Little Village Magazine - Issue 1 - July 2001

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C:>))iIliO]l Features Books

Art

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Theater Film

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Music

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CD Reviews

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( and

For three brief, shining

bitterly cold )

sance. He opened a used-book store on the

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Iowa City ped mall. He hosted readings and

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Astrology

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King oJ the Iowa City ped mall

attempted a one-man downtown renais­

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Gary Sanders

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Newsquirks

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Calendar

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months this past winter, Gary Sanders

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rounds of provocative can ersa ·on

but it

was not to last. Ga dfly gro p'e a"d Iowa City writer Amanda Co now when it's a lot

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t ere, and

e' a d a little easi­ fa 's Arthurian

er to dream, brings oac reIg n . •

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Greg Brown

Iowa's best ambassador

to the world Although rumors of his hiatus are g reatly exaggerated, Greg Brown took some time to kick back with Rick Zollo and muse about things ra nging from the call of Hacklebarney to the exotic­ ness of Iowa.

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ad enough of Mega-$is, Super-that and Big-whatever? Fed up with being treated like a dumbass by your local corpo­ rate newspaper? Say hello to the first issue of Little Village, your recipe for relief in 32 pages of words and pictures. Less-is-more is cool right now, but we're not necessarily jumping on any bandwagons here. Still, if Lucinda Williams can sing "purdy hairdos, purdy hairdos" over and over and call it a song, if

Radiohead can pass off blips as art, then we can get away with some minimalism too. But enough musical references. Iowa City is a special town, and we think it deserves a special publication. Little

Village is a bi-monthly magazine {that's twice a month, starting in August} covering news and culture from a refreshing per­ spective. Little Village favors the small and local, champions the sustainable, yet believes in considering more than one side of an issue. Little Village reflects a town that is complex, often contradictory and always

to do}, and that's really not our goal. Our goal is to start fires and put them out, to raise expectations and lower the limbo bar,

ers of Iowa City. Consider it an exchange. Iowa City doesn't have to be so intimidating to the rest of the state, and the rest of the state can be more than a third-world coun­

exb·aordinary; a town that is home to both

to be serious and to be stupid. If you don't like one thing, you might like another.

the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Writers'

Little Village also seeks to export the sto­

try to those of us lucky enough to reside in the Athens of the Midwest.

Workshop; to both Greg Brown and Steve Atkins; Karen Kubby and Tenence Neuzil.

ries of Iowa City to the state at large. Distribution won't be limited to Iowa City,

More than anything, we want to listen to you and make Little Village your magazine.

The

If you have something to say, consider writ­ ing us. If you have an idea for an article, give us a shout or consider doing one your­

We're local and we're independent. Although we're silly with fonner Icon peo­ ple, please don't think of us as a diminutive Icon. {And while we're asking favors, it'd be

great

if you wouldn't start calling us The Little Village.} Little Village won't fill the same role in Iowa City as Icon did {or failed

and neither will coverage. Just as

Village Voice goes beyond the confines of Greenwich Village (and is in fact read throughout the world), Little Village will show off Iowa City to the state at large. At the same time we want to bring the stories of greater Iowa to the streets and ivory tow-

self {contact us first!}. We're always on the lookout for good write rs. What can you give the town that has every­ thing? Little Village. Welcome to town. * Little Village *

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Is.al

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Kathy Wine

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Stop the blood-protection al"rn& race ow that the Mississippi River is receding and the sandbags

are

removed, federal,

state and local leaders need to address more than the cost of clean-up after the flooding. We need to determine why floods occur more often and at higher flows than predicted and address the root problems that have led to the more frequent flooding. The mindset of everyone involved in the life of the Mississippi River needs to shift from flood pro­ tection to flood-plain management if Davenport and hundreds of other cities along the Mississippi River (with or without floodwalls/levees) hope to reduce future flooding and flood damage. Numerous studies have shown floodwalls/levees built along the Mississippi in the past 100 years have pushed up flood levels as more water is restricted into a smaller and smaller channel. More recent infonnation suggests the use of

drain tiles by fanners, increased urban develop­

ment and continued loss of wetlands accelerate runoff and push steams and rivers higher and faster than ever before. Focusing on flood-plain management has earned Davenport the distinction as "the largest city on Upper Mississippi River without flood . protection. Davenport should not shirk from that descrip­ tion. We should use our notoriety as a catalyst for changing how we and others view the Mississippi the

