Books & Literature

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "A Widow for One Year" (Random House) the new novel by John Irving, the author of "The World According to Garp."

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Grace Paley's collection of short stories and other writing "Just As I thought."

Former Colorado Congresswoman Pat Schroeder. She was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 24 years. She's the first woman to hold the office that long. During that time she championed causes important to women: pay equity, the Equal Rights Amendment, breast cancer research, and family leave. She also landed a coveted spot on the House Armed Services Committee. She also coined the term "Teflon president" to describe Ronald Reagan. She's written a new memoir, "24 Years of House Work. . .and the Place is Still a Mess" (Andrews McMeel)

Novelist Robert Stone. His new novel "Damascus Gate" is about the Middle East. Unlike most writers who write about the region, Stone is not Jewish; he's a lapsed Catholic. One reviewer writes of the book that it is "so comprehending of Israel's convoluted workings and its bifurcated culture--where the Biblical fervor of Jerusalem coexists with the disco fever of Tel Aviv--that he makes other writers on the subject seem like the breeziness of literary tourists." Stone is also the author of "Outerbridge Reach" and "Dog Soldiers."

Peter Biskind is author of the new book "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex Drugs and Rock n Roll Generation Saved Hollywood." (Simon and Schuster) Biskind says after the success of the film "Easy Riders" Hollywood opened its doors to a wave of rebellious film makers that invigorated cinema in the 1970s with such films as "Chinatown," "Shampoo," "Nashville," "Taxi Driver," "The Godfather," and "Jaws." He also authored two previous books: "Seeing is Believing," and "The Godfather Companion.&qu

Lorna Luft new memoir is : "Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir." (Pocket Books). Luft talks with Terry about growing up as the youngest daughter to film legend Judy Garland. And as half sister to Liza Minneli. Luft made her Broadway debut in 1971 in "Promises, Promises." She toured nationally in the Broadway production of "They're Playing Our Song" in 1981-1982.

Book Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "The Long Falling," a first novel by Irish writer Keith Ridgway.

Actor Peter Coyote. He's written a memoir, "Sleeping Where I Fall" (Counterpoint) about the his experiences during the sixties and seventies. The son of an East Coast stockbroker, Coyote was part of the political street theatre, the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Later Coyote lived the communal life, experimenting with sex, drugs, and heady ideals. Coyote has performed in more than 50 films including, "Bitter Moon," "E.T.," "Jagged Edge, "Outrageous Fortune" and the new film "Sphere."

Poet Myra Shapiro talks with our Book Critic Maureen Corrigan about her life and work. Her first collection "I'll See You Thursday" was published in 1996 by Alley Press.

British writer Ian McEwan's 1997 novel "Enduring Love" has been published in the United States. (Doubleday) McEwan has written five other novels: "The Cement Garden," "The Comfort of Strangers," "The Child in Time," "The Innocent," and "Black Dogs," He's been shortlisted for Britain's prestigious Booker Prize twice and has won the Whitbred Novel of the Year Award. He lives in Oxford, England. (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Journalist Pete Hamill. He's written a new book, a long essay really, about the troubled state of newspapers in this country. It's called "News is a Verb: Journalism at the End of the Twentieth Century" (The Library of Contemporary Thought, The Ballantine Publishing Group). Hamill is also the author of the bestselling novel, "Snow in August," and the memoir, "A Drinking Life." (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Documentary filmmaker Nicholas Clapp. His new book, "The Road to Ubar: Finding the Atlantis of The Sands" (Houghton Mifflin) is about his search for the lost Arabian city of Ubar. Described in the Koran as "the many-columned city" Ubar, was said to have been destroyed by God for the sins of its people. Using satellite maps to help locate it, Clapp organized two expeditions to Arabia to find Ubar. And he found it in 1992. (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Charley Rosen is author of the new novel "Barney Polan's Game" (Seven Stories Press) The book is largely based on the real-life college basketball point-shaving scandal in 1950 and 51. Rosen also wrote a non-fiction account of this in "Scandals of 51: How the Gamblers Almost Killed College Basketball".

Meredith F. Small has written the new book "Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Are". (Anchor books) Small explores the various cultural practices used in raising babies. She is also the author of "Female Choices: Sexual Behavior of Female Primates" and "What's Love Got to Do With It?" Small is a professor of anthropology at Cornell University in New York State. (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Book Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews two new books by poet and construction worker Susan Eisenberg. Her poems attest to the misogyny still present in the construction industry. The books are "Pioneering: Poems from the Construction Site" (ILR Press/Cornell) and "We'll Call You If We Need You: Experiences of Women Working Construction" (ILR Press/Cornell)

Linguist Geoff Nunberg comments on the how dictionaries have chosen to define words considered to be offensive or derogatory to groups of people.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz on poet Elizabeth Bishop and how he saved a poem of hers from obscurity. It's called "Breakfast Song." Lloyd is the editor of "Elizabeth Bishop and Her Art" (University of Michigan Press).

Editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, Liz Tilberis. She's written a new memoir about working in the fashion industry while battling ovarian cancer. It's called "No Time To Die" (Little, Brown & Co.) (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Last week the opening event of the Favorite Poem Project, was held at New York's Town hall. The Project is part of poet laureate Robert Pinksy's plan to have 1000 average Americans recite their favorite poem and archive it on audio or video tape. The Town Hall event brought together such notable people as Geraldine Ferraro, Arthur M. Schlesginer Jr., and choreographer Bill T. Jones, as well as junior and high-school students. We'll excerpt a part of the event. We feature readings by: Ed Bradley, of 60 Minutes; Louis Rodriguez, a high school student; Dr. Calvin O.