Books & Literature

Nancy Lieberman-Cline dominated women's college basketball and was the youngest woman ever to play on the women's Olympic basketball team. She was also a star of the short-lived women's pro basketball league. She also spent several years as companion and trainer to tennis star Martina Navritilova. She has a new autobiography called "Lady Magic." (Published by Sagamore). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Dancer and choreographer Edward Villella. Villella's new autobiography, "Prodigal Son," chronicles his rise as one of the best known male dancers and choreographers in the history of American ballet. It also looks at his often stormy working relationship with choreographer George Balanchine. (It's published by Simon and Schuster). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Book critic John Leonard reviews "The Spyglass Tree" (published by Pantheon) the new novel by Albert Murray. It's the sequel to his critically acclaimed book, "Train Whistle Guitar."

Michael Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The center's just issued the second edition of their "Fast Food Guide." (published by Workman Publishing).

Reporter Pete Earley. Earley spent two years observing life at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. He was given complete access to the prisoners, guards, staff, and the warden. He tells about life in Leavenworth in his new book, "The Hot House." (published by Bantam) (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Book critic John Leonard reviews "The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception," by Michael Baigent ("baa-gent") and Richard Leigh. The authors contend that the interpretation of the scrolls has been deliberately slowed by scholars that want to protect their religious views. (It's published by Summit Books).

Writer Richard Bausch. His new novel, "Violence," explores that subject from several points of view,...among then an adult man's memory of child abuse, his wife's earlier experience with an abusive husband, and a violent robbery. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Popular culture junkie Michael Barson's latest book is a collection of postcards. The pictures are the covers from vintage romance comic books. It's called "Boy Loves Girl, Girl Loves Boy."

Writer Gay Talese. His new book, "Unto The Sons," is the story of the immigrant experience in America, and also the chronicle of Talese's own Italian ancestors coming to this country. Talese's previous works include the best-sellers "The Kingdom and the Power," "Honor Thy Father," and "Thy Neighbor's Wife."

Writer ThulaniI (pronounced "tah-lawn-nee") Davis. Her new novel, "1959," is the story of a young black girl coming of age at the dawn of the civil rights movement. Davis' earlier works include reporting for The New York Times and The Washington Post, and writing the libretto for the opera "X: The Life and Times of Malcom X." ("1959" is published by Grove Weidenfeld.)

Writer Eddy L. Harris. Like many African Americans, Harris felt a kinship to the continent of his ancestors. He went to Africa, traveled throughout the continent, and came away feeling disillusioned and feeling that he was not an African at heart after all. He's written about his journey in the new book, "Native Stranger" (published by Simon and Schuster). Harris' earlier book was the critically acclaimed "Mississippi Solo."

Writer Nik Cohn (pronounced "cone"). Cohn walked the length of Broadway in New York City, talking with the various characters along the Great White Way. His chronicle of that experience is "The Heart of the World." (published by Knopf).

Book critic John Leonard reviews "To The End of Time," by former Time magazine journalist and executive Richard Clurman. The book is an account of the big stakes merger between Time Inc and Warner Communications.

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Strong Motion," Jonathan Franzen's new novel that mixes thriller, science fiction, feminism, and romance. (It's published by Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux).

Terry talks phone sex with writer Nicholson Baker. Baker's new novel "Vox" is one long, erotic, expensive conversation between a man and a woman on a 900 talk line. (Random House).

White South African writer André Brink was the first Afrikaner to have a novel censored by the government. Brink has written six novels and many essays about the moral dilemmas facing Afrikaners of conscience. His novel "A Dry White Season," was adapted into a film of the same name. His new novel, a political thriller, is called "An Act of Terror." (Summit press)

Book critic John Leonard reviews Andre Brink's novel of political intrigue in South Africa, "An Act of Terror."

Writer George Packer. Packer's new novel, "The Half Man," is the story of a Western journalist caught in the turmoil of a fictitious Pacific Asian country. In real life, Packer spent two years with the Peace Corps in Togo, and that experience helped shape this book. (It's published by Random House).

Writer Tatyana Tolstaya ("taht-tee-an-yah tol-STOY-yah"). She's gaining a reputation as one of the (former) Soviet Union's most critically acclaimed new writers. She's also a distant relative of Leo Tolstoy. Her new collection of stories is called "Sleepwalker In A Fog" (published by Knopf).

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg reviews "Fifty Years Among the New Words," a new collection of columns from the journal "American Speech."