Charles Kuralt's America

Upon his retirement from CBS News, veteran American traveler Kuralt (A Life on the Road) decided to ``revisit my favorite American places at just the right time of year'' and not worry about work. Kuralt is not in search of crises or epiphanies; he values nature and good food, neighborliness and craftsmanship, quaintness and quirkiness. Though no literary match for American chroniclers like Calvin Trillin, the affable Kuralt does, in un-fancy style, convey his enthusiasm and his engagement. Thus he eats well in New Orleans, hangs out with the ``elaborately tolerant'' folk of Key West and wanders the gardens of Charleston, S.C. Alaska's panhandle still takes his breath away, and Minnesota's lake country brings him peace. He records the Down East wit of Maine humor, visits a town meeting in democratic Vermont and even celebrates his Greenwich Village neighborhood in New York City. His portraits of people may be snapshots, but there seem a lot of decent folk left in our land. Literary Guild alternate; author tour. (Nov.)