To kick off Esopus’s second year of collaboration with Access Contemporary Music (ACM) on the ”Relevant Tones Live” podcast series, we celebrated Studs Terkel’s iconic 1974 book Working at New York City’s Symphony Space with an evening of new music inspired the book alongside a fascinating conversation about how work has changed since his time—and where it might be going next. Musical guests included the groundbreaking composer, conductor, and saxophonist John Zorn; Esopus contributor Alicia Walter; and multiple Grammy-nominated Black Oak Ensemble performing four new pieces written especially for the evening. Authors Anna Tavis (Humans at Work) and Erik Loomis (A History of America in Ten Strikes) spoke with ACM founder Seth Boustead and me in between the musical performances.

With thanks to the Estate of Studs Terkel and the New Press.