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River basin and the policies and practices that affect America's greatest river. The city need not apologize for its decision to pursue flood-plain management rather than flood­ walls and levees. Flood-prone homes have been purchased, businesses have relocated out of the

plain have been flood-proofed. The questions should not be about what decision the city made 20 years ago, but the actions of other cities and residents along the Mississippi that have con­ tributed to the flood-protection "arms race." We should ask how to better fund fann programs to retain and restore wetlands. We should ask how fann

programs and practices encourage the use of tiling to drain rainfall from fields. We should ask if there should be standards to con­ trol urban stonnwater runoff by all communities, not only along the Mississippi but all of its tributaries. And, we should ask why so little attention and so few dollars are spent on flood prevention measures like wet­ lands as opposed to flood-protection sbuctures that drive the river ever higher. Our community has been a good steward to the river, its residents and the American taxpayer by focus­ ing on flood-plain management rather than flood con­ trol. We need to take that story to all communities and residents of the Mississippi River basin and seek fund­ ing and actions that better manage our flood plain and watershed

and address the root causes of our increased flooding on the Mississippi River. Even those communities with large and high flood­ walls should be seeking answers to Davenport's flood­ ing, because if answers aren't found and actions aren't

taken to better manage the river basin and watershed the water will keep rising. Kathy Wine is executive director of River Action, Inc., a

notfor-profit citizens action group dedicated to fostering the environmental, economic and cultural vitality of the Mississippi River and its riverfront in the Quad City region. It's Web site is http://www.riveraction.org, email riverac­ tion@netexpress.net. *

flood plain and new structures built in the flood

Little Village welcomes your signed letters. Letters should not be longer than 400 words and may be or edited for length, libelous content and clarity. Letters may be e-mailed to mailed to PO Box 736, Iowa City, IA 5 2244. Please include a daytime phone number and city of resi­ dence. Letters and other submissions become the property of Little Village and will not be returned without an SASE. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Good Advices

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writi ng the manufacturer, consider using your

Not to be confused with a regular advice column,

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Good Advices

dis­

penses wisdom gathered from both the distant winds and local gurus

manufacturer's

complaint arbitration

pro­

gram. I n arbitration, panelists decide how your complaint should be settled. You may want to consult a lawyer first, although some

and experts. If you have some good

lush new release made for steamy Iowa sum­

advice on pretty much any topic, call

mers.

or email us with it. If, on the other

Refreshing and food-friendly (th i n k

shrimp and shellfis h ) , this one i s a candidate

hand, you need advice, do the same

for a nyone's house wine.

and we'll see what we can do.

If you're a fan of white zinfandel or just

people proceed on their own . . . . A court may need to decide if your vehicle is a lemon and what settle ment you deserve. If you sue the manufacturer and you win, you could get double the vehicle purchase p rice and repair

looki ng to try something different, chill a

costs plus other costs and attorney fees

Book blurbs

bottle of Maison Nicolas Rose and find out

Never buy a book that has a blurb by Pat

what the French learned long ago. France

Source: http:;/law.freeadvice.com/generaIJHac­ tice/lemon_law/caOemon.htm

Conroy. Con roy is a blurb whore. A book has­

shuts down for the month of August when

n't been written that he doesn't like. On the

everyo ne vacations i n Provence. They con­

Kissing

other hand, if you see a book that has a

template the startli ngly blue waters of the

blurb by Thomas Pynchon or Don Delillo,

Mediterra nean

both of who very rarely write blurbs, you've

Fifteen million Frenchmen can't be wrong

got yourself a p retty good book.

(except about Jerry Lewis and Mickey Rourke)

Source: Paul Ingram, Prairie Lights Bookstore, Iowa City

Source: Wally (Plahutnik) the Wine Guy, John's Grocery, Iowa City

through the air, bring your lips down firmly onto the lips of the girl who is quivering i n

$10

What should I do if I think my car is a lemon?

your arms.

