Studs Terkel was on The Daily Show (see video here) the other night (thanks, Tivo!) and I have to say, even at 94 years old, he’s sharp as a tack.

One of my favorite Studs anecdotes is comes from the age of McCarthyism:

Terkel was blacklisted when he refused to say he was duped into signing petitions that were later labelled communist. “To this day people say, ‘Studs, you were so heroic’,” he says. “They don’t know what they’re talking about. I was scared shitless. But my ego was at stake. What do you mean I’m dumb?”

If you don’t know the work of Studs, shame on you. Check out Division Street, Hard Times or The Good War or pick up his latest book, And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey. He’s not only a legendary Chicagoan, he’s a legendary American.