Comment by James Lardner. The question of civilian casualties moved briefly to the forefront of the war news last week, only to be displaced by the story that in wartime always comes first: the prospect of peace. Tells about an air raid shelter or "command-and-control facility" in which hundreds of women and...

The Talk of the Town God's Love We Deliver by Vajra Kilgour. Talk story about God's Love We Deliver, Inc., which daily prepares more than three hundred meals, and serves them to homebound people with AIDS. The organization was founded by Ganga Stone; its kitchen is in the basement of the West-Park Presbyterian Church, at Amsterdam and 86th St. It has...

The Talk of the Town Official Duties by David Owen. Talk story about becoming a notary public. The writer became interested in being a notary by reading The National Notary and Notary Viewpoint, two magazines published by the National Notary Association. These publications cover the notarial world with almost unbelievable care. In Connecticut, to become a notary you must be...

The Talk of the Town Takeout by Richard Woodward. Talk story about Harley Spiller who has assembled what may be the largest group of Chinese-takeout menus ever seen. Under the title "A Million Menus" his "celebration of Chinese take-out food in America" has just opened at the Franklin Furnace, the downtown performance space and artists' book archive...

Fiction Women of the Wilderness by Roz Chast. Ten drawings from a book entitled "Women of the Wilderness", by Mindy Melnikoff...

Fiction Farrell's Caddie by John Updike. When Farrell signed up, with seven other aging members of his local Long Island club, for a week of golf at the Royal Caledonian Links, in Scotland, he didn't foresee the relationship with the caddies. Farrell's caddie, Sandy, is a prematurely wizened Celt, or Pict; Farrell is shocked to realize...

Fiction Old Flame by William Trevor. In 1951, Charles, married to Zoe, had an affair with Audrey, a beautiful young woman who worked in his office. Audrey lived with her plain friend, Grace, with whom she'd become close during the war. Charles told Zoe that he wished to leave her and their two children. But he...

Annals of Enterprise I-HOT METAL by Richard Preston. ANNALS OF ENTERPRISE about steel making & the Nucor Corp., the 10th largest steel company in the U.S. Writer first visited their hq. in Charlotte, N.C. in 1988 & spoke with F. Kenneth Iverson, chairman & CEO. Nucor owned 22 manufacturing plants all over the U.S. The plants made steel...

American Chronicles YOU DON'T ASK, YOU DON'T GET by Calvin Trillin. AMERICAN CHRONICLES about a series of lawsuits surrounding the copyright & royalties to the song "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?". After the ostensible co-writer of the song, Frankie Lymon died, a battle developed over whether one or another of Lymon's possible widows was the rightful heir. Two of...

The Theatre GOOD NEWS by Edith Oliver.

Musical Events by Andrew Porter.

The Current Cinema MOTH AND FLAME by Terrence Rafferty.

Letter from Washington by Elizabeth Drew. Tells about the Persian Gulf war. Despite the comings and goings in Iran of officials of various nations, and talk out of there of a possible mediation of a ceasefire, no such thing seemed possible in Washington. Margaret Tutwiler --the State Department spokesman--summed it up in early February: "What's...

A Critic at Large AUDUBON'S PASSION by Adam Gopnik. A CRITIC AT LARGE about John James Audubon. In 1820 he was seized by his "Great Idea" & for the next 30 years-until his death in 1851-he raced from Florida to Labrador, drawing a picture of every American bird & American beast. He ended with 584 paintings. Last...

Poetry Three Poems by Zbigniew Herbert. Sometimes Mr. Cogito Receives Strange Letters Mrs. Amelia from Darmstadt asks for...

Poetry On the Old Way by W. S. Merwin. After twelve years and a death...