Summer wines for

or less

and

quaff

Provencal

rose.

Chardon nay, with its oaky flavors and buttery

Write the manufacturer and ask for a refun d

texture, i s a great match for grilled fish and

or replacement vehicle. Your refund should

chicken but is often too heavy for lighter

include the full purchase price, sales tax, any

summer meals.

Le Pouy fro m Gascony i n

finance charge, and repair costs, minus a rea­

France is a perfect alternative. Its crisp green

sonable amount for mi leage. If you get a

apple-and-melon fruit character pair up with

replacement

a bright, dry finish to com plement salads,

should refu nd your repair costs and charge

chicken

nothing for mileage.

and

pork

Meridian

dishes.

Pinot

Grigio from Santa Barbara Co., California, is a

vehi cle,

the

manufacturer

If you don't get a refund or replacement by

(a woman)

Act! Lift your lips away slightly, center them so that when you make contact there will be a perfect union. Notice, only momentarily, the picture of her teeth in her lips, and, then, like a seagull swooping gracefully down

Kiss

her!

Kiss her as though, at that

moment, nothing else exists i n the world. Kiss her as though your entire life is wrapped up into the period of the kiss. Kiss her as though there is nothing else that you would rather be doing. Kiss her!

Source:

How to Make Love: The Secret of

Wooi ng and Wi n ning the One You Love

by

Hugh Morris (1936/reprinted 1987)

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VOLUME 1

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ISSUE 1

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�04J TOOt( Tlf. woes RII>IIf OUT "'�

JULY 2001

Ediior. Todd Kimm

TII£ LATEST RE.PORT fRo", NATIONAL ACAlI£/A'f Of ONCE A6AIN CO'*11III\11I6 fENCE Of GL08AL WARll\III6,

Sales/AdmjnjslrllUon: Andria Green Art

Director I Production M"IIQger. Beth OxIer

Contrib uting Editor. Steve Horow:tz DistribuJion M"II Qger. Jon

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IT Director; Phil laul .

Contributors: Sandy Dyas, Dan Tamerius, Joe

Sharpnack, Kathy Wme, Amanda Coyne, Rick Zollo, Rob Oine, Chris Offutt. Julia Fiell0 , Justin Feinstein, Joe Derderi an, Dr. Star

GEOitGIE--� GUESS WE.

Cover Photo: Sandy Dyas

PO Box 736 Iowa City, IA 53344 • • -

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Amanda Coyne

King of the Iowa City ped mall "

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For three brief, shining (and bitterly cold) months this past winter, Gary Sanders attempt­ ed a one-man down­ town renaissance. He opened a used-book store on the Iowa City ped mall. He hosted readings and rounds of provocative conversa­ tion but it was not to last. Gadfly groupie and Iowa City writer Amanda Coyne was there, and now when it's a lot warmer and a little easier to dream, brings back Gary's Arthurian reign.

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the country?" he offers, "You want that story?"

"Gary. This piece is about me and about

being in Iowa City, still, and about January

"Born on a mountain top on Tennessee Greenest state in the land of the free Raised in the woods so I knew every tree Killed me a bar when I was only three Gary, Gary Sanders king of the wild frontier

and about getting old, It's not about you, You're just a backdrop, just a foil, an excuse.

This an excuse to write about me,"

Excuses he understands, and they shut

n

give him a look. " OK, OK. Detroit," he admits, "I was born in Detroit."

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Village

porariIy The Best of Books, The Worst of Books, He opened it, he told the papers,

But he continues the answers: "And don't

because he couldn't stand to see another

forget about the time I sailed across the

business in downtown Iowa City's pedestri­

Pacific on a homemade boat, with two com­

an mail shut down, But all who know Gary

plete strangers."

know he just wants an excuse to be down­

"I've heard this story, Gary: "How about the time Bob Novak sat in on

the 'Sanders Group?'" That gets my attention, But because I want to talk about Robert Novak, and not

him he gets coy: "But you'll just have to ,

"How about the times I hitchhiked across * Little

or: fOlTuerly Freshens Yogurt, now tem­

I decide to discontinue the questions,

watch it, now, won't you?"

