Biography & Memoir

Spark has been said to "uphold the great tradition of the English Catholic novel." She's a prolific writer, having written 19 novels, including "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," and "Momento Mori." Spark has a new memoir about her first 39 years, called "Curriculum Vitae." It includes stories about school teacher Miss Christina Kay (the character of Jean Brodie was based on her), Spark's marriage at 19 to a man 13 years her senior, their life in Africa, and Spark's early literary career. She's now 74 years old.

Lamott has written a new book about being a mother for the first time (and single, at that), called "Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year." One reviewer says the book is "an emotional roller coaster ride. Painfully honest, laced with humor and poetry and moments of profound insight." Lamott is also the author of the novels, "Hard Laughter," and "All New People."

Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Bartholet, author of "Family Bonds: Adoption & the Politics of Parenting." In her book, Bartholet --the mother of two adopted Peruvian boys-- examines transracial, single and older-parent families, and challenges current societal priorities about parenting, adoption and infertility.

Levine is an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and has been head writer for two of television's greatest shows: MASH and Cheers. He trained himself to be a baseball announcer out of a childhood love for the game, and has written a new book about his season as a broadcaster for the Baltimore Orioles: "It's Gone!...No, Wait a Minute." He's now an announcer for the Seattle Mariners.

A live interview with the former Atlantic Records executive. Wexler was the producer behind some of the greatest soul music of the 60s, including classic sessions with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. His memoir of his career is called "Rhythm and the Blues."

Secretary of State George Schultz has a new memoir, called "Turmoil and Triumph." Terry will talk with him about the Iran-Contra Affair and his disagreements with President Bush, under whom he served.

The athlete is proud of his career as a second baseman, as well as a well-rounded player. He has a new memoir called "Joe Morgan: A Life in Baseball."

O'Toole is the star of "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Lion in the Winter," and "My Favorite Year." He has a new autobiography about the start of his career, called "Loitering with Intent.

Larry Colton has a new memoir called, "Goat Brothers." it's about he and his faternity brothers at the University of California at Berkeley in the early 1960s and what happened to them. They were superjocks who are unprepared for life after college. One reviewer writes, "a gripping, often painful look at lives that went right and awry in about equal measure."

Crowe was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Reagan and Bush. He's now chair of Clinton's foreign intelligence advisory board. In the late 1980s, Crowe developed an unusual friendship with his Soviet counterpart, Marshal Sergei F. Akromeyev, who later committed suicide after being accused of taking part in the Soviet coup. Crowe urged Bush to delay the start up in the Gulf War. And later, he endorsed Clinton for president. His new book is called, "The Line of Fire"

A reading by Gary Paulsen from his new book, "Eastern Sun, Winter Moon." It details a harrowing story of the violent way his mother protected him from a potential predator.

Dillinger is a longtime peace worker, editor and author. He was jailed for civil disobedience a generation before Daniel and Philip Berrigan. He was part of the "Chicago Seven," the group of seven antiwar demonstrators at the 1968 Democratic National Convention which erupted into violence between demonstrators and police. Dellinger has written six books. His latest is an account of his spiritual journey, "Fram Yale to Jail."

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Remembering Denny," the new book by Calvin Trillin. It's about the passing of Trillin's friend who was a middling social scientist and troubled homosexual.

Kim Rich has written a new memoir, "Johnny's Girl," about growing up in Anchorage, Alaska during the oil boom years. Her father was a notorious underworld figure in the city who operated illegal gambling houses and massage parlors all over the city. He was eventually murdered.

Carlisle is the granddaughter of renowned Russian writer Leonid Andreyev. She grew up in Paris, but travelled to Russia in the 1960s, where she befriended that country's most prominent writers. For 20 years she was exiled from Russia because of her friendship with Alexander Solzhenitsyn, whose work she published in the west. She returned to her native country in 1989 to find it vastly changed. Her new memoir is "Under A New Sky: A Reunion with Russia."

Rollin's 1976 best-selling book about surviving breast-cancer, "First, You Cry," is being reissued. She lost one breast to cancer in 1975; in 1984, she had the other breast removed. Rollin also wrote the book, "Last Wish," about helping her mother -- who was dying from ovarian cancer -- to die.

Wu Ningkun, author of a new personal and political memoir, A Single Tear, talks about surviving three decades of Communist rule in China. Wu was born in China, went to college in the United States, and returned to China in 1951 with hopes that the new Communist regime would benefit his country. Instead, he was labeled counter-revolutionary for teaching works by Western authors and sentenced to serve time at various labor camps and prisons. He now lives in the United States with his family.

The daughter of Marlene Dietrich, Maria Riva. Dietrich died last May at the age of 90, with her mystique still intact. Riva has written a memoir, "Marlene Dietrich," which relies on Riva's memories and on Dietrich's letters and diaries. It's been called a "sympathetic" book about a woman who is "uncaring," and who had a complex relationship with her own sexuality. Riva also describes her mother's decline into alcoholism.

Johnston's memoir, "Shooting the Boh," is not only an account of her adventure going down the river dealing with leeches, waterfalls, foot rot, and moldy clothes -- it's about her onset of menopause during the trip. One reviewer writes, "A powerful adventure of the head as well as the body: not to be missed."

Chancellor of the New York City school system, Joseph Fernandez. He's been a controversial figure: he's made condoms available in the public schools, and approved a multicultural curriculum, called "Children of the Rainbow," that teaches respect for gays and lesbians. Fernandez is Puerto Rican and grew up in Spanish Harlem. He was a gang member and a heroin addict. Late,r he joined the Air Force, where he kicked the habit, and attended college on the G.I. bill.