August 9, 1999

American magazines no longer drive public debate, and editors and writers offer several reasons; Norman Mailer, whose article on Pentagon took up entire March 1968 issue of Harper's, claims magazines today are driven by ads; David Halberstam, who writes for Vanity Fair, says most magazines have become diminished in seriousness, with celebrity journalists interviewing Hollywood personalities; most glaring reason is there are fewer general-interest magazines that unify broad national audience; most new magazines that come into marketplace are niche publications; Neal Gabler, cultural historian and author, claims magaziness are no longer writer-generated, they are subject-generated; photos (M)

Jennifer Dunning reviews performance by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo at Damrosch Park Band Shell, for Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival; photo (M)

Ben Brantley reviews Williamstown Theater Festival production of As You Like It, directed by Barry Edelstein; Gwyneth Paltrow, Alessandro Nivola and Megan Dodds star; photo (M)

Outcome of Government's antitrust case against Microsoft Corp will largely hinge on whether Federal courts are impressed by work and judgment of Phillip R Malone, senior staff lawyer in Justice Dept's San Francisco office who led agency's investigation of software powerhouse; Malone is portrayed as driving force behind Justice Dept's decision to sue Microsoft; Malone and his staff accumulated evidence in case and criss-crossed country taking dozens of new depositions; he also coordinated Government's trial preparation; Malone has pursued company with intensity and stamina others find remarkable; photo (M)

Polshek Partnership, architects, and Ralph Appelbaum Associates, exhibition designers, are chosen to design Pres Clinton's $125 million library and museum in downtown Little Rock, Ark, on bank of Arkansas River; Skip Rutherford, president of William J Clinton Presidential Foundation, who is coordinating project, says it is too early to say what library will look like, or even when construction will begin (M)