Graham Parker Settles Gracefully into Middle Age

McPherson is currently working on a new book about the aftermath of the Romanian Revolution. An excerpt of the book recently appeared in the literary magazine, "Granta."

Book critic John Leonard reviews Denis Johnson's novel, "Resuscitation of a Hanged Man," about a man recovering from a botched suicide attempt who goes on to become a part-time private eye in Provincetown.

In 1971, writer Lorene Cary was one of the first black female students to be enrolled at St. Paul's, a private prep school in New Hampshire; Cary grew up middle class in Philadelphia. Her memoir about entering the privileged, elite world of the school is called "Black Ice."