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him up, for now, He picks up a newspaper, and I commence to staring out the window of Gary Sanders' latest temporary endeav­

town during the days in winter, and he can't quite reconcile himself to being a public library catnapper, Besides, he'd have to be quiet in the library, And he's not a quiet man.

He puts down his paper and bellows, "On

January 21, at 12:30 p,m,-are you getting

this down?-I hereby declare that I, Gary

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Sanders, am a genius!"

along. His eyes would have gotten wide, his

He takes off his glasses and heaves a the­ world-is-too-much-for-a-man-such-as-I sigh.

face taken on an exaggerated, conspiratori­ al grimace. He would have said, "Corporate

"Did you get that down?" he asks.

welfare." Me: "Prayer in schools."

"On January 21, at 12:32 p.m.," I read

Him : "Jew Bashing!" Me: "Clitorectarnies."

from my notebook, "I hereby declare that Gary Sander's is a big stupido."

But he's grown out of Amanda games. And sometimes the look in his eye lets me

He considers. "Is that how my obit's going to read? Dead?'''

'Gary

Sanders.

Big Stupido.

"How about this? 'Gary Sanders. Iowa

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City rabble-rouser, gadfly, talk-show host, owner of weird bookstore, man of mysteri­ ous means, general aggravation, Big Stupido. Dead.'"

know that I should too. My presence seems more often to exhaust than uplift him Now, mostly he looks at me and shakes his head. .

"I grow old," he says, when I try. Once, years ago, when we he both in love-me with a greasy masseuse, him with

He smiles. He likes that. He's obsessed with New York Times obituaries. He has sev­ eral of them taped haphazardly on the

a Hawaiian honey-we danced in the park­ ing lot of the Kirkwood Learning Center where we both worked, and he, wearing shorts with dress shoes and mismatched

walls, their headings screaming against a

socks, sang at the top of his lungs, "Love Train." We even got the welfare mothers, the high-school dropouts, to join in.

backdrop of cheery white-and-red tiles, posters of yogurt cones and yogurt sundaes topped with cherries and nuts: "Rupert C. Barneby, 89,

But he's changed since those years-actu­ ally, since he came back from Hawaii with a lei and a frown. Although when summer

Botanical Garden Curator and Expert on Beans, Is Dead."

comes he will inevitably still be loping after fleeing coeds, a mass of papers in hand, a

"John S. MOllison, Scholar, 87, Rebuilt Lost Greek Warship, Died." Gizmos with

zealot's look in his eyes; ever since his pub­ lic-access television show, "Who Wants to

"It won't be long," he sighs. He's getting morose; and so I'm glad when a man enters

Marry a Short, Middle-aged Cranky Guy with No Money?", failed to fetch him the

the store carrying an empty watering can in one hand, a stack of flyers in the other. I

shiksa of his dreams, he seems for the most part to have given up on love.

"AI

Gross, Inventor Potential, Dies at 82."

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pick up Mao's "Little Red Book," and, in my purr,

These days, Gary, in his middle age, is

"Reading is so sexy. I just love a man who reads." I am middle management for the day. My

interested in getting down to business. "Down to business," he reads from his horo­

job is to sell the books. My reward is a piece of Lindts chocolate I spotted in Gary's "briefcase"-his omnipresent, grease-stained box filled with old newspapers; old political

tion and get down to business-are you writ­ ing this down? The time has come to resist

best

Marilyn

Monroe

imitation,

flyers announcing old protests; dirty paper coffee cups; half-wrapped, half-eaten myste­ rious things. "Cut it, Amanda," he says, and pointing to the man with the watering can: "Friend." Gary's friend informs him that tomol'lOw there will be a rally protesting Bush's inau­ guration. The day after tomorrow, a second rally will protest sweatshops. The day after, nuclear energy. Apparently, a few aging white men will be spending all winter on

the street comer, freezing, getting angry, holding signs, looking like they are rehears­ ing for a Midwestern "Monty Python." They start talking McGovern. I tune them out and stare out the window at Jim Leach's office aClOSS the way. For the 20 or so years I have called Iowa City my home, I have never, ever seen anybody come in or out of that office. But they're in there, I know. Behind the drawn shades, I imagine evil things to be transpiring: deals are being cut with corporate hog-lot owners, ethanol sub-.

