Comment by William Shawn. Obituary of John Lennon, who was murdered on Monday evening, Dec. 8, 1980...

Reflections GETTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE by William Pfaff. REFLECTIONS about Eastern Europe & Russia. When Stalin ordained that Poland's frontiers be moved westward at the end of WWII, giving Russia territory in the East while extending Poland into formerly German territories in the west, he believed he was solving the basic problem of Soviet national security. This...

Fiction Mousse by Mavis Gallant. Parody of election rumors surrounding a French politician named Sylvain Mousse. He has divested himself of all his worldly goods. An underground newspaper suspects he is living in dread of revelations in their files. Other respectable newspapers reluctantly decided to run a trumped-up photo of Mousse in a compromising...

The Current Cinema Poses by Pauline Kael. Review of "Heaven's Gate", a three hour and thirty-nine minute film by writer-director Michael Cimino. The day after the first disastrous press screenings, United Artists made the announcement that at Cimino's request the film in its present form was being withdrawn...

Fiction The Future by Joseph McElroy. Ann is a divorced woman and Davey her 12-year-old son. One evening, after she comes home, they mutually decide to go out for dinner. They dine at an inexpensive French restaurant and discuss Davey's plans for the weekend. They order their food, eat it, talk about Davey's studies...

Our Far-Flung Correspondents COVENT GARDEN by Calvin Trillin. OUR FAR-FLUNG CORRESPONDENTS about the new Market in Covent Garden, London. In 1974, the fruit-and-vegetable dealers who worked in Covent Garden for 150 years moved to Battersea. The Greater London Council undertook the development of the Market in 1968. It opened last summer. Writer describes the Market...

Musical Events Landmarks by Andrew Porter.

Our Local Correspondents MAX by Whitney Balliett. OUR LOCAL CORRESPONDENTS about Max Gordon, owner and operator of the Village Vanguard, Seventh Ave. South and 11th St. Max has been in business since 1934. Lists some of the many prominent performers whose careers started at the Vanguard. Gordon has written an autobiography called "Live at the Village Vanguard...

The Talk of the Town Gala by Jane Boutwell. Talk story about the third annual Kennedy Center Honors, in Washington, at which awards are given to distinguished figures in the performing arts. One of those honored was Leonard Bernstein, who is 62 but still active in his career...

Books A Form of Conversation by V. S. Pritchett.

The Talk of the Town Principles by E. J. Kahn. Talk story about an interview with the Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, pastor of the Zion Baptist Church, in Philadelphia, and the only black director in the history of General Motors. "Apartheid" refers to the system in South Africa which provides for separate development of the races. Dr. Sullivan has...

The Art World (The Art Galleries) Boom by Calvin Tomkins.

The Theatre Missing the Target by Edith Oliver.

The Talk of the Town Crafts by Daniel Menaker. Talk story about the 1980 WBAI Holiday Crafts Fair at Columbia University last weekend. Tells some of the facts writer learned about glass, such as the temperature at which it melts and with what components you can make your own glass...

Poetry Your Christmas Present by Dave Smith. This year we are sending you combs of honey...

Poetry The Garden of Earthly Delights by David Wagoner. We stand in bright pools together, waiting with crows...