Letter from London by Mollie Panter-Downes. The Labour Party chose James Callaghan as Prime Minister after Harold Wilson's unexpected resignation. Mr. Callaghan was long considered the heir apparent and his winning excited neither particular pleasure nor pain. He was, however, not the unanimously prefered candidate of either the press or the public. The early withdrawal of...

The Talk of the Town Gunplay by Ian Frazier. Talk story about a meeting of the Federation of Greater New York Rifle and Pistol Clubs, Inc. at the Beacon Theatre. The meeting was billed as "A Salute to Bill Jordan and the United States of America-A Bicentennial Spectacular Celebrating Over 200 Years of Lawfully Armed Citizenry Helping to...

Comment by Jonathan Schell. A striking aspect of the 1976 Presidential primaries is how little they reflect the events of the country's recent past. The first event to disappear was the Vietnam War. During the Mayaguez incident, President Ford did just what Vietnam should have taught him not to do: he unleashed force without...

Annals of Law Taking the Fifth~III by Richard Harris. ANNALS OF LAW about the Fifth Amendment which protects individuals against self-incrimination and a case involving abrogation of this constitutional right. Two women, Ellen Grusse and Marie Theresa (Terri) Turgeon refused to answer questions put to them by the FBI and later a grand jury. They ended in jail...

Fiction Prince Philip Will Not Be Stereotyped by George W. S. Trow. Prince Philip has started an interior-decorating firm in his continuing efforts to express himself in his own way and not rely on his wife's fame for his identity. He has tried acting and a late-night television program, failing in both endeavors...

The Race Track Zen and the Derby by G. F. T. Ryall. The three Aisquith brothers are Maryland businessmen, who own Double Edge Sword...

Letter from Washington by Richard H. Rovere. Before the Wisconsin and New York primaries, it was felt that no possible outcome could much affect the candidacies of Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Henry Jackson, and Jimmy Carter. At present, Reagan's campaign is in deep financial trouble and it seems unlikely that he can arrive at the convention with...

The Theatre Off Broadway by Edith Oliver.

The Talk of the Town All-Star by Mark Singer. Talk story about a Bicentennial public forum at N.Y.U. on the topic "American Law: The Third Century." A couple of years ago, Bernard Schwartz, a professor of Constitutional and administrative law at N.Y.U., came up with the idea. Since then, he has acted as a one-man committee to bring...

Around City Hall History by Andy Logan. Review several demonstrations that were held in front of City Hall which has been replaced by state and federal offices as a rallying point. Groups mentioned here are: Puerto Ricans supporting Mayor Beame's Puerto Rican candidate for head of NYC's Community Development Agency and those Puerto Ricans opposing Beame's choice...

Fiction Estelle by Elizabeth Cullinan. The narrator, Margaret Fisher, has always been uncomfortable with her name. A reserved and serious girl, she was always called Peggy, a name suggesting a lively and gregarious nature. She was named after her father's mother, who, along with her father's sisters, she did not see for 10 years. Peggy's...

Books From the House of the Dead by George Steiner.

The Current Cinema Hitch by Penelope Gilliatt. Review of Hitchcock's latest film, "Family Plot...

The Talk of the Town Pickles by Mark Singer. Talk story about Guss Pickles, Inc., a pickle store which has been located on Hester Street for almost 50 years. Lou lichter, a man in his early forties, has worked at Guss Pickles for sixteen years, since he married the daughter of the founder, and is now the manager. Isadore...

Musical Events The Matter of Mexico by Andrew Porter.

Fiction A Place In Italy by Arturo Vivante. An American painter, spending a year in Italy with his family, wants to buy a house. His family had a country house near Siena but he sold it after his parents died. A real-estate man from the town of Orvieto shows him an old, abandoned farmhouse with a stone...

Poetry The Evening Plane To Bridgeport by Kathleen Spivack. It's as if you'd taken the roof...

Poetry Cancer: A Dream by L. E. Sissman. After the morning shooting, I repair...