Mike Royko discusses his book "Up Against It" which is a collection of early columns from the Chicago Daily News. The topic in his columns varies from machine politicians and gangsters to professional athletes, from well-heeled Chicagoans to down-and-out hoodlums.

Anna Deavere Smith discusses and demonstrates her unique character portrayals from her works "Fires in the Mirror" and "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992."

Richard McLanathan discusses his book "The American Tradition in the Arts" and takes Studs on a sprawling journey through artistic breakthroughs in architecture, painting, literature, and more while touching on dozens of artists and their works.

A sprawling conversation with R. Buckminster Fuller including his great aunt Margaret Fuller, future communication, the nature of work, human nature, and physics.

Canadian poet and novelist Margaret Atwood discusses her poetry and her first novel, “Surfacing,” focusing on the novel’s symbolism and the themes of nature, religion and memory. She compares life, attitudes, and politics in Canada with those of the United States.

Interviewing lawyer, activist and author Derrick Bell.

Discussing the topic "race writing" and the magazine "Critical Inquiry" (published by the University of Chicago Press) with author, educator and scholar Henry Louis Gates.

Discussing bicentennial time and interviewing Otto Friedrich. Otto Friedrich discusses his "Time" magazine piece, his writing, and American history. Includes songs "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Free America" by Joseph Warren, a German song, an 18th century Boston Tea Party song, and a 18th century British soldier song.

Discussing the book, 'Uncommon Women', published in 1981. The book chronicles the lives of Gwendolyn Brooks, Julie Harris, Sarah Caldwell, Maria Tallchief, Alice Neel, Mary McCarthy, Eugenia Zukerman, Roberta Peters, and Mary Lou Williams, discussing the impressive things they have accomplished in their respective professions ranging from poetry, to opera, to literature, and art and abstraction.

Stephen B. Oates discusses his book "Let the Trumpets Sound: A Biography of Martin Luther King;" 2 short excerpts played during the program: one of Terkel interviewing Martin Luther King and another of E.D. Nixon speaking about MLK.

Discussing the book "Lincoln" with the author Gore Vidal.

Interviewing lawyer, activist and author Derrick Bell.

Discussing the book "Unto this hour" a novel about the American Civil war with the author Tom Wicker.

Discussing the book "In My Place" (published by Vintage) with the author, journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault.