The Talk of the Town Life Downstate by Mark Singer. Talk story about a 2-day visit to the city by about 20 New York State farmers. The farmers were invited by State Assembly Speaker Stanley Fink, of Brooklyn, who was returning the hospitality shown him by the farmers when he toured the state. The farmers' itinerary included visits to...

The Talk of the Town Big Coat by Susan Lardner. Talk story about Janet, whom the writer meets on the uptown westside IRT. She enjoys talking with people she does not know on the subway, although many people are too shy or too busy reading. All Janet reads anymore are envelopes, all of which have questions on them, like - "Should...

A Reporter at Large 1980: BUSH by Elizabeth Drew. REPORTER AT LARGE about George Bush's campaign in New Hampshire. He is seeking the Republican nomination for Pres. Writer joined him in Laconia, N.H. on his 47th day of politicking in N.H. 38 of those days were in 1979, and he also made several stops in the state in 1978...

The Air (On Television) Hype in the Snow by Michael J. Arlen.

The Current Cinema by Roger Angell. Review of "Blood Feud", Miss Wertmuller's recent film. Writer discusses her work and some of her other films...

The Theatre THE SEACOAST OF MISSOURI by Brendan Gill.

U. S. Journal THE RETURN (PERHAPS) OF LAS GORRAS BLANCAS by Calvin Trillin. U.S. JOURNAL: LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO about racial problems at the New Mexico Highlands University, in Las Vegas, New Mexico. A group calling itself Las Gorras Blancas has claimed resposibility for attacks against black students at the school. The group's name (literally "The White Caps") dates to 1889, the year...

Books Lewis Carroll by V. S. Pritchett.

The Talk of the Town Revisited by Lillian Ross. Talk story about an interview with playwright Edward Albee on the occasion of the opening, and closing, after 12 performances, of his play, "The Lady from Dubuque." Albee discusses the economic implications of the play's rapid closure, and the part that the drama critics played in that event. Despite the...

Comment by Jonathan Schell. Not long ago, we took note of the distressing news that great numbers of books are being printed on a kind of paper that rapidly disintegrates. Our confidence has been further shaken by the discovery that at least one large bookstore in town provides small shopping baskets, of the kind...

Fiction A Vermont Tale by Mark Helprin. As children, the writer and his sister spend the month of January on their grandparents' farm in Vermont while their parents are having marital difficulties. Describes the cold, the farm, the grandparents. One night during a blizzard, they hear the cry of the loon and their grandfather tells them a...

Fiction A Time to Speak by H. F. Ellis. Twice in his life, writer has found himself asking naive questions in the presence of experts. The first time, he was with 3 agriculturalists, livestock breeders on an international scale. During a pause in their highly technical conversation, he heard himself asking like a 4-year-old, "Why are bullsO...

Profiles EASIER THAN WORKING by Whitney Balliett. PROFILE of the jazz pianist Dick Wellstood. Writer talks to Wellstood one night at Eddie Condon's during a long engagement playing for the cocktail crowd, from 5:30-8:30. Gives a sample of his booking dates from a 6-month period. He was born in Greenwich, Conn. in 1927, and began to...

Musical Events Impressions by Nicholas Kenyon.

Poetry Hopital Albert Schweitzer by Gregory Orr. I pass the old beggar who sits...

Poetry Clearing the Yard by David Pollens. Come March it is time...