Terkel is still gadflying after all these years

A stubby gent bounces across North Michigan Avenue. Hisred-checked shirt is open at the neck; his Joe College cloth hattilts over his brow. His scarf flies in the wind.

He seems to be flying, too. But not very far. Every few feet,somebody stops him and shakes his hand. Often, they've never met himbefore - but they've always wanted to say hello to him.

The man in commotion is Studs Terkel. He ranks as Chicago sage,American prophet, the common man's most uncommon man. When he isn'tflying, he's gadflying.

A character with character, he is at once America's best-sellingauthor of oral histories, a long-run talk show host, Uptown'sside-of-the-mouth philosopher, actor, historian, TV personality,inveterate writer of letters to the editor, man of public opinion andcommitted activist.

It would be fair to call him one of humankind's best friends.And now the friends are hurrying to stay even with him as he rushesto his 79th birthday May 16.

They've cooked up a celebration called "A Toast to Studs Terkel"to be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Bismarck Hotel. FormerAld. Leon M. Despres (5th) and comedian Aaron Freeman will be theemcees.

Some of the toasters and regalers will be the Rev. John J. Egan,state Sen. Richard Newhouse (D-Chicago), columnist Mike Royko,broadcaster Ray Nordstrand and artist Margaret Burroughs. Folksingers Pete Seeger and Bonnie Koloc will be among the entertainers.

The sponsor is the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a pillarof Chicago's community movement - and that pleases Terkel. As arule, he would much rather be a toastmaster at someone else's partythan the toasted master at his own.

"Neighborhoods - that's what the city is about," says Terkel."Neighborhood autonomy was just beginning under Mayor HaroldWashington."

But Terkel's real neighborhood is anywhere he happens to be -any old street in Chicago, many a street in many a city, here andabroad. The froggy Voice of the Terkel is the voice of grass-rootsChicago, as far as tens of thousands of people are concerned. Theyknow about him in places where they've never heard of Michael Jordan,Richard M. Daley or Ryne Sandberg.

"He's God's trombone," says Lew Kreinberg, a veteran communityorganizer on the staff of the Center for Neighborhood Technology."He's about `small-d' democracy."

Studs has critics who talk about him with a big D and grumblethat he ought to turn down that trombone. But there are few who denythat his life is a triumphant saga of pride and principle, craft,work and an embracing passion for the underdogs of the world.

Working, first-person accounts by working people, is one of hismost famous books. No one works harder than Studs himself. Arenowned interviewer, he prides himself on his nightly talk show onradio station WFMT-FM (98.7), where he has been a fixture since 1952.

He has won many prizes for the station, among them the PrixItalia for "Born to Live," a moving documentary of the nuclear age.His loving sense for people comes through on the air, along with hisart.

"It's as though I make the hour," he says. "I do it to satisfymyself. I pride myself on crafting my shows with a respect for thetaste and intelligence of our audience. Would it not be great if allwho work hard had such decision-making power in the work they do?"

The decision-making scene at WFMT figures in Tuesday's toast toTerkel. The much-honored fine arts station has suffered severe staffshakeups and programming wrangles in budget faceoffs with itscontrolling board, which also operates WTTW-Channel 11.

Studs, never one to back away from a cause, has slashed back,turning his fire on board members and top brass at WTTW. Pressure onhim has built as his time slot was moved around (it's now 10:30-11:30p.m., Sunday through Friday). He lost his office and his assistant.

But people power - or listener power - surfaced with theformation of the Friends of WFMT. They mounted a court challenge toprevent changes in the station's format and eventually acceptedplaces on the board.

Despres, who for many years was an independent voice in the CityCouncil, guided the legal wars for the Friends.

"Things have been made harder for Studs, but they'd have to firehim to get him out," he says.

"The most wonderful thing about Studs is that he has made money,earned fame, won a Pulitzer Prize (for his World War II book, The`Good' War), has constant coverage, but he never hesitates to give ofhimself."

He's still giving, working on a book about the American dilemmaof race.

"There is nobody I would rather share a picket line with," saysEgan.

Tickets for Tuesday's "A Toast to Studs Terkel" are $35 apiece.Call (312) 278-4800.