Facing each portrait is a page of commentary, with a capsule biography by the Lewises.

Some renowned artists are represented by little more than a few capsule biographies and a lot of dealers, with precious little commentary or insight, even from museums.

"Hip: The History" unfolds essentially as a series of capsule biographies of the sufficiently worthy figures in American culture, from the mid-19th century onward.

Pictures and capsule biographies of the most-wanted are posted at www.fbi.gov/mostwanted.htm.

"That he committed suicide cannot be doubted, but what precipitated this suicide has not been conclusively established," according to Mr. Brown's capsule biography in Grove.

Mr. Gross's Torah Cards feature capsule biographies of famous rabbis, scriptural passages and religious precepts.

The title story, "Island," is the capsule biography of a mad old woman, a lighthouse keeper, whose beam will henceforward be maintained by "modern technology."

"Haim Gouri" (capsule biography and bibliography) at the Institute for Translation of Hebrew Literature.

"However...." She whited out a corner of my lounge and displayed a face on it while she gave me a capsule biography of Rebecca Shapiro.

The Friends List also provides capsule biographies for each character.