Dan Webster

Jack Nisbet, who tracked early explorer David Thompson across the Northwest, has been honored as a writer by the state of Idaho. Nisbet's non-fiction book, "Sources of the River: Tracking David Thompson Across Western North America" (Sasquatch Press), was selected as the 1995 Idaho Book of the Year. Two other books won honorable mention. They were "Come, Blackrobe: De Smet and the Indian Tragedy" by John Killoren and "Snake: The Plain and Its People" by Todd Shallat.

In 1759, the French writer Voltaire published a slim novel that lampooned a popular philosophy of his day. The philosophy was metaphysical optimism and the novel was "Candide."

Suspense makes you think.

Gong Li and Ge You star in "To Live."

Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock star

A scene from "Grand Illusion"

In this era of self-sought segregation, in which racial, socioeconomic or gender groups seek to alienate themselves from mainstream culture, the notion of reconciliation seems more of a fantasy than a workable proposition. What do you expect when you have wives of former vice presidents touring the country to preach about the evils of multicultural education? We should recognize as fact that we are not the same, have never been the same and never will be the same. Still, that doesn't mean we can't get along as various subcultures under one roof. And gender reconciliation is a good start.

Most moviegoers attending the recent film "Don Juan De Marco" must have posed the question at least once: Who, in fact, was Don Juan? It's one of those kinds of questions that pops up nearly every day, if you listen for it. It comes up in conversation, in a movie, on a television show or, especially, in a book or magazine. In Don Juan's case, it concerns a literary figure and whether that figure has a basis in fact or fiction. But the question also can be broader. It can encompass a literary style, a specific novel, an author or favorite character, an era or school of thought.

'Blue Sky" is one of those films that begs to be taken seriously. Its director, the late Tony Richardson, was a major force in British film during the 1960s, winning an Oscar in 1963 for "Tom Jones." Its two major stars, Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones, have garnered three Oscars among them (one of those, Lange's Best Actress award, for this very film).

Northwest sports fans tend to love their Sonics. Whether you wear Husky blue or Cougar crimson during football season, or even if you root for John Stockton and his Utah Jazz, when it comes to pro basketball, the team of choice is usually Seattle. Of course, that very nearly changed last year when the Sonics swooned in the playoffs, losing to a Denver team led by a 7-foot-2 center from Zaire named Dikembe Motumbo.

Add a dash of "Cool Hand Luke" to a Stephen King story and the result is "The Shawshank Redemption." That characterization isn't meant strictly as a compliment. For while King's immensely readable novels feature a fair share of chills, the movies they've inspired are far less interesting.

Martin Lawrence, left, and Will Smith star in "Bad Boys."

1. James W. Hall is a Florida writer of contemporary hard-boiled fiction. Photo by John Earle. 2. (Photo of the book cover) Jame W. Hall will read from his novel "Gone Wild" at 7:30 tonight at Auntie's Bookstore.

Annette Bening and Warren Beatty in "Love Affair."

This is the new style of cutline for this page.tline for this page. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

"It was a dark and stormy night ..." no, no, no. "Helga stepped back from the window, the vision of her beloved, Roger, his lips lashed to those of their next-door neighbor, Natalie, still emblazoned in her ..." no, no, no. "'Don't do it!' Rocky yelled as the masked dwarf reached for the scimitar stashed in the purple sash drawn tight around his ..." and again, no.

Americans have been conditioned to draw the same few mental pictures whenever conversation turns to Ireland. These include the fantasy applications of leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and Lucky Charms cereal. In the real world, conversely, the country's enduring image remains violence-torn Belfast. As a focus of movies, Ireland has seen the emphasis move from the former ("Darby O'Gill") to the latter ("In the Name of the Father," "The Crying Game").

Damon Wayans stars as Major Payne.

Julia Sweeney as 'Pat.'

Toni Collette, center, stars as Muriel with Rosalind Hammond, Bill Hunter, Belinda Jarrett and Sophie Lee.

Dorothy Fadiman

Between the years 1958 and 1977, Montana cartoonist/writer Stan Lynde wrote and illustrated the Western comic strip "Rick O'Shay." Now, thanks to negotiations between Lynde, his business manager-wife Lynda and the wire service that originally distributed the strip, copies of the daily "Rick O'Shay" are available in collected form. "Rick O'Shay, the Dailies: 1961-1962" is the second of the 10-volume series to be offered for sale. In a special "Friends of Rick O'Shay Pre-sale," autographed issues will be offered for $20.

In a time of marital crisis... Oh, please. Don't you just hate stories that start like that, all archly judgmental and dripping with melodrama, identifying some situation plaguing the world?

Tom Hanks may well win his second Oscar for "Forrest Gump." Photo by Associated Press