The Talk of the Town Under a Montresor Moon by Jane Boutwell. Talk story about the New York City Opera celebrating its 31st birthday with a new production of Puccini's "Turandot." Writer attended the dress rehearsal, where he spoke with Rachel Mathes, the new City Opera Turandot. She is a statuesque Southern woman, who in an Alabama drawl, related to writer how...

Reflections PROLOGUE TO OUR TIME by Lewis Mumford. REFLECTIONS in which writer deplores 20th cen. progress through mechanization & the resulting dehumanization. He was born in Oct, 1895, & at that period the world was looking forward to more & more technological progress which was deemed good. There were few voices in opposition. Progress was the doctrine of...

The Talk of the Town Crazy Items by Anthony Hiss. Talk story about attending the Variety Merchandise Show at the N. Y. Coliseum with comedians Henny Youngman and Milt Moss(who has done an Alka-Seltzer commercial.) Henny Youngman's brother, Lester, makes safety pins with a dime soldered on them called dimeand pins. Henny set his brother up in this...

Letter from Brasilia by Tad Szulc. Elections held Nov. 15 in Brazil resulted in unquestioned censure of the military dictatorship, as the M.D.B. got more votes than expected, although the right-wing ARENA party retained the majority. Describes the 2 parties. The results of the elections, the first free elections in Brazil since the military revolution...

Musical Events ROCK, ETC. by Ellen Willis. Lists writer's choices for top ten best albums of 1975...

The Talk of the Town Tilt by Hendrik Hertzberg. Talk story about pinball machines. Pinball was outlawed in New York in the 1930's. Mayor LaGuardia caused the law to be enacted in an attempt to clean up slot machines that fleeced the poor of their nickels and furnished organized crime with a rich source of income. LaGuardia's personal...

The Theatre TAKING IT EASY by Brendan Gill.

Dancing Looks What's Going On by Arlene Croce.

The Race Track Not So Foolish by G. F. T. Ryall. A sign in the Frenchman's Kitchen at Aqueduct and Belmont Park: "Eat your betting money but never bet your eating money...

The Talk of the Town Gumbo by Mark Singer. Talk story about Opening Day last week at Aqueduct Race Track and the financial problems facing the N.Y. Racing Assoc. "Gumbo" describes the condition of the track on Opening Day which was sloppy from all the rain. Tells about the improvements made on the track in the last 15 yrs...

Fiction The Children by Arturo Vivante. Writer finds that after his travels by car through Greece, he is left with enough money for one more meal At the ferry station, which would take him to the harbor city of Brindisi, Italy, he meets Jim, an actor he once worked with in Rome. They decide to travel...

The Talk of the Town Gumbo by Anthony Hiss. Talk story about Opening Day last week at Aqueduct Race Track. Ellie FitzSimons is the P.R. woman for the track...

The Air (On Television) THE MEDIA DRAMAS OF NORMAN LEAR by Michael J. Arlen.

Comment by James Stevenson. Tells about visit to Harding Park, N.Y., where writer spoke with ex-Fire Dept. Chief Ed Pache, who showed off the firehouse of Aviation Volunteer Fire Dept. No. 3, where the current fire engine, a 1951 Ward LaFrance pumper & 2 ambulances are parked. There was a display of framed...

The Current Cinema New York Self-Hatred for Fun and Profit: Notes on "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" by Pauline Kael. Long review of Neil Simon's play, made into a movie, "The Prisoner of Second Avenue", which stars Jack Lemmon. Long discussion of Lemmon...

Fiction How It Was In America A Week Ago Tuesday by Garrison Keillor. Writer and friends were sitting around in a large Mid-western city one night when they decided to write a magazine article the subject of which would be numerous everyday, small events going on in America on a Tuesday. The story is similar to the now-defunct Life magazine's recent...

Fiction The Lists of the Past-I : The Stories of the House by Julie Hayden. Daughter reminisces about her deceased father, Ben. She recalls his plans and activities involving the care on the large house she was raised in. She sees him working diligently in one of the three gardens surrounding the house. The house and its gardens and lawns demand perpetual care. Throughout the...

Books Scarlet Letters by George Steiner.

Poetry Composition in Black and White by Katha Pollitt. All day long they have sat here...

Poetry Chidlhood by Charles Wright. Shrunken and drained dry, turning transparent...