Dancing Notes on a Natural Man by Arlene Croce.

Musical Events Prophetic Strain by Andrew Porter.

Comment by Ian Frazier. We have received a letter from a friend, a young man who has told us that he thinks being funny is the most important thing in life.... Everybody has advice for Pres. Carter these days... I have made a simple list of my suggestions: 1. Avoid jackrabbit starts. 2. Wait...

Fiction The King of Jazz by Donald Barthelme. Trombonist Hokie Mokie is the king of jazz now that Spicy MacLammermoor is dead. He plays with several other musicians, including trombonist Hideo Yamaguchi from Japan. When playing "Smoke," Mokie sees that the Japanese is superior to him and declares him to be the new king of jazz. But, when...

The Current Cinema The Late Show by Pauline Kael. Review of "The Late Show", written and directed by Robert Benton. Produced by Robert Altman...

U. S. Journal by Calvin Trillin. U.S. JOURNAL: KENTUCKY about barbecued mutton, a unique regional specialty of western Kentucky. With Tom Chaney, a Kentuckian, the writer resolves to seek out the barbecued mutton. Tells about dinner with Tom and his father, Boots Chaney, at the concession restaurant at Mammoth Cave National Park. Mentions briefly the different...

The Talk of the Town Sale by E. J. Kahn. Talk story about the sale, in Montreal, of 11 "super olympian pole vault pits," and 11 "super olympian high jump pits," used in the 1976 Olympics. An advertisement in the New York "Times," asked interested persons to call Anthony R. Nelson, Manager, Revenue Analysis, Organizing Committee of the 1976 Olympic...

Fiction In The Miro District by Peter Taylor. My grandfather, when I first remember him, lived in the country, forty miles west of Nashville, but he was always driving over for visits of three or four days. My two parents thrust my grandfather's company upon me when I was growing up, as did everybody else with grandfathers and...

The Talk of the Town Inauguration by Philip Hamburger. Talk story about visit to Washington, D.C. before and during Jimmy Carter's inauguration. Visits a few points of interest in the city: the National Gallery where the exhibit, "Treasures of Tutankhamun," was on, the National Portrait Gallery in the Old Patent Building. Describes preparations for the inauguration, and parties prior...

The Talk of the Town Inauguration by Philip Hamburger. Talk story about Jimmy Carter's inauguration. Visits the National Portrait Gallery in the Old Patent Office Building where the current show is "Abroad in America: Visitors to the New Nation, 1776-1914...

The Marts of Trade RETAKING PITTSBURGH by John Brooks. THE MARTS OF TRADE about the first hostile takeover attempt of a large American company by a foreign one. On Sept. 2, 1975, Societe Imetal, a huge French-based holding company, with mining & mineral interests around the world, publicly announced that it intended to buy all the outstanding stock...

The Talk of the Town Underestimated Duck by Mark Singer. Tal story about profiteering in back issues of the comic book, "Howard the Duck," No. 1., published by Marvel Comics. Tells about how the comic book came to be published and how the first issue quickly became a collector's item selling at a huge profit, effected by speculators. Writer interviews...

Around City Hall Multiple Choice by Andy Logan. Eighteen or twenty New Yorkers' names are being mentioned for the 1977 mayoral race- Roy Goodman, Abe Beame, Nelson Rockefeller, John Zuccotti, Felix Rohatyn, John Calandra, Barry Farber, Mario Biaggi, Percy Sutton, Herman Badillo, Bella Abzug, Andrew Stein, Richard Ravitch, Edwar Costikyan, Joel Harnett, Edward Koch, and Stephen Berger. Such...

Books Plain People by Robert Coles.

The Race Track Aqueduct Carries On by G. F. T. Ryall. At Hialeah, at the sale of two-year-olds in training, a colt named Dewan Keys, brought $170,000. The buyers were Joe Morrissey and James L. Burst, both of Missouri. Mr. Burst said they bought the colt on the advice of Enoch Read, his 73-year-old trainer...

The Talk of the Town Stepping Out by Anthony Hiss. Talk story about the reopening of the Old Chelsea Restaurant, by Dick Harvey. The restaurant is now called Harvey's Chelsea Restaurant, and is located on the south side of 18th St. just west of Sixth Ave, The Chelsea first opened in 1889 and had a 40' bar of red burled...

The Theatre Off Broadway by Edith Oliver.

Poetry The Hours ( For Ingrid Erhardt, 1951-71) by Norman Dubie. The meadows are empty. There are two villages...

Poetry Like Wings by Philip Schultz. Last night I dreamed I was the first man to love a...