Literary Figures: Novelists

Terry's interview with Allegra Goodman, the author of the novel, "Kaaterskill Falls" (Dial Press) about an orthodox Jewish family in upstate New York. This is Goodman's first novel. Her previous work, a collection of stories, "The Family Markowitz," was hailed by critics. One critic for the New York Times writes, "Goodman is brillant at capturing the clutter of both interior and exterior life. . .These stories sound like no one else's as she sharply appraises the shifts and quandaries of one variety of American Jewish life."

Pelecacnos is the author of "Sweet Forever" (Little, Brown) He has been called "one of 1990's rising stars in crime fiction." His other works include "King Suckerman," "The Big Blowdown," "Down By the River Where Dead Men Go," "Shoedog," "Nick's Trip," and "A Firing Offense."

Maureen Corrigan interviews writer Richard Stevenson. That's a pseudonym for Richard Lipez ("LIP-ehz"). He works in the genre of gay detective mysteries. Since 1981, he's written a series of six books about detective Donald Strachey ("STRAY-chee"). He is also a Washington Post columnist under his real name. Stevenson's latest book is called "Strachey's Folly: A Donald Strachey Mystery." (St. Martin's Press)

Novelist Richard Bausch's newest book is "In the Night Season." (Harper Collins) some of his books include: "Good Evening Mr. and Mrs America and All the Ships at Sea," "Rebel Powers," and "Violence." He is also known for his stories which have been published in "The Atlantic Monthly," "Esquire," "Harper's," "The New Yorker," "Playboy," and "The Southern Review." Bausch lives in rural Virginia.

Armistead Maupin is the author of "Tales of the City." It depicted San Francisco gay and straight lifestyles in the 1970's. In 1994 "Tales of the City" was adapted into a controversial PBS miniseries. His second novel from 1980 "More Tales of the City" (Harper Perennial) has been adapted into a Showtime channel miniseries that begins airing this month.

Nicholas Papandreou is the son of former Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. Nicholas as written the novel "A Crowded Heart." (Picador) It is a fictional retelling of his own childhood in Greece. Born in Berkeley, California, he now lives in Athens, Greece.

Novelist Richard Price talks about his latest book "Freedomland". (Broadway Books) It's a story that examines race relations in a fictional urban New Jersey town. Inspired by the real life Susan Smith incident in which she alleged a black man carjacked her and took her two children. Price's story follows a similar theme and how the events affect the community. Price's earlier novel "Clockers" about life in the inner city world of drug dealing was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award.

British novelist Nick Hornby, the author of the best-selling comic novel "High Fidelity" about a 30-something record collector, and top-ten list maker who is afraid of commitment. His newest novel "About a Boy" (Riverhead Books) is about a 36 year old man who pretends to be a single parent in order to meet women who are single parents. Robert DeNiro has just optioned "About a Boy" for a film. "High Fidelity" is about to be made into a film starring John Cusack.

Novelist Scott Spencer. His new book "The Rich Man's Table" (Knopf) is the story of a boy who discovers he is the illegitimate son of a legendary folk singer, a character said to be based on Bob Dylan. Spencer's previous novels include "Men in Black," and "Endless Love."

Novelist Robert Stone. His new novel "Damascus Gate" is about the Middle East. Unlike most writers who write about the region, Stone is not Jewish; he's a lapsed Catholic. One reviewer writes of the book that it is "so comprehending of Israel's convoluted workings and its bifurcated culture--where the Biblical fervor of Jerusalem coexists with the disco fever of Tel Aviv--that he makes other writers on the subject seem like the breeziness of literary tourists." Stone is also the author of "Outerbridge Reach" and "Dog Soldiers."