Everything I know about storytelling, I learned from Studs Terkel.

Terkel died today. He was 96. Before I post the link to the NPR story, I’ve got a few things I have to say.

I discovered Terkel in the 70s, when I was a student at the University of Chicago. I was in my teens, clueless and curious. Terkel was known for “Hard Times,” the oral history of the Depression. But I read “Working.”

My generation turned work into a career, and I was right in the midst of that trend. Did Terkel help? I’m not sure, now. I do know, his book explored the notion that work was more than the tasks one performed to insure a healthy bank account.

The stories were fascinating and mesmerizing. Now that I’m a writer, I understand the sensitivity and talent that went into those rewrites. They were rewrites – I know that now.   Then I thought Terkel just turned on the recorder and transcribed the interviews.

Told you I was clueless.

But what I really loved was the way Terkel’s people told their stories.  When I became a journalist, about a decade later, I read and re-read Terkel’s books.  When I became a columnist, in 1996, I used those books to dissolve my writer’s blocks. Unfortunately, I don’t have my Terkel books anymore. In a misdirected spate at housecleaning, I donated them all to a university book sale.

Guess I’ll be looking to replace them.

RIP Louis “Studs” Terkel.

Here’s the NPR story.

Election news

With battles over provisional ballots, dirty databases and expectations of looong lines at the polls, looks like Ohio is going to be the place to watch come Tuesday.

So, starting on Saturday, I’ll be blogging the election.  This is real-time journalism from an independent journalist.

If you want fresh updates from Northeast Ohio in particular, and other parts of Ohio in general, subscribe by email.

A great guide for citizen journalists.

There are so many resources for citizen journalists, independent journalists, freelancers, or whatever you want to call us, it’s hard to keep up with everything.

I love this humorous and informative video from the Citizen Media Law project. I’ve linked the photograph to their Youtube channel, which just went up on October 2nd. The actual website http://www.citmedialaw.org/ has guides for each state.

I’ve referred to their page on Ohio for information on  covering the election.  Our Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, has advised election officials to consider  “the credentials of the media representative, and whether the purported media representative is from an accredited media source as opposed to an internet writer.”  (Italics added by citizen media law.)

Thanks much, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. Looks like my camera and I will be standing on the outside, 100 ft. from the polls and we won’t be shooting inside polling places.

What? Did he work at a _____(fill in the blank), too?

I love this letter from Sunday’s New York Times. The writer was responding to Re “The Rise of the Machines,” by Richard Dooling (Op-Ed, Oct. 12):

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To the Editor:

The truth is that computers are created by humans. They are not superintelligent. Even on Wall Street, they merely count very fast at the behest of their human masters, and only fools or idolators imagine they are wise.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to look at the world around you and conclude that natural stupidity trumps artificial intelligence any time.

Emanuel Derman
New York, Oct. 12, 2008

The writer is director of the master’s program in financial engineering at Columbia University.

The thing about change

“Change never waits its turn. It does not ask permission. It needs no electoral votes to prevail.”

This observation came from Keith Woods, who writes for poynter.org. The Poynter Institute is a school for journalists.

Lord knows the profession put the “c” and the “s,” in changes.  Journalists aren’t alone. Magazines have been watching advertisers cut back and that industry is laying off, too.

It’s almost a cliche to say we should be pro-active. But I’m ready to push through. Change isn’t coming. It’s been here for at least two years. Maybe we just didn’t see the forest for the trees. But the forest is deep and I’m standing in the middle admiring the view.

The astonishing developments of this electoral season have given me a new outlook on life. I’m not just talking about Barack Obama’s candidacy. I’m talking about John McCain’s tenacity. Both men were come-from-behind candidates who have refused to give up.

But both have been incredible teachers in my life, and in their ways, inspirations. Obama has shown me not to give in to the idea that race is limiting. McCain is showing me not to give in to the idea that age is limiting.

No, I haven’t forgotten about Hillary Clinton. She’s shown me how to push, push, push past those who would limit women.

What a wonderful year to be an American. I salute all three.

No matter who you are. No matter who you support.

Tyler Durden’s 8 rules of innovation

Read this posting for a good kick in the pants.

I’ve been absent because I’ve been in retreat for a couple weeks, mulling the meaning of creativity and thinking of stuff to do.

But thinking ain’t like doing, so I’m getting little done. This post, courtesy of my facebook friend Martin Gee, is an inspiration. Enjoy.