The Talk of the Town The Fourth by Ian Frazier. Talk story about the Bicentennial celebrations on July 4th in lower Manhattan: at Independence Plaza, the new apartment complex overlooking the harbor north of the World Trade Center, at City Hall, in Little Italy and Chinatown. Writer strolled around the ethnic minifestivals, of which there were 21. All autos were...

The Race Track Matters of Weight by G. F. T. Ryall. Trainer of Erwin Boy, who won the Tidal Handicap at the Big A over the holiday weekend. Conway is one of the writer's favorite trainers. Tells what he did with Erwin Boy in the past & what his plans are...

Reflections A Strictly Personal Business~II by Saul Bellow. REFLECTIONS about Israel. Writer visits Jerusalem and talks with Israelis about the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is not optimistic about a peaceful resolution. Tells about accomplishments of Teddy Kollek, mayor of Jerusalem, whom writer calls Israel's most valuable political asset. Discussion of the 3 vol. study, "The Venture of Islam...

Jazz New York Notes by Whitney Balliett.

Fiction Untitled-Ink On Paper by Sheila Ballantyne. Internal dialogue in which writer thinks about her husband, who is also her psychiatrist, and about where to bury the remains of her father. Should she or should she not bury his ashes next to those of her mother? She has learned from Mr. Vernon of Mt. Vernon Memorial Park...

The Talk of the Town The Fourth by Andy Logan. Talk story about the Bicentennial celebration on the Fourth of July in lower Manhattan. Tells about crowds at Independence Plaza, the new apartment complex overlooking the harbor north of the World Trade Center, at City Hall, in Little Italy and Chinatown. Six million people came to the city, two million...

The Current Cinema Vivat Satanas! by Penelope Gilliatt. Writer discusses the popularity of the Devil in current films. Review of "The Devil Within Her" and mention of "The Omen", These are recent, others slightly older, are also mentioned...

Books A Woman Young and Old by Desmond Shawe-Taylor.

The Talk of the Town The Fourth by Ian Frazier. Talk story about July 4th in lower Manhattan. Liz DeCarlo is the cleaning woman on the 18th floor here, at "The New Yorker" office. She was out a couple of weeks last month after a picture fell on her foot. She walked 3 1/2 miles in Bay Ridge to get...

Comment by William Shawn. Thr Fourth of July, 1976, was unlike any other day we can remember. It was as if a day had descended upon our nation from somewhere else. Yet it was ours. It couldn't be mistaken for anything but an American day... It had an unplanned, unarranged quality. Govt. officials took...

The Talk of the Town The Fourth by Ved Mehta. Talk story about how Dr. Amolak Ram Mehta spent July 4th. He is an elderly man from India, who is 80, visiting New York City for a few weeks. Perturbed about the crush of vigorous holiday New Yorkers, he spent the day in his hotel room on E. 74th St...

Fiction From The Journal of a Leper by John Updike. The writer, who keeps a journal, is a leper. He earns his...

Poetry Grimoire by Stephen Dobyns. You invite me to a banquet in your honor...

Poetry The Mystery Of Emily Dickinson by Marvin Bell. Sometimes the weather goes on for days...

Poetry The Lull by Anthony Hecht. Through a loose camouflage...