The Talk of the Town Peruvian Conservationist by Faith McNulty. Talk story about Felipe Benavides, who is Peru's leading conservationist...

The Talk of the Town Books by Anthony Hiss. Talk story about the reopening of the Eighth Street Bookshop at 17 W. 8th St. on the occasion of its recovery from a fire set by arsonists 6 months ago. Mentions several of its charge customers. Tells about party celebrating the reopening. Describes changes in the organization and decor of...

U. S. Journal Some People I Have Dealt With at Renninger's by Calvin Trillin. U.S. JOURNAL about Renninger's flea market, a huge sprawl of connected sheds where a few hundred dealers man booths every Sunday to sell "antiques, collectibles, decorative items, and investment items...

The Talk of the Town Opryland by Mark Singer. Talk story about writer's visit to the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee. 2 1/2 years ago, the Opry moved out of the Ryman Auditorium into the new Opry House at Opryland, U.S.A., nine miles outside of Nashville. The new Opryland has "major thrill rides, petting zoos, and quaint little...

Books Texts and Men by John Updike.

Fiction The Element by W. S. Merwin. The young man had vener been to the city. He took the night train from the country, and arrived early in the morning. The professor's note from the capital had said wimply to come on the ninth. He found his way to the architecture building at the university. But the...

Comment by Jonathan Schell. The "new season" this year has brought with it reports of events of more lasting significance than usual... Over the last several months the odds on survival have fallen slightly... In Taiwant the govt. build a reprocessing plant capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium. The other day Taiwanese officials announced...

The Theatre OPEN FOR BUSINESS by Brendan Gill.

The Current Cinema CHARMED LIVES by Pauline Kael.

Letter from Washington by Richard H. Rovere. Analysis of the Ford-Carter debate, which was rather dull. The sponsoring organization, the League of Women Voters, had hoped that putting the men together on the same platform would generate a kind of tension that would somehow bring out qualities in both that had not been manifest when each...

Musical Events POPULAR RECORDS by Douglas Watt. Entire column on the career of Jerome Kern and review of albums of his work...

Dept. of Amplification by Ved Mehta. DEPARTMENT OF AMPLIFICATION about political prisoners in India since Prime Minister Ghandi declared a national emergency on June 26, 1975. There have been constant reports of torture and mistreatment of political prisoners and Amnesty International and other independent bodies have made repeated requests for an investigation of such reports, but...

Letter from Macao by Robert Shaplen. Macao was a Portuguese colony. Now the Portuguese are holding it in trust for China indefinitely as "a special territory". This odd but amicable arrangement is the result of a tacit compromise between Lisbon & Peking. It is hard to tell how long this arrangement will endure, but the chances...

Fiction At Lunch With The Rock Critic Establishment by George W. S. Trow. Narrator attends luncheon, given by Modern Rhythm Record's publicity department, for the Rock Critic Establishment. Tells about the feuds and friendships within the group. Vivian Aspair, editor of "Mother Rock," was there, causing trouble. Lester Rax, the most important member of the group, was there, ignoring Vivian. Press kits, containing...

The Race Track Here Are Ladies by G. F. T. Ryall. In the first division of the Lawrence Realization Stakes, the winner was Howard P. Wilson's Great Contractor...

A Reporter at Large What They Were Hunting For~II by John McPhee. A REPORTER AT LARGE about Alaska and the hunt for a new capital site there. Tells about the beginnings of Juneau as a gold mining town in the 1880's. Tells about Juneau today and arguments for and against moving the capital away from there. Tells about recent construction there...

The Sporting Scene ON THE BALL by Roger Angell. THE SPORTING SCENE about different kinds of pitches; the fastball, the slider, the knuckleball, and the spitball. Tells about the size and composition of the official baseball. Few pitchers have thrived in the major leagues without a fastball, and all hitters fear one. A fastball crosses the plate at about...

Poetry Stone Canyon Nocturne by Charles Wright. Ancient of Days, old friend, no one believes you'll come...

Poetry Henry Manley, Living Alone, Keeps Time by Maxine Kumin. Sundowning...

Poetry The Turn by Frederick Morgan. The door of the shed...

Poetry Scene by Richard Hugo. One day at a time. And one barn...