Writing

Novelist Tim O'Brien has been called "one of our most eloquent writers about Vietnam" (Playboy). "In the Lake of the Woods" is his new novel about a man whose involvement in the war is much like O'Brien's. Both were at the My Lai massacre, and they shared a need to be accepted -- which drove them to serve in the war.

Grossman has just written his third novel, "The Book of Intimate Grammar." It tells the story of a young Israeli boy struggling with his family and the world he lives in. Grossman's hero has been compared to Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield, as a boy fighting against growing up.

English professor and author Greg Sarris is part American Indian, Filipino, and Jewish, and was raised in both Indian and white families. He has just written two books related to his experiences growing up. "Grand Avenue" is a collection of short stories about whites and Native Americans tied by a common ancestor; "Mabel McKay: Weaving the Dream" is a biography of Sarris' aunt, a world-renowned basket weaver. Sarris teaches at UCLA.

Columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer Steve Lopez. He's just written his first novel, "Third and Indiana" about the hard life of North Philly. The origin of the story was a two-paragraph item Lopez read in the paper about a 14-year-old boy shot and killed on a drug corner. He was disturbed by the casualness and brevity of the report. Terry talks with Lopez about his new book, and about his popular columns.

Psychiatrist and novelist Roderick Anscombe. He oversees a psychiatric ward at a hospital outside of Boston, and has written a new novel that retells the Dracula myth, called "The Secret Life of Laszlo: Count Dracula." Anscombe says he wanted to "humanize" Dracula by making him more a man than a monster. In writing the book, Anscombe drew on his previous experience working with the criminally insane.

O'Brien spent twenty years as a reporter for the Chicago Sun Times. In 1988, she worked as Michael Dukakis' press secretary when he ran for president. She now writes novels; her latest is called "The Ladies Lunch," about a group of Washington women who meet weekly for lunch, until one of their group, the White House press secretary, dies a violent and mysterious death.

The Cuban-born poet and essayist has just written his first novel, "The Marks of Birth." It explores the experience of exile through the eyes of a young character whose family is forced to flee the political unrest of a Caribbean island-nation, and begin again in America. Medina has also written two collections of poems: "Pork Rind and Cuban Songs" and "Arching into the Afterlife," and a book of personal essays entitled "Exiled Memories: A Cuban Childhood."

Christopher Buckley has just written a new political satire, "Thank you for Smoking" (Random), which pokes fun at everything and everyone associated with the tobacco industry-- from anti-smoking advocates to tobacco company executives. Buckley was George Bush's speechwriter from 1981-1983 when Bush served as Vice President. The son of William F. Buckley, he is the author of other political and social satires, including "The White House Mess" and "Wet Work." He is the editor of "Forbes FYI" magazine.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan on the legacy of Dashiell Hammett, who was born one hundred years ago today.

Mystery writer Walter Mosley. He's written a new book in his series about gumshoe hero Easy Rawlins. It's called "Black Betty" (Norton). Betty's a shark of a woman who leaves dead men in her wake. Like the other books in the series, "Black Betty" has Easy in post-War, but pre-present South Central L.A.--this time the year is 1961. Mosley gained public attention when then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton said that Mosley was his favorite mystery writer.

Peru's eminent novelist and former presidential candidate Mario Vargas Llosa. Llosa is the author of many books including "Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter," (which was made into a movie, based on his own relationship with his 32-year old aunt, who he married at the age of 19), "The Storyteller," and "In Praise of the Stepmother." A London Times writer says of Llosa's novels that they are "among the finest coming out of Latin America." Llosa lived for many years in Europe.

Writer for the Village Voice and The Nation Pagan Kennedy. Kennedy ("Pagan" is not her real first name) has staked out a niche for herself as a "1970's survivor and devotee." Kennedy has written an investigation of that decade, seen through its artifacts and social upheaval, "Platforms: A Microwaved Cultural Chronicle of the 1970's" (St. Martins). In the 70's she says, "we inherited this idea of recycling culture.

Journalist and mystery writer Jon Katz. Katz is a media critic, . formerly for Rolling Stone and now for New York Magazine. First in Katz's "Death by Station Wagon" (Bantam) and now in his newly released "The Family Stalker" (Doubleday), soft boiled detective hero Kit Deleeuw cruises the streets of a fictional suburban community on crime-solving forays in his Volvo station wagon. Deleeuw lost his Wall Street job in the 80's.

Australian writer Thomas Keneally. His 1982 novel "Schindler's List" (Simon & Schuster) was turned into a film by Steven Spielberg; this year the film won an Oscar for Best Picture. He often uses historical events for his fiction: The Eritrean independence movement for "To Asmara"; the American Civil War for "Confederates"; the 18th century Australian convict camps for "The Playmaker". His newest novel is "Woman of the Inner Sea" (out in paperback this spring from Dutton).

Television executive and first time novelist, Eugene Stein. Stein's novel is "Straightjacket & Tie" (Ticknor & Fields) a coming of age story about a teenager beginning to understand his sexuality and his newly schizophrenic older brother. He is helped along by a family of wisecracking space aliens visible only to a small segment of the population, including "Jewish lefties with a family history of mental illness". Stein is a Vice President for Comedy at ABC Productions, and a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.

Novelist Benjamin Cheever. He's written a second novel, "The Partisan," (Atheneum). It follows on the heels of his first novel, "The Plagiarist." Both books are funny novels. Of his first, one reviewer wrote, "Wit and pathos, so finely meshed they become inseparable, buoy the main events in this achingly funny first novel. . . This is a touching, entertaining debut." Ben is the son of the late writer John Cheever. In writing his novels Ben said he finally found his own voice, separate from his father's.

Comedienne and superstar Roseanne Arnold. Her show "Roseanne" debuted in 1988 and has consistently been a top TV series. She has often made news--she forced out the show's executive producer in a dramatic confrontation, she went public with accusations of incest, she performed a controversial rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at a baseball game. In 1989, she published her first book, "Roseanne: My Life as a Woman" which became a best seller. Now she has written "My Lives" (Ballantine Books).

Lebanese-born author and journalist Hanan Al-Shaykh. Her novel "The Story of Zahra" (Anchor Books) has just been published in the United States. Several Arab countries have banned the book since its original publication 14 years ago. The Story of Zahra tells of a contemporary Lebanese woman struggling with life in her family and her war-ravaged native city of Beirut. Al-Shaykh's novel "Women of Sand and Myrrh" was published in the United States last year.

Caryl Phillips, author of five novels, a work of nonfiction and many scripts for film, theater, radio and television. His new novel,"Crossing the River" (Knopf), tells stories of slavery and the relationships forged by and among some of its perpetrators and victims. Phillips takes liberties with time in following the lives of three African children sold into slavery by their desperate father -- one freed and sent back to Africa as a missionary, one searching for her lost husband and child in the American wild west and one, a World War II GI stationed in Yorkshire, England.

A new interview with Updike. His new novel is "Brazil," (Knopf).