WRITER COMES OUT SMOKIN'
PUGNACIOUS Vanity Fair columnist Christopher Hitchens stood up for his right to smoke when he appeared the other day on a panel with his brother, British newspaper columnist Peter Hitchens - the first time they had talked in four years after they had a public quarrel over Stalinism. At the event at a British literary festival sponsored by The Guardian newspaper, Christopher - as prearranged with the organizers - smoked throughout the discussion. When a female audience member told him, "I don't like being in a room where smoking is going on," he replied, "Well, you don't have to stay, darling, do you? I'm working here and I'm your guest, OK? And this is what I'm like. Nobody has to like it ... I have a privileged position here, I'm not just one of the audience ... If anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss my ass." The nicotine-averse, and butt-kicking-averse, woman promptly walked out.