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John Gurda is the preeminent historian of his native Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the author of more than twenty books. His The Making of Milwaukee was turned into an Emmy-winning documentary series.聽

When I was at BC, I had this shaggy-haired notion of what a person does for a living鈥擨 wanted to be a poet. I graduated, and it turned out all the poet jobs were taken. My friend back home had started a painting company, so I worked painting houses with him for a few years.聽

I volunteered at a social work organization on the South Side of Milwaukee. To convince corporations to fund our programs, I wrote this very primitive鈥擨 won鈥檛 say embarrassing鈥攕hort history of the neighborhood. Researching that, I found the kind of stuff that鈥檚 interested me ever since: ethnicity, a strong sense of community, urban villages, the story of the city, and, really, the American story. To my surprise, it was published, and people seemed to think it was interesting. I鈥檝e had a two-track career ever since鈥攆reelance research and writing for corporations and nonprofits, and then books of Milwaukee history. The first to pay for the second. I haven鈥檛 filed a W2 since 1972.

I began The Making of Milwaukee in 1995. By that time, I鈥檇 done a lot of books and it felt like I had assembled the pieces of the puzzle. I felt this responsibility and this passion to put those pieces together and tell Milwaukee鈥檚 story. That book took me five years and it sold remarkably well. I talked to Milwaukee PBS about a documentary series, and we ended up making a five-hour companion show that won an Emmy in 2006. We鈥檙e on the fourth edition of the book now.

When I stumbled into my career, I felt like I rediscovered this connection with the past that we all have, a connection that I now believe is essential. But I鈥檓 not nostalgic about my work. I don鈥檛 believe there ever have been any 鈥済ood ol鈥� days.鈥� History is the human condition, the good and the bad鈥攊t鈥檚 all part of being alive.聽