The Talk of the Town Chocolate by William McKibben. Talk story about a party to celebrate the reopening of the Godiva chocolate shop on Fifth Avenue and the introduction of Godiva's new chocolate-truffle line. Gary Schroeder, the company's product manager, said that the truffles are very fresh and fragile. They have eight varieties, one of which is white...

The Talk of the Town Ergonomic Break by James Lardner. Talk story about Dr. Clifford Gross, president of the Biomechanics Corporation of America, who is developing a range of products and services designed to help people keep their backs in working order. Writer visited Dr. Gross at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, on the campus of the New...

U. S. Chronicles TELLING A KENTUCKY STORY by Calvin Trillin. U.S. CHRONICLES about Tom Chaney, of Horse Cave, Kentucky, who was recently jailed for three months for allowing marijuana to be grown on his farm. Tells about Tom, his family, and his love of telling stories. Writer from the start thought of him as a Kentucky storyteller--the sort of...

Jazz JAZZ VIC by Whitney Balliett. Obituary of trombonist Vic Dickenson, who died in November at the age of 78...

The Talk of the Town Wilson's Light by Kennedy Fraser. Talk story about a lighting rehearsal for the forthcoming revival of the opera "Einstein on the Beach," directed by Robert Wilson, with music by Philip Glass. Tells about the things that go on onstage as Wilson arranges the lighting changes with Beverly Emmons, the lighting director. It is being presented...

Books by Mollie Panter-Downes.

Comment by William McKibben. Comment by young staff writer about three recent murders of young people. Caroline Isenberg, a Harvard graduate living on the Upper West Side, was murdered during a robbery and attempted rape on the roof of her building. Writer didn't know her, except by sight--he had seen her act when...

Profiles THE STAFFS OF LIFE III-FIAT PANIS by E. J. Kahn. PROFILE of wheat...

Fiction Our Side of the Story by Veronica Geng. On their first date, drinking Rolling Rock beer at the Superba, writer and Ed told each other all the stories they'd heard about how horrible the other was. They became highly aware that anecdotal material in reportage, while useful, needs to be interpreted very cautiously. They found that many people...

Books by Mollie Panter-Downes.

Fiction Kid MacArthur by Stephanie Vaughn. Writer's father was in the Army, and her family moved a lot. Her father, who had been in the Second World War, taught her younger brother MacArthur how to shoot a gun when he was 10. When she left high school, she went to college. When MacArthur left high school...

Dancing by Arlene Croce.

Musical Events by Andrew Porter.

Poetry Cardiac Arrest by Nicholas Christopher. This is the time when the gods come/for your heart. /Down...

Poetry Desires of Here and There by John Hollander. We of the NorthNthe soundless, beating part/Of the recumbent...