Bookworm

Playland (Random House) What has happened to innocence? A discussion of power and victimization in the thrillers of John Gregory Dunne.

The Wild Party: The Lost Classic by Joseph Moncure March (Pantheon Books)A talk -- about illustration and jazz-age poetry; political correctness and eroticism -- with the Pulitzer prize winning author of Maus.

Fatheralong The author on memory, paternity and ethnicity.

In the Lake of the Woods An argument: Who tells the story--the politician, the novelist or the killer?

The Informers Host Michael Silverblatt and author Ellis agree to avoid controversy and content, and instead discuss style, character, intention and technique.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life The lovable Anne Lamott reveals the techniques she uses to teach fiction to writers who are beginning to face creative and emotional blocks.

The Fran Lebowitz Reader On American humor: James Thurber, Robert Benchley, Dawn Powell--plus a digression on humorists who write children---s books.

A discussion of autobiography: Doris Lessing on self, memory and history.

Knowing When to Stop A demanding conversation with a modern composer about setting poetry to music, featuring a love duet with text by Frank O---Hara.

Closing Time Has Yossarian sold out? Can a sequel to Catch-22 be written? How does Heller feel about the fate of his later novels?