Books & Literature

Stephen Davis, whose new book Say Kids! What Time is it? recounts the history of the "Howdy Doody Show," TV's first hit kid's show. The book looks at the early days of television in New York, and the cast that made up Doodyville - Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, Clarabell and Chief Thunderthud.

Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes. He has written many novels, is currently teaching at Harvard, once served as Mexico's ambassador to France and used to be considered an "undesirable alien" and was denied a visa by the U.S. government.

New York Times columnist William Geist, who wrote the paper's popular "About New York" column. He has collected his favorite columns in a book titled City Slickers. Geist recently left the Times and is now a contributor for the CBS News show, "CBS Sunday Morning."

Writer Jan Novak. He has just published his second English novel, titled The Grand Life. His first was titled The Willys Dream Kit. Novak emigrated to the United States from Czechoslovakia 17 years ago.

James Laughlin, founder and editor of New Directions Books, a small publishing house that has brought out the work of avant-garde poets like Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams. Laughlin is himself a poet and an authority on Ezra Pound.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews "Perfect Gallows," a mystery by Peter Dickinson.

"CBS Sunday Morning's" media critic Ron Powers. He's written a book about his hometown, Hannibal, Missouri, titled White Town Drowsing.

Architectural preservationist David Naylor, whose new book, Great American Movie Theaters, charts the past glory and current demise of a uniquely American architectural treasure, the downtown movie palace.

Salvadoran poet Claribel Alegria. She has lived in exile for many years. She now lives in Nicaragua. Her best-known book is titled Flowers From the Volcano.

Brendan Gill. He has written for The New Yorker magazine for more than 50 years, writing poems, prose, profiles and film and theater reviews. Gill also writes about architecture and has just written a biography of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Adventure essayist Tim Cahill. Cahill's writing appeared in the premiere issue of Outside magazine and has been a regular feature ever since. In his latest odyssey, Cahill drove from the tip of South America to Purdhoe Bay in Alaska. His newest collection of adventure tales is titled Jaguars Ripped My Flesh.

Singer Judy Collins. She's just written an autobiography; it's titled Trust Your Heart.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews A Way of Hope, the autobiography of Solidarity leader Lech Walesa.

Rock Critic Greil Marcus. His new book is a compilation of the writings of the late rock critic Lester Bangs, who, from 1969 until his death in 1982, wrote prodigiously for publications such as Rolling Stone, Creem and The Village Voice. Marcus is also the author of the highly-acclaimed Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n Roll Music.

Andrew Tobias, author of The Only Other Investment Guide You'll Ever Need. Tobias is a best-selling author and popular speaker on managing money.

Russell Jacoby, whose new book, The Last Intellectuals, American Culture in the Age of Academe, contends that American culture is not producing the intellectuals it did during the 40s and 50s.

Edna Buchanan, Pulitzer Prize-winning police reporter for the Miami Herald. Buchanan has written a book that details her daily routine. It's titled The Corpse Had a Familiar Face.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews An Urchin in the Storm, a collection of essays by biologist Stephen Jay Gould.

Dan Wasserman, political cartoonist for The Boston Globe. A collection of his drawings has just been published; it's titled We've Been Framed. Wasserman will explain who he and fellow political cartoonist are secretly hoping will win the Presidency.

Canadian writer and naturalist Farley Mowat. Mowat has written widely on wildlife and the natural habitat, championing the cause of the harp seals, whales, wolves, Eskimos. His books include A Whale for the Killing, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float and Never Cry Wolf. (This is the second part of a two-part interview.)