Literary Figures

Writer and housecleaner Louise Rafkin. Her articles have appeared in "The New York Times," "The Utne Reader," and "Los Angeles Times." Her new book about cleaning is "Other People's Dirt: A Housecleaner's Curious Adventures" (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill).

In the tradition of the documentary "Sherman's March," Geoff Dyer has written a book about trying to write D.H. Lawrence's biography. "Out of Sheer Rage: Wrestling With D.H. Lawrence" (Farrar Strauss Giroux) ends up being both a biography and an autobiography. Dyer lives in Oxford, England, and has published several other books, including "Ways of Telling," a critical study of the art critic John Berger.

"The Far Side®️" cartoonist Gary Larson has written and illustrated the new book "There's A Hair In My Dirt! A Worm's Story" (HarperCollins). It's the story of a family of earthworms and a fair maiden in the forest. “The Far Side” was in daily syndication from 1980 to 1995 and appeared in more than 1,900 newspapers worldwide. Larson has published more than 20 books featuring his cartoons. His first animated film, “Gary Larson’s Tales From The Far Side,” aired in the U.S. as a 1994 Halloween special.

John Berendt is the author of the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good And Evil" (Random House). Last Sunday it broke the long standing record for a hardcover work of fiction or nonfiction being on the New York Times bestseller list. It's been on the list for 187 weeks.

Claire Tomalin, author of the biography "Jane Austen: A Life" (Knopf). The biography addresses Austen's world, family, and works, many of which in recent years have inspired popular film versions. Tomalin is also the biographer of Mary Wollstonecraft and Nelly Ternan.

Playwright and Screenwriter David Mamet. His latest film is "The Edge," and he's recently published two books: "The Old Religion," (Simon & Schuster) is a novel about a southern Jewish man falsely accused of murder. "True and False: Heresy and Common sense for the Actor" (Pantheon) is a guide to acting that negates the common and popular dramatic techniques. Mamet won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for "Glengarry Glen Ross."

Journalist Mike McAlary has reported on police in New York for the New York Post and has written several books on the subject as well. His latest project has been a novelization of the new movie "Cop Land" (Miramax Books/ Hyperion) which will be in theaters this summer. The movie, written by James Mangold, stars Sylvester Stallone and Robert DeNiro. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

"Crooked Little Heart" is Lamott's follow-up novel to "Rosie," about the troubles she faces in school and with her mother, a recovering alcoholic. Lamott's most popular book is "BIrd by Bird," an instructional book on writing. She has also written four other books, including "Hard Laughter."

In 1995, Divakaruni's short story collection "Arranged Marriage" garnered three awards. Her new novel, "The Mistress of Spices," tells the story of a woman whose knowledge of the healing power of spices takes her on a supernatural adventure. Divakaruni teaches creative writing at Foothill College in California and is president of MAITRI, a support hotline for South Asian women.

Hecht's stories have appeared in "Harper's" and "The New Yorker." All of the stories in her debut collection "Do the Windows Open?" were first published in the "The New Yorker." The book features one narrator: a married, childless, 40-something photographer who takes pictures of flowers in decline. One reviewer writes, "the stories are breathtakingly funny. . . like other classic deadpan talkers. . . she doesn't even seem to realize how funny she is."