scope. "The time has come to resist tempta­

temptation and get down to business." He

"Gary. This piece is about me, and about being in Iowa City, still, and about January and about getting old. It's not about you. You're just a back­ drop, just a foil, an excuse. This an excuse to write about me." sidies are being slashed, a man named Abraham is sacrificing his first bom. "Weird things are happening over there," I say after the friend leaves. "Can't you feel it? The energy, Gary, can't you just feel it?" A few years ago, Gary would have played

raises his hands in the air and yells, "Halleluiah. I'Iaise the Lord." I do not shush

him, because his preacher's voice is prefer­ able to some of his others. Down to business. The phrase runs through my head, and all and all, it doesn't sound too bad. Preferable to what most of us in this tiny dot of a town in the center of the country have been doing . Preferable to staring out at a gray January day waiting to catch a glimpse of a real-life Iowa City Republican. Suddenly, a fourth-grade teacher is in my head, and she's telling me to "Take the bull by the horns," and that ''Today is the first day of the rest of your life." "Wake up and smell the coffee," she says. Another voice, this time with a jeer, says, "Shit or get off the pot." My body begins to vibrate, my legs want to move. I want things-something, any­ thing-to happen. I want to sell a book. "Enough of this!" I say. I pick up a copy of Dennis Rodman's Bad As I Want To Be, jump on the ledge and thrust my hip out in Little Village *

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a model's pose. When a group of boys walk

by, I mouth, "Uh, ah, reading is soooo sexy." One of them stops, stares and mouths back with real concern,

"Is something

wrong? Do you need help?"

people have better things to do with their money?" "Gold-plated roses? Giraffe-shaped coffee

mugs?

Elephant

snout

vases?"

"T hat's different," they'd say, as they han­ dled a bronze com cob infused with a

hands frantically through my hair. "Why

of the things that separates Iowa City from

don't we create a marketing plan, get a

its state. We are different. We are the types of people who buy such things, and we are

small-business loan, apply for one of those tax-relief thingamajigs. We could actually

proud of it.

do something. We could make a go of this." I'm having a vision. It's the bookstore/cof­

And we-the best and the worst of us-are the types of people to always buy books.

feehouse of my dreams. I see plush couch-

Or maybe not any more. The ped mall's awfully empty these days. Maybe now we're buying our picture frames at Target, ordering our books online. I've been here for two hours, and the only people who have entered looking for any­ thing other than yogurt are Gary's friends. And either they've given up on books because they read somewhere years ago that literature is dead (they'll tell you so with a knowing look, a touch of feigned sor­ row in the shrug of the shoulders), or it's their books that Gary's peddling. We are also within spitting distance of the anti-fountain fountain. There's something vaguely depressing about that fountain, even in the summer. The way the water refuses to return back into the holes, and instead clops on the marble like a herd of horses, making bricks slick, causing children

to fall and cry, adults to yell over the noise, and the guy stnunming some awful rendi­ tion of "Sugar Magnolia" to stnun even louder. But in the s ummer, despite all the

es and leather binding. I see a place where people actually converse. I see poets talking

cacophony, there's still that air that glides aclOss the skin like a silk shirt, there's the

iambs with politicians. I see career criminals

deep shadows and the Disney-blue sky and the whiff, occasionally, of earth; the smell

having a scintillating conversation about French literature with a mysterious man.

"Upper management will consider your ideas," Gary says. "But in the meantime, why doesn't middle management begin by organizing the books?"

that reminds us that this world is being nourished by the land around us, and that despite Steve Atkins or R.J. WinkIehake, good things are happening here.

