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Books Page 8 Section 14 Chicago Tribune, Sunday, January 31, 1999 MULTIMEDIA 3. LISTENER'S GUIDE What's new on audio cassette A SIMPLE PLAN WORDS FOR WRITERS Illustration by Barbara CummlngsLA. Times Syndicate Literary lapse A family drama that initially engages but eventually disappoints THE RIGHT TO WRITE: An Invitation and Initiation Into the Writing Life By Julia Cameron, Audio Renaissance, approximately 3 hours, abridged, 1 6.95. Read by the author. In the tradition of Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird" and Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within," Julia Cameron provides a basic guide made up of homespun advice and simple exercises, like filling out postcards to encourage people to write.

The popular author of "The Artist's Way" claims in this work that to write is human nature, so nobody should resist the urge. Cameron's own writing, however, is too precious for anybody but the most rosy-eyed beginner. A better choice is one of the other audiotapes mentioned above. By Scott Smith, Simon Schuster Audio, approximately 3 hours, abridged, $18. Read by Griffin Dunne.

Set in rural Ohio, Scott Smith's gripping story concerns three men who stumble upon a single-engine airplane hidden by snow in the woods near their homes. When one of the men discovers a duffel bag filled with $3 million, he concocts a simple, if tragically misguided, plan to keep the money and not get caught A special point of interest is that Smith's first novel differs in small, intriguing ways from the recent movie version. Fred Hamerman HIP AND UNHAPPY EVENING NEWS By Marly Swick Little, Brown, 356 pages, $23 By Donna Seaman Marly Swick's deep and abiding preoccupation with the complexities of emotion, especially sorrow, is evident in her tender and meticulous short-story collections, "Monogamy" and "The Summer Before the Summer of Love," her delicately nuanced novet "Paper Wings," and now here, in her most problematic book. At first glance, this headline-loud family drama appears to be destined not for a place next MODEL BEHAVIOR By Jay Mclnemey, Dove Audio, approximately 6 hours, unabridged, $25. Read by Richard Cox.

In 1984, Jay Mclnerney made his name with the release of his first novel, "Bright Lights, Big City." Since then he has deftly chronicled the downward slide of his hip but hapless characters. "Model Behavior," his sixth book, is no exceptioa As a writer of celebrity profiles for a women's magazine, Connor McKnight is professionally unfulfilled. On the other hand, he's dating Philomena Briggs, the famous model. When she leaves, Connor's life really starts to unravel. to his death at Graceland in 1977.

Given the vast number of books already out, Guralnick performs a miracle by writing a fresh, fascinating account of Elvis long, slow decline. AWANTEDAjl NO MERCY By John Walsh, with Philip Lerman, Simon Schufter Audio, approximately 3 hours, abridged, 1 8. Read by John Walsh. John Walsh is the host of "America's Most Wanted," a television program that seeks the public's help in solving terrible crimes. According to the figures he provides, over the last 10 years his program has assisted in the capture of more than 500 fugitives.

In his latest audiotape, Walsh takes listeners behind the scenes of his show and relates the details of several cases, Including the Polly Klaas kidnapping and Andrew Cunanan's killing spree. THE KING IN DECLINE to works by the most literary and lasting of writers John Updike for instance, to whom Swick has been compared but rather on the shelf that includes such CARELESS LOVE: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley By Peter Guralnick, Nova Audio Books, approximately 6 hours, abridged, $24.95. Read by J. Charles. This is the second volume of Peter Guralnick's superb biography of singer Elvis Presley.

In "Slow Train to Memphis," which is also available from Nova Audio Books, Guralnick covered Elvis' early life. Now he concludes by taking Elvis from his Army service in Germany in 1958 dler daughter, Trina, Teddy's adorable and much-loved half-sister, is playing. Eric's mother is exercising to blaring rock music downstairs, and the men are at work. Eric's father is a pilot, and Teddy's stepfather, Dan, is an English Giselle and he met after she left Ed, her first husband and Teddy's reticent Nebraskan father. The pregnancy was unplanned, the marriage abrupt, and their life, for Giselle, was absolutely stifling, so she lit out for California with her son to go back to school and find intellectual and emotional fulfillment.

