Books & Literature

Journalist and professor of environmental studies Donella Meadows. Twenty years ago she co-authored the book, "The Limits to Growth." The book used a computer model to project the impact of growth on the environment. It caused a sensation because of it's eco-gloom and helped spur the environmental movement. Now in the authors' sequel, "Beyond the Limits," they argue that we have shot past the earth's limited resources but that we are in a better position to avoid global economic collapse because of new technical possibilities.

Pathologist, professor, and essayist Lewis Thomas. As an essayist he takes a philosophical look at biomedicine. His books include the "The Lives of a Cell," and "The Medusa and the Snail," which were both best sellers. But he began writing for only the medical community with his 1974 column in the "New England Journal of Medicine." Terry talks with him from his hospital room, where Thomas is recovering from several ailments. He has a new book, "The Fragile Species," (published by Scribner's)

Now that the Cold War's over, Pop culture scholar Michael Barson has written "Better Dead Than Red! A Nostalgic Look At The Golden Years Of Russiaphobia, Red-Baiting, And Other Commie Madness." (Hyperion) It's a look at how popular culture fueled public hysteria during the cold war -- from the Children's Crusade Against Communism bubble gum card series to the Hollywood production "I was a Communist for the F-B-I." By the way... the book is due to arrive in stores on Mayday 1992.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Studs Terkel's new book, "Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession." (The New Press)

Author Annie Dillard. She's written several non-fiction books; her new book, "The Living," (HarperCollins) is her first novel. Dillard's other works include the bestseller "The Writing Life," and the Pulitzer prize winning "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek." (Both are published by Harper &Row.)

Israel Rosenfield studies the concept of consciousness. He was trained as a physician, mathematician, and a philosopher -- all of which he now brings to his thinking about neurology. His new book is "The Strange, Familiar and Forgotten." (published by Knopf). In it he reinterprets classic cases of neurology, and theorizes that its impossible to understand states of neurological illness without reference to a person's body image, consciousness and being. Neurologist Oliver Sacks, calls Rosenfield a "powerful and original thinker."

Writer Wallace Stegner. His novels and essays are often based in the West where he grew up and lived for many years. Stegner started the creative writing program at Stanford University in California, which he ran for 26 years. He's now in his eighties. His new book of essays is called "Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs." (Random House)

Investigative reporter William Greider. He's written a new book about the breakdown of democracy in the United States, "Who will tell the people: The Betrayal of American Democracy." (published by Simon and Shuster). It's also the subject of Greider's "Frontline" documentary on PBS this week. He's also the author of "Secrets of the Temple," about the inner workings of the Federal Reserve.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews "West of Everything: The Inner Life of Westerns," by Jane Tompkins (Oxford Univ. Press)

Book critic John Leonard reviews the long-awaited new book by Toni Morrison, "Jazz."

British writer Richard Rayner. His new semi-autobiographical novel is "The Elephant," about a son's relationship with his father. The father steals a lot of money, fakes his own death, and disappears for ten years. Once reunited, the two engage in scandalous exploits. One reviewer wrote that the novel progresses from the picaresque to the poignant "densely woven with brilliantly macabre, hilarious details..." (published by Random)

Hungarian writer Gyorgy Konrad. When he was 11 he bribed local police so that he and his sister could leave town and escape being deported. In 1974 he and a fellow writer were arrested in Budapest and imprisoned shortly for writing a sociological manuscript which was considered "subversive." Asked to leave the country, he decided a writer "should not emigrate, should not turn away from the risks of his profession." Konrad has written several novels, "The Case Worker," "The City Builder.

Novelist James Lee Burke. He's been writing for 35 years but he's best known for his more recent detective novels about Dave Robicheaux (ROW-bah-show), a recovering alcoholic, who is also a troubled Vietnam vet, and a New Orleans police lieutenant. The books are: "The Neon Rain," "Heaven's Prisoners," "Black Cherry Blues," and "A Morning for Flamingos." His fifth Robicheaux novel is, "A Stained White Radiance." (published by Hyperion).

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "The Candidate's Wife," a politcal novel written by Michael Dukakis' former campaign press secretary, Patricia O'Brien (published by Simon and Schuster).

Isaac Asimov [a.k.a. Paul French], the prolific science fiction writer, has passed away at the age of 72. Asimov wrote nearly 500 books, and was honored, among other times, in 1966 with a special Hugo Award for the best science fiction series ever for his "Foundation" trilogy. We present highlights from an earlier interview. (Rebroadcast. Originally aired 9/25/87.)

Writer and radio talk show host Studs Terkel. His new book, "Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession," (The New Press) is the latest in his series of collected oral histories. He won a Pulitzer prize for his collection "The Good War," about World War 2. His other books include "Working," "Hard Times," and "Division Street: America."

Writer Geoffrey Wolff. His new collection of essays, "A Day At The Beach" (Alfred A. Knopf), is about the worst vacation ever. It started with over-priced dinners and ended in open heart surgery. Wolff is best known for his book "The Duke of Deception," a memoir about being the son of a con man.

Macabre cartoonist and illustrator Edward Gorey talks to Terry from his house in Cape Cod (he's not fond of leaving home). His longtime favorite children's books include "The Curious Nosebleed," (Dodd, Mead) "The Loathesome Couple," (Dodd, Mead) and "Amphigorey," (G.P. Putnam's Sons) which was recently made into a musical that's currently playing in Philadelphia. You might have also seen his illustrations on the opening credits of the PBS show "Mystery."

Economist Lester Thurow (say it like "Thoreau"), author of "The Coming Economic Battle Between America, Europe, and Japan." THUROW will discuss how Euorpe and Japan are playing by a new set of business rules and that it's time to update our own.

Political Science Professor Andrew Hacker. His new book is "Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal" (published by Charles Scribner's Sons) about race relations in the United States.