I look around at the 300 or so ratty books arranged in no discernable order- What to

But in the winter, everything feels doomed in that Greek tragedy kind of way, when an infraction against the gods (the killing of Eric Shaw) ensures that all the

Expect When You're Expecting next to Great Expectations. Danielle Steel next to Dante.

money and energy and good intentions in the world will not bring about a workable

Wally Lamb next to Charles Lamb. A wave of exhaustion runs through me. I

fountain, kiosks with telephones and news­

sit down and resume staring out the win­

Iowa-from dying.. Or maybe it's just me. Maybe it's the frost­

dow, this time at Hawkeye World Travel, from which perky, tanning-boothed blondes bounce in and out constantly. I look at the

papers, or keep Iowa City-the treasure of

bitten January sky, the post-holiday blues, the dirty snow and the sallow complexions.

recently deceased and papered Treasures knickknack store. It's sad when a store with such a blithe name goes under, even though I always felt sympathy for the fanners'

takes a certain kind of energy that belongs to the perky blondes who, on the first day

wives who'd stumble upon the store-while doing Chris tmas shopping, say, or before

of the semester, are already planning spring break in Cancun at Hawkeye World Travel.

the Iowa/Iowa State Game-scIatch their heads and say under their breath, "Don't Village

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grenade pin. But that, of course, has always been one

and starving artists embracing. I see myself

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"Good job," Gary says. "Gary!" I jump off the ledge and run my

But he's grown out of Amanda games. And some­ times the look in his eye lets me know that I should too. My presence seems more often to exhaust than uplift him. Now, mostly he looks at me and shakes his head. "I grow old," he says, when I try.

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Or maybe it's the fact that once you reach a certain age-mid-30s apparently-optimism

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A college-aged woman enters. "A cus­ tomer!" I whisper to Gary. "A customer!" He repeats. "A real one!"

She browses. Gary and I sit, very silently, for awhile. "Stay cool, Gary. Just keep it cool." Partly because she's pretty, partly because

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Gary's face. He doesn't quite know how to handle this. He actually looks serious for a moment. But then he begins to hem and haw. "For you, Mary. Today and today onI y ... " "Cut the crap, Gary," she says. 'Tve got to get

back to work."

he's incapable of reserve, it's too much for him. He stands up suddenly, knocking over

"Five dollars," he says quickly. T he deal is done. It has not been fun for him. He looks

a chair, and on his way toward her trips over a table. He's coming at her, aIlllS pin­

like he might start crying. T his, obviously, is not his idea of getting down to business.

wheeling, head in a matador position. She takes a few quick steps back with a horri­ fied look on her face. "Hello!" he bellows, after he rights himself. "My name is Gary Sanders, and she ... " he says pointing to me, "is my middle manager, Amanda Coyne. Let us know if we can help you." to continues She browse. He moves toward her. She moves away. "If there's anything at all we can do for you ... " ''I'm just looking," she says and picks up a copy of Ann Tyler's Ladder

of Years. "How much?" she asks. Gary leafS through the book. "Let me see," he "A hardcopy? says. Published

recently?

Let ...me ...see ... "

'Tm depressed, Gary," I say. 'Til never get out

of this town. Nothing will ever happen and I will never leave. I1l be stuck here, with you, for­ ever. Can I have that chocolate, please?"

Ann Taylor. I think about no matter how many times it changes ownership, loud, bad muzak will always blare out of the old Holiday Inn's loudspeakers. I think that no matter the money I spend at Dombies, I will never look like one of the girls who work there. I think about how the Englert will inevitably become a sports bar, and about

how those of us who don't frequent such places will forever spend our days caffin at­ ed and frustrated at the Java House of sex­ ual repression. I am brought back by Gary yelping, "Ya'll come back now, you hear?" at Baker's back. During my revery someone has added black streaks of charcoal to the dusky sky and cranked this spot on the earth a notch away from the sun.

•

But in the winter, everything feels doomed in that Greek tragedy kind of way, when an infraction against the gods (the killing of Eric Shaw) ensures that all the money and energy and good intentions in the world will not bring about a workable fountain, kiosks with telephones and newspa­ pers, or keep Iowa City the treasure of Iowa from dying.

