...historical novels based in New York City, Doctorow has always been willing to experiment. He has written a Western ("Welcome to Hard Times") and science fiction ("Big as Life"). He has written in third person and first person, about religious...

...at 9 percent to 10 percent by the end of 2009 - welcome to hard times. Finally, consider this: The collapse of the...generation begins to retire in significant numbers. Welcome to hard times, indeed. Rutten is a Times columnist.