Poet JAMES MERRILL

Poet JAMES MERRILL. The son of the founder of the Merrill Lynch brokerage house, Merrill took to Europe at age 24, a newly published poet "meaning to stay as long as possible". That was in 1950. His new memoir "A Different Person" (Knopf) details his two and a half years there, and features encounters with psychoanalysts, new and old lovers, and Alice Toklas. MERRILL is the author of eleven books of poems, the winner of two National Book Awards, the Bolligen Prize for Poetry, and the Pulitzer Prize. Also in this half, writer WILLIE MORRIS. As editor-in-chief of Harper's in the 1960's, MORRIS wined and dined with the biggest names of the decade. MORRIS recounts his experiences of fast paced living in his new book "New York Days." He is the author of several other books including "North Toward Home.