Books & Literature

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews detective novelist Robert B. Parker's newest Spencer novel, "Stardust."

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Magic Lantern," journalist Timothy Garton Ash's account of the democracy movement in Eastern Europe.

Biographer Laurence Bergreen. His new book is "As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin." (published by Viking Press). Bergreen is also the author of "James Agee: A Life."

Writer Richard Ford. He's just published his fourth novel, "Wildlife." It's published by Atlantic Monthly Press.

Novelist Reginald McKnight. His first novel,"Moustapha's Eclipse" was praised for its original voice about the struggle for black identity. It also won the 1988 Drue Heinz Literature Prize. McKnight has a new novel, "I Get On the Bus," (published by Little, Brown).

Police Chief Anthony V. Bouza. Formerly the Police Chief for the Bronx, and Minneapolis. He's just written a book, "The Police Mystique: An Insider's Look at Cops, Crime, and the Criminal Justice System," (published by Plenum).

Commentator Maureen Corrigan is fed up with the way such writers as George Will and Charles Kerault wax romantic about baseball.

Reverend Joseph Ingle. He directs the Southern Coalition on Jails and Prisons and ministers to death row inmates. "Last Rights," published by Abingdon.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions," by historian Lucy Hughes-Hallett (It's published by Harper and Row).

Journalist Elisabeth Bumiller (pronounced BUE-mill-er). Her new book, "May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons," examines the repressive life of many women in India today. It's published by Random House.

Writer Walter Mosley. His first book, "Devil In A Blue Dress," is a hard boiled detective story starring a black gumshoe up against white prejudice. It's published by Norton.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews "Wildlife," the new novel by Richard Ford. (It's published by Atlantic Monthly Press).

Author Art Davidson. A former planning director for the state of Alaska, Davidson has been a long-time opponent of the Alaska pipeline. He's just written an expose of the events that led to last summer's oil spill. The book's called "In The Wake of the Exxon Valdez: The Devastating Impact of the Alaska Oil Spill." It's published by Sierra Club books.

Veteran journalist Dusko Doder. Doder and co-author Louise Branson have just written a comprehensive biography of Mikhail Gorbachev, titled, "Gorbachev: Heretic In the Kremlin." It's published by Viking. Dusko Doder is the former Moscow Bureau chief for the Washington Post. Branson covered the Soviet Union for the Sunday Times of London.

Book critic John Leonard "The Loony-Bin Trip," feminist Kate Millett's memoir of her dealing with manic depression. It's published by Simon and Schuster.

Freelance journalist Robert Draper. He's just written a profile of America's leading rock magazine, titled "Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored History." It's published by Doubleday.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg explores how Shakespeare went from popular entertainment to highbrow culture.

Political journalist Christopher Hitchens. His latest book, "Blood, Class, and Nostalgia," looks at the ironic relationship between America and Great Britain.

Comedian David Brenner. He's written a new book about the pitfalls of traveling.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "The Innocent," by British novelist Ian McEwan.