For over 60 years, whether it was on his radio or television programs, in book interviews, or just a casual encounter on the street, Studs Terkel listened to and documented people from all walks of life, both in his native Chicago and throughout the country, resulting in an amalgam of social histories depicting a national identity. Following in 2008, this documentary featuring much of his old footage plus recent interviews recorded only months before his death at the age of 96. "Studs Terkel: Listening to America" is a fair introduction to the man's work, and never less than compelling when you hear the folksy historian speak, but it is still a slight and somewhat amateurish record, leaving the viewer wanting to hear more of Studs and his insightful tails.
