Life, Music, and Making Art with Friends a book-length interview with the iconic Broadway composer of Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, New York New York and many more.

 

I live in Chicago with my wife, Mary, and have twin daughters, Emily and Sarah, and twin grandsons, Nicky and Tilden.