Books & Literature

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."

Hedrick Smith, the Washington correspondent for The New York Times. His new book looks at power and how it works in our nation's capital. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

British novelist Fay Weldon. Her works include The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, Praxis and Down Among the Women. Her latest novel, a love story, is titled The Hearts and Lives of Men, and was written as a serial over the course of a year for the British magazine Woman. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek, authors of the book Mothers of Invention, a compilation of inventions by women. Some have been rather mundane, like Liquid Paper and drip coffee. But others include radium, the computer language COBOL and the first computer compiler. The authors are better known for their writing about rock and roll. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

Book critic John Leonard reviews The Ark Sakura, a new novel by Japanese writer Kobo Abe (Koe-boe Ah-bay). Abe's other books include The Woman in the Dunes and The Ruined Map. The Ark Sakura is a surreal vision of contemporary social and environmental problems.

Ken Tucker on new Sherlock Holmes movies, now available on home video.

Singer and actor Kris Kristofferson. His hit songs "Me and Bobby McGee," and "Help Me Make it Through the Night," earned him acclaim as a country singer. His musical success led him to films, and he went on to act in westerns ("Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid"), comedies ("Semi-Tough"), and musicals ("A Star is Born"). In the past few years, he's appeared in the TV mini-series "Amerika" and "Blood and Orchids."

Book Critic John Leonard reviews two new biographies of Roy Cohn, the counsel for the Senate committee conducting the McCarthy trials, and McCarthy's aide and confidante.

Herbert Mitgang, cultural correspondent for The New York Times, and a former member of its editorial board. His new book, Dangerous Dossiers: Exposing the Secret War Against America's Greatest Authors, examines the 50-year espionage campaign waged by the CIA and the FBI against writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, William Faulkner and Norman Mailer.

Critic-at-Large Laurie Stone reviews Second Son, a new novel by Robert Ferro about AIDS.

Writer John Updike. He is one of the most-read, most-published, most-analyzed American writers. His works include The Witches of Eastwick, The Coup, Rabbit Run and Rabbit Redux. Updike's new novel, S, is a modern story drawn from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.

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

Bill Buford, editor of Granta Magazine, a literary publication that offers journalism, criticism and fiction. Authors whose work the magazine has published include American short-story writer Raymond Carver, Czech novelist Milan Kundera, and Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

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.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews The Fifth Child, the new novel by Doris Lessing.

Ian Whitcomb, an Englishman in love with American music. Since first coming to the United States in the early 60s, he has devoted his career to promoting and keeping alive the tradition of American popular song, particularly those from the Tin Pan Alley era.. His new book, Irving Berlin and Ragtime America, salutes the music of Irving Berlin, who will celebrate his 100th birthday this year.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nick Kotz. His new book, Wild Blue Yonder: Money, Politics and the B-1 Bomber, is an in-depth examination of how cost over-runs, politics and s basic pork barrel mentality has compromised the making of the B-1 bomber. Kotz's study of military leadership won the National Magazine Award for Public Service. He also authored the highly acclaimed book, Let Them Eat Promises.

Peter Sichrovsky. His new book, Strangers in Their Own Land: Young Jews in Germany and Austria Today, is an exploration of the lives and motivations of the European Jews who either stayed or returned to to live in countries whose people brought on them the horrors of the Holocaust. In the introduction, Sichrovsky says that his central question in researching the book was, "What does it mean for a Jew to live in Germany today?" His latest book Born Guilty: Children of Nazi Families explores "the other side."

Writer Robert Ludlum. His thrillers, all instant bestsellers, include The Osterman Weekend, The Aquitaine Progression and The Matarese Circle. His latest is titled The Icarus Agenda and places American hostages in the Mideast at the center of a superpower standoff. Ludlum is a former actor and theatrical producer who was 40 when he decided to try his hand at writing.