Biography & Memoir

Ed White, author of the autobiographical novels A Boy's Own Story and The Beautiful Room Is Empty, which tell of his coming of age and maturing as a gay man. White now lives in Paris and writes for Vogue magazine. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

Robert Parrish has at various times been an actor, film editor, director and writer. As a child, he appeared in the "Our Gang" comedies and in Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights." He worked with film director John Ford and won an Academy Award for editing in the film "Body and Soul." He's written two books of memoirs about his Hollywood experiences. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

Fred de Cordova, executive producer of "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson." His autobiography, "Johnny Came Lately," is a behind-the-scenes tell-all about the workings of one of television's longest-running and highest rated shows. de Cordova credits include directing Ronald Reagan in "Bedtime for Bonzo," directing "The Jack Benny Show," "The Burns and Allen Show," and "My Three Sons."

Gene LePere. Her book, Never Pass This Way Again, documents her arrest and month-long detention in Turkey for allegedly smuggling archeological artifacts.

Traveler Eric Hansen. In 1982, Hansen set out alone across Borneo, an island in Indonesia composed almost entirely of rain forests and populated by natives who have had the least amount of of contact with westerners. Hansen's account of his travels is contained in the book Stranger in the Forest: A Foot Across Borneo. Hansen has also travelled to North Africa, Afghanistan, Nepal, India and Southeast Asia.

Journalist and screenwriter Dan Wakefield. His new book, Returning: A Spiritual Journey, describes his encounters with alcoholism, atheism, psychoanalysis, and his ultimate rediscovery of spiritual belief.

Artist, writer, and poet Françoise Gilot During her l0-year relationship with Pablo Picasso, they had two children, Claude and Paloma. She is now married to Dr. Jonas Salk. She has written the books Life With Picasso, Interface: The Artist and the Mask, and her new book, An Artist's Journey.

Walter Polovchak. Polovchak was a 12-year-old Ukrainian immigrant living with his family in Chicago, when he refused to return with them to the Soviet Union. His decision provoked a storm of controversy from his family and authorities in both countries and attracted worldwide media attention. The court battles continued for five years until Polovchak reached his 18th birthday in 1985 and was sworn in as an American citizen.

Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit priest who for the past 20 years has been at the forefront of the peace movement. He has been arrested and spent time in prison many times for his acts of civil disobedience. Berrigan was one the Catonsville 9, who protested the Vietnam war in 1968 by destroying draft records, and a member of the Plowshares 8, who damaged nuclear warheads in 1980. He now works at an AIDS hospice in New York City. Daniel Berrigan recently completed his autobiography; it's titled To Dwell in Peace.

Arlene Violet, the first female state attorney general in the country. She was also the first nun in Rhode Island to graduate from law school. She has sued a bishop, investigated corrupt judges, retried Claus Von Bulow and the earned the nickname "Attila the Nun." She's written an autobiography titled Convictions.

Bob Geldof, the star of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats and organizer of the Band Aid and Live Aid benefit concerts to aid starvation victims in Africa. His autobiography is titled Is That It?

Book critic John Leonard reviews The Trial of Socrates, by the journalist and social critic I.F.Stone.

Novelist Joseph Heller, author of Catch 22, Something Happened and No Laughing Matter, his 1985 account of being stricken with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a neurological disease in which the peripheral nervous system is attacked. Within two weeks of the first symptoms, Heller could hardly breathe or swallow. It took him two years to relearn his basic motor functions. Heller's best known work is still his first, Catch 22, a satire of the military bureaucracy and the madness of war.

Exiled South African singer Miriam Makeba. At 20, she became the lead vocalist for a top South African band. And when her performances brought her international acclaim, she used her forum to speak out against Apartheid. She was subsequently banned from her native country, and then later from America for her marriage to the radical Stokely Carmichael. For the past 20 years, she's toured with her mentor, singer Harry Belafonte, and last year she toured with Paul Simon's Graceland Tour.

Actor Chuck Norris. He has changed his image from being a cult, martial arts film star to being America's all-round tough guy. His new movie is "Braddock: Missing in Action III." He has just written his autobiography. It's titled The Secret of Inner Strength - My Story.

Singer Margaret Whiting. Her father, Richard Whiting, wrote many of her most popular songs, including "Too Marvelous for Words," "My Ideal," "She's Funny That Way," and "On The Good Ship Lollipop." Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer and other great songwriters of the day were like uncles to her. She is now performing at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Mothers of Invention, a book about the the unrecognized role women had in the technological breakthroughs of the modern era. The authors are Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek.

Jazz clarinetist and alto and soprano saxophonist Bob Wilber. Wilber is also a composer and arranger; He arranged the music for the film "The Cotton Club." And he's just completed his autobiography. It's scheduled for release later this spring and is titled "Music Was Not Enough." This Saturday, Wilber will lead a tribute at Carnegie Hall to the late Benny Goodman, the king of the jazz clarinet. It's the 50th anniversary of Goodman's famed concert there.

Book critic John Leonard reviews a collection of essays by Primo Levi.

Tony Hendra. His new book, Going Too Far, is a history of "Boomer (as in Baby Boomer) Humor." Hendra was editor of The National Lampoon for eight years. He directed the Lampoon play "Lemmings" and co-created and wrote the British TV series "Spitting Image." In addition, he has written several books of satire and appeared in the movie "This is Spinal Tap."