Terry Gross

Royko died Tuesday at the age of 64. For more than 30 years, Royko has written a column on happenings in his native Chicago and throughout the world. Royko has earned the Pulitzer, the Mencken, and Pyle Awards. His column was carried in more than 800 papers. Royko also wrote "Boss," a best-selling portrait of Chicago mayor Richard Daley. (Originally aired 10/26/89)

We talk with three of Scotland's most prominent writers: Irvine Welsh is the author of "Trainspotting" which was recently adapted into a movie. James Kelman won the prestigious Booker Prize for his 1994 novel "How Late It Was, How Late." and Duncan McLean is the author of "Bunker Man." The writers talk about their backgrounds and their careers.

Journalist Philip Hilts is a longtime correspondent on health and science policy for The New York Times. He broke the now-famous story of the Brown and Williamson tobacco industry papers, and is the author of "Smokescreen: The Truth Behind the Tobacco Industry Cover-Up." He'll discuss recent developments in the industry: the federal court ruling allowing the FDA to label tobacco a drug, and the historic admission by the Liggett Company that cigarettes are a health hazard and addictive.