He

places one finger on the side of his temple and taps. "So, what do you do?" "Five dollars," I tell the girl. She reaches into her backpack for her wallet. "Hold on," he says. "Just one second." Her wallet goes back into her backpack. "She," he says, pointing to me, "is just middle management. Just hold it right there. T hese are difficult times. Middle manage­ ment be running around giving product away. For you though, today and only today, I'll sell you this fine book for 218 dol­ lar and 30 cent." Now he's stumbled into some kind of mutant ped-mall slacker voice. "218 dollar and 30 cent." T he girl chuckles nervously. She begins to slide toward the door. "Now seriously. You look like a nice young lady. W hat is it you say you do?" She's getting scared. She's halfway out the door. "Seven dollars," he yells at her back. "Seven dollars is my final offer. Take it or leave it. Today and today only." She escapes.

._•

''You sell a book, you get the reward," he answers. "Has anyone ever told you, by the by, you be one high-maintenance girl? You be all the time need some attention." This is punctu­ ated with a homeboy pointing of the finger; a

downward movement of the alIn; a short, intellectuaI, radical leftist imitating Dr. Dre. But that's not his worst. His worst is his hillbilly impersonation. And this he com­ mences with a whooping, "Hey Bubba," when Larry Baker, Iowa City's number-one southern-writer boy enters. Let me rephrase that. Larry Baker does not just come in, he struts in, in the way that a New York TImes best-selling author struts. Or maybe I'm pro­ jecting. Maybe I'm just imagining myself walking into a little used bookstore after such a success. Introductions are made, and I-just like any other wanna-be writer in this town­ pretend to only have vaguely heard of him and his book. He tries to talk to me, but I answer in monosyllables and become inter­

ested in the life of Malcolm X. This might be the only town in the world where nobody will like you if you become a famous writer.

Another customer; this one has purpose. This one makes us both decidedly uncom­

T hey start talking McGovern. I stretch and yawn and think deep thoughts. I think

fortable. She immediately spots a gardening book, takes it off the shelf and shoves it into

about how downtown Iowa City is doomed: how it will never get a Gap or J Crew or

T he mercury's drop­ ping, fast. Tonight it's going to be a cold one. wind's gotten T he louder and has taken on the cry of a lone­ some child. Later, it will become a madscreech. woman's blinds Everywhere, being drawn, fur­ naces are kicking in, are

bundled children are walking away, fast, from school. College students are wonder­ ing why they didn't

choose a university down south. FalIners are cursing their forefathers for not making it farther west. Halos of light surround lampposts, storefront windows are fogging, and everybody, including Gary and I, is heading home. Gary adds more old newspapers to his briefcase, wraps up his half-eaten sandwich and turns off the lights. We stand outside the shop for a moment. He is wearing his pile cap and a down coat that reaches his

feet. His glasses are spotted and fogged, and his gloves don't match. I have a nearly over­ whelming desire-archetypal almost-felt by hundreds of Iowa City women since that fateful day in 1977 when Gary disem­ barked off a Greyhound bus-to hoist him over my shoulder, take him home, feed him and clean him up. I start singing: "Gary, Gary Sanders, King of the Iowa City ped mall." " 'There you go, I say,"Gary, there's your obit " "Cheer up," he says. '''This place ain't so bad. Besides, spring's right around the comer." We part ways and walk toward the Toward home. He is humming his obit. I have a hand in my pocket, fingering my stolen piece of Lindt's chocolate. * WaImth.

Little Village *

9

Although rumor" ob hi& hiatu" are greatly exaggerated, Greg Brown

you're taking, this hiatus?

took "ome time to kick back with R.ick Zollo and mu"e about thing"

I call it "hiatus my ass." [Laughs] I had

ranging brom the call ob Hacklebamey to the exoticneM o. Iowa .,* Part 1 of a 2-part series eoffrey Himes of the Washington

poetry, The Watsonville Sonata.

was

pub足

Post called Greg Brown "Iowa's

lished by Felix Press. All the while, Brown

best ambassador to the world at

toured the nation in support of his

large through his evocative, intelligent folk songs." Considerable praise, and an accu足 rate reflection of this two-time Grammy

nominee's status. The year 2000 saw a

records.

