Books & Literature

Singer Judy Collins. She's just written an autobiography; it's titled Trust Your Heart.

Rock Critic Greil Marcus. His new book is a compilation of the writings of the late rock critic Lester Bangs, who, from 1969 until his death in 1982, wrote prodigiously for publications such as Rolling Stone, Creem and The Village Voice. Marcus is also the author of the highly-acclaimed Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n Roll Music.

Andrew Tobias, author of The Only Other Investment Guide You'll Ever Need. Tobias is a best-selling author and popular speaker on managing money.

Russell Jacoby, whose new book, The Last Intellectuals, American Culture in the Age of Academe, contends that American culture is not producing the intellectuals it did during the 40s and 50s.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews An Urchin in the Storm, a collection of essays by biologist Stephen Jay Gould.

Edna Buchanan, Pulitzer Prize-winning police reporter for the Miami Herald. Buchanan has written a book that details her daily routine. It's titled The Corpse Had a Familiar Face.

Dan Wasserman, political cartoonist for The Boston Globe. A collection of his drawings has just been published; it's titled We've Been Framed. Wasserman will explain who he and fellow political cartoonist are secretly hoping will win the Presidency.

Canadian writer and naturalist Farley Mowat. Mowat has written widely on wildlife and the natural habitat, championing the cause of the harp seals, whales, wolves, Eskimos. His books include A Whale for the Killing, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float and Never Cry Wolf. (This is the second part of a two-part interview.)

Writer Tom Wolfe, known for his "New Journalism" in the 60s and 70s. His books from that period included The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, Radical Chic and Mau Mauing the Flak Catchers and The Right Stuff. His new book, his first novel, is titled The Bonfire of the Vanities.

Writer Joan Didion. Known for her self-reflective essays and reporting, Didion is one of America's most important writers. Her books include A Book of Common Prayer, Slouching Toward Bethlehem and Salvador. With her husband John Gregory Dunne, she co-wrote the screenplay for "True Confessions." Her new book is titled Miami.

Canadian writer and naturalist Farley Mowat. Mowat has written widely on nature and wildlife and championed the cause of harp seals, whales, wolves, Eskimos. His books include A Whale for the Killing, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float and Never Cry Wolf. His latest book, Woman in the Mists, is the story of Dian Fossey, the American woman who studied and lived with the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, Africa. Fossey was murdered at her remote base camp in 1985. (This is the first part of a two-part interview with Mowat.) (Contains portion of Dian Fossey interview; May 12, 1982).

Crime writer Patricia Highsmith. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, was later made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. Her new novel, her 19th, is titled Found in the Street.

Randy Shilts, author of And the Band Played On - Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic, a controversial book that reveals the identity of the first person to the bring AIDS to the United States. The book also raises questions about the government's response to the crisis.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews The Dresden Gate the novel by Michael Schmidt that explores the misbegotten efforts of Europeans to export their systems of civilization - religion, government, culture - on the Latin American soul.

Poet and playwright Kenneth Koch. He has written books on working with children to get them to write poetry. He is one of the most respected of the New York poets.

Novelist and screenwriter William Goldman. His 1973 novel, The Princess Bride, was just made into a movie by director Rob Reiner. The movie is based on a screenplay Goldman wrote shortly after completing the novel. Goldman also wrote the screenplays for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "All The President's Men."

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein, author of an upcoming episode on the new PBS comedy series "Trying Times." Her other plays include Isn't it Romantic and Uncommon Women and Others.

Father Niall O'Brien. He has worked for over 20 years as a missionary priest in the Philippines. He was imprisoned by the Marcos regime because he helped the poor to start self-reliant Christian communities. He continues his work in the Philippines under the Aquino government.

Ed McBain (also known as Evan Hunter), prolific writer of detective fiction, best known for his "87th Precinct" series of police procedurals and mystery novels. His most recent novel is titled Tricks. McBain writes in other genres under different pseudonyms.

Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly, creators of Raw, an adult comic magazine filled with original and sophisticated graphics.