thoughts on: Hard Times

Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel

In the 1960's, Studs Terkel asked Americans from all walks of life about their experiences during the Great Depression.  Grouped by type of experiences - labor movement recollections, for example - the individual recollections give a broader view of the issues people faced during the depression.  We hear the voices of day laborers as well as heads of industry, people whose fortunes fell and those whose rose.

It is this juxtaposition of views that makes Hard Times both vibrant and relevant, reminding us that every issue, every event is experienced through multiple lenses and it is not always the obvious one.  The circumstances we find ourselves in is only part of our story.  Much of what is experienced and remembered and believed comes from within us.