The Talk of the Town Commissioner by E. J. Kahn. Talk story about Elinor Guggenheimer, new Commissioner of Consumer Affairs. Tells about interviewing her in her Park Ave. apartment. She has been in city government for nearly 30 years, and is married to lawyer Randolph Guggenheimer. She says that one trouble she encounters is that consumer questions are spread across...

The Talk of the Town Britannica 3 by Geoffrey T. Hellman. A talk story about Britannica 3, Encyclopaedia Britannica's new and innovative 15th edition. Dr. Robert M. Hutchins is chairman of the E.B.'s Bd. of Editors, and the architect of this 15th edition...

Fiction Grief by Daniel Menaker. David is a 21-year-old young man staying with an elderly uncle on a farm near Great Barrington, Mass. As David chops wood, memories of previous vacations and holidays spent with his brother, as children, on the farm are recalled. Later David converses with his uncle, who is outraged...

Comment by Jonathan Schell. The papers last week brought us news of the loss of a piece of American history and the restoration of a piece of Russian history. The piece of American history--what Pres. Nixon said to his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, on June 20, 1972, 3 days after the Watergate...

The Talk of the Town Skirl by Jane Boutwell. Talk story about the rare appearance of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Writer tells about the big turnout for the opening, a performance of "Richard II". Lists some of the notables who were there including Mayor Abraham Beame and Paul Lepercq, chairman of the board...

Musical Events by Shaw Shawe-Taylor.

Reflections II-THE AMERICAN CONDITION by Richard N. Goodwin. Discussed at some length in REFLECTIONS about the American social process. In the 7 years from 1938 to 1945, the Gross National Product more than doubled. In that same period, govt. spending rose from 12 billion eight hundred million dollars to 82 billion nin hundred million, while private investment increased...

The Theatre by Edith Oliver.

Fiction The Photographs by Donald Barthelme. Dr. Reginald Hobson, F.R.S., of Britain's Cavendish Laboratory shows a friend and colleague, Dr. Winston Watnick-Mealie, photos which he had Pioneer 10 (the first spacecraft to navigate the outer solar system) take on Dec. 14, 1973. The photos, shown in Figures 1 and 2, are of the human soul...

Letter from Indo-China by Robert Shaplen. One year after the ceasefire agreement of Jan. 27, 1974 Vietnamese leaders are incapable of stopping the war & be ginning serious political talks. The battle continues to be primarily a strategic jockeying for territory. The Communists deny that they want to restart the war; they insist their aim is...

Letter from London by Mollie Panter-Downes. On Monday evening (Jan. 14) the Government turned down the offer of the Trade Union Congress leaders to help bring the miners' dispute to an end. They promised to hold back other wage claims if the all-important miners could get what they are asking for, but this offer was...

The Current Cinema CICELY TYSON GOES TO THE FOUNTAIN by Pauline Kael.

The Talk of the Town Milk Route by Susan Sheehan. Talk story about one of the last remaining independent, milk-route owners making deliveries to Manhattan homes. The route owner is Angelo Guagenti, 31, with 15 years experience in the milk business. A couple of years ago he acquired a Milk and Milk Products Class B retail license for Manhattan...

Poetry Corps d'Esprit by Heather McHugh. Just when you're able to admit...