Dan, her favorite teacher, promised both and more. The only snag was his coolness toward Teddy, but Trina's birth solved that dilemma. Teddy fell as completely in love with her as her parents did, thus tightening familial bonds until Eric hands Teddy the handgun his father brought home so his wife could protect herself during his frequent absences. Teddy points the gun outside, slips into a hunting fantasy, is startled by the ring of the phone, and suddenly sees jolly little Trina fall backwards into her cheerful little pool, and hears his mother scream as she lifts her daughter out of the water. Trina dies and there it is: a tragedy of infinite repercussions.

The lines are as quickly drawn as cracks in a windshield. How can Giselle forgive her son? How can Dan forgive his stepson and his wife? How can Teddy forgive himself? How can a family survive such shock, anger, guilt and grief? And how can a writer answer these questions without exploiting or trivializing the situation? By remaining absolutely true to her characters, by doing, in Swick's case, what she has always done so beautifully, recording with almost scientific attention the perpetual fluctuation of emotions, thoughts and memories that churn relentlessly in the mind. Swick is fascinated not only by the trauma of the sudden death of a loved one, but by the painfully acquired art of coping. She methodically, almost reverently, documents Giselle's psychic disorder as she grapples with the cruelest loss of all, that See Swick, Page 11 ON-LINE CALENDAR Upcoming literary happenings on the Web popular writers as Anna Quindlen and Jacqueline Mit-chard. This is not to say that Quindlen and Mitchard are not excellent writers they are but their issue-oriented books are consumable and temporal They challenge and entertain, but they do not transcend.

So what sets off the alarm that will cause Swick's admirers to wonder if this writer of psychological exactitude and exquisite sensitivity has compromised her art? The very first scene, in which a shocking and tragic accident the lifeblood of the local evening TV news is described through the horrified eyes of the child who caused it a cogent 9-year-old named Teddy. It's a summer afternoon in Los Angeles, and Teddy is next door at his friend Eric's house, where the boys are snooping around in the master bedroom. Teddy can see his mother, Giselle, in their back yard from the second-story window. She's sitting and studying next to the wading pool in which her tod- Donna Seaman is an editor at Booklist, a contributing editor for the Hungry Mind Review and host of "Open Books" on WLUW-FM in Chicago. Future and Its Enemies." Feb.

21: Annette Gordon-Reed on "Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Century." Location: C-SPAN. URL: http: 38.217.109.100guldebooks booknotes "Tom Clancy Live Chat," on the Internet. Worldwide fans chat about his life and works every day at 8 p.m. URljhttpyAnobydicks.comcommons TomCtancyhallUvechatcgl Anytime: "J.D. Salinger Chat," on the Internet.

Centered around his works such as "The Catcher in the Rye" and "FrannieandZooey." URL: http:killdevllhlll.comchat sallngerlrvechatcgl Tribune Media Services CRAIG KIELBURGER Friday, Feb. 5, 2 p.m. Teenage author discusses his book "Free the Children: A Young Man's Personal Crusade Against Child Labor." www.bamesandnoble.com IN ADDITION: Listen to a few minutes of C-SPAN's "Booknotes" on the Web. "Book-notes" airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. on C-SPAN.

The following books and authors will be featured on "Book-notes" In coming weeks (with audio clips available on the Internet): Jan. 31: Peter Kann Frances Fitzgerald on "Reporting Vietnam." Feb. 7: Harold Evans on "The American Century." Feb. 14: Virginia Postrel on "The CHRIS BOHJALIAN Monday, Feb. 1,6 p.m.

Author discusses his latest novel, "The Law of Similars." www.bamesartdnobte.com W.LB. GRIFFIN Tuesday, Feb. 2, 8 p.m. Author discusses his new techno- thriller, "In Danger's Path." www.bamesandnoMe.com EDWARD BALL Wednesday, Feb. 3, 7 p.m.

Journalist discusses his book "Slaves in the Family," winner of a 1998 National Book Award. www.bamesandnobte.com OSCAR HUUELOS Thursday, Feb. 4, 6 p.m. Author discusses his new novel, "Empress of the Splendid Season," a tale of the Cuban-American community in New York City. www.bamesandnoble.com Tribune Books on the Web and AOL http:www.chicago.tribune.combooks For a month's worth of reviews from the Tribune's Books section, visit our Web site.

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