What happened on September 18, 2005
OPINION
Black snakes, white spiders Leonce Gaiter, Leonce Gaiter is the author of "Bourbon Street," a novel about race and class in New Orleans.
Uncovering the truth Omar Sacirbey, Omar Sacirbey is an Alicia Patterson Foundation fellow.
A city of saints and Sancho Panza James Lee Burke, JAMES LEE BURKE is the author of "Crusader's Cross" and 24 other novels.
Eyeing the storm Joel Pett, Joel Pett is the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist of the Lexington Herald-Leader. His work also appears in USA Today.
Fluffy towels and rising seas Richard Conniff, RICHARD CONNIFF is the author of "The Ape in the Corner Office: Understanding the Workplace Beast in All of Us" (Crown, 2005). This article was adapted from Discover Magazine.
The U.N.'s terrorism gap Joshua Muravchik, JOSHUA MURAVCHIK is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the new book "The Future of the United Nations: Understanding the Past to Chart a Way Forward" (AEI Press).
The oro years Walter Russell Mead, Walter Russell Mead is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author, most recently, of "Power, Terror, Peace and War: America's Grand Strategy in a World at Risk."
For a bestseller, forget subject and prose -- but not gifts Michael D'Antonio, Michael D'Antonio's 11th book, "Hershey," will be published by Simon & Schuster in January. It tells the story of industrialist M.S. Hershey and his chocolate empire.
Lust in the time of Mallomars Marc Weingarten, MARC WEINGARTEN's book, "The Gang That Wouldn't Write Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion and the New Journalism Revolution," will be published in November by Crown.
Don't ignore the senior death wish Hilary Abramson, Hilary Abramson, a Pacific News Service contributing editor, is a recent recipient of a Fund for Investigative Journalism grant for health reporting.
MAGAZINE
Money, Honey Kent Black and Avital Binshtock
Homeless Fred Schruers, Fred Schruers is a writer based in Venice.
For Crying Out Loud Martin Miller, Martin Miller is a Times staff writer whose last essay for the magazine was a defense of the frown.
Mr. Paranoia Dick Lochte, Dick Lochte is a novelist living in Santa Monica. His most recent book, written with Christopher Darden, is "Lawless" (NAL/Onyx).
Wild Art Michael A. Hiltzik, Michael A. Hiltzik writes the "Golden State" business column for The Times. His latest book is "The Plot Against Social Security."
BOOKS
You've got literature Patt Morrison, Patt Morrison is a columnist for The Times.
Freedom crusade Richard Eder, Richard Eder, former book critic for The Times, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1987.
A free-market primer for the classroom Richard Lee Colvin, Richard Lee Colvin, a former education writer for The Times, directs the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media at Columbia University's Teachers College.
Philip Roth: personal, political and prescient Paul Krassner, Paul Krassner, former editor of the Realist, is the author of "One Hand Jerking: Reports From an Investigative Satirist," to be published by Seven Stories Press in November.
Class divide Sandy Banks, Sandy Banks is a staff writer who has written about education issues for The Times.
Oddball stew, well done Michael Mewshaw, Michael Mewshaw is the author of six nonfiction books and 10 novels, including the most recent, "Island Tempest."