Such creative foment earned the artist

some time off in 2001 to build a house. develop new material and get a lespite

from the grueling schedule. But things

decided to take this year off. Then I agreed to do some benefits. Ani DiFranco invited me to New York to do some shows. Other

things came up. It hasn't been anything like touring, but it hasn't been a hiatus. Right now I'm not doing much. This summer I'm doing a few folk festivals, a couple of bene足 fits. In the fall, I'm making sure I'm not doing anything, because I want to record in the fall. Didn't I read somewhere that you were doing over a hundred gigs a year, and you wanted to cut back to something like 80 or so?

tremendous burst of creativity from

never go as planned, as I discovered after

Brown. He released Covenant, his 1 5th

catching up with the artist at his Iowa City

record for Red House (a label he founded,

home. Following

and which has now become a national

on Iowa City, his Iowa

force in folk music). Over and Under was

at large.

Right That was some time ago. I wanted to cut back, and I even did for a while, but

How would you describe thjs year off

then the number of gigs crept back up, and

then released on Iowa City's independent Trailer label, and a collection of prose 10

Hittle Village

are

some of his remarks roots

a.,d the world

7

I

2

•

L2

•

•

•

I

•

•

•

7;.

last year I played even more.

That's the people I come from; and

2000 was a creative year for you. It was, and it was also a real

the storytelling from that way of life, it's a rich vein of story­ telling, because it was a hardscrab­ ble poor, but not

crammed year. My booking agent announced I was taking the year

a sad poor. We had eggs, meat, garden-vegeta­ bles. There was storytelling, and music. The great thing about that kind of American music, whether it's church music or music made in bars, both musics are connected. I feel fortunate to have been born into such a rich culture.

off, so offers started pouring in. What happened is, I got to touring,

•

__ .n

._ ...

land-a 40-acle plot [in Southeast Iowa's Van Btrren County]. My mom's in New Mexico, and she told me I could have it. I had been spending time down there, and it didn't take long to realize it would mean a lot more to me to build on the old home ground. So much of my heart and memories are down there. And I didn't realize until two years ago-my Uncle Roscoe told me-that old plot of ground has been

and I was on the road. When you're on the road, you're not sure

in the family since statehood. My grandfather's-what?-great-great grandfather got that land around 1840. I built a cabin down there, and once I had a roof, I started spending more time down there.

whether you're coming or going. The agent would say, "Want to do

Are you leaving Iowa City?

some more gigs?" and I'd say, "Sure," so I ended up doing a lot more than I intended to. That's why

I'll be here a lot. My friends are up here. It's very isolated down there. Hardly ever see a car along that gravel road. I like the isolation, but my friends are up here, so I don't plan to hide down there.

I decided to just stop, go on this hia­ tus, and when I start up again, I'm doing even less.

You're an Iowa artist. [I read him the Himes quote from the Washington Post] That, plus the New Yorker proffie from last year, your productivity and your touring, you have come to rep­ resent Iowa on a national level. How do you feel about that? [Laughs] I had no idea I was representing the state. I've always gotten a

As for the two records, they just happened. I recorded Covenant,

songs I had written the previous year, then all of sudden these songs that I had heard in my head the pre­ vious summer just came back to me, like they were on the radio. I didn't think they'd amount to much, 'cause they were written so quickly, but when I played them for Bo [Ramsey], he said, "You better pay

kick when I travel around-doesn't happen as much as it used to-but I'll be introduced in places like Harvard Square as "Greg Brown, from Iowa" When other folk singers appear, it's never Tom Wilson from Kentucky, or Michigan. Iowa, I think, is exotic, mysterious to places like Harvard Square, or the West Coast. Know what I mean? I've always wanted to record an album with the title there's this Cabeza de Vaca

book, Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America, amazing book­ and I've always wanted to make an album with that title about Iowa

attention to these." I had always wanted to make a record for Trailer, so we went in and made that record in two days. What I like about that record [Over and Under] was it got me back to how I like to make records, just sitting around playing with my friends. The songs were based pretty much on where I grew up. You were raised in the area outside Ottumwa?

I was born in Ottumwa. My dad was a TV repairman in a town nearby, and we stayed there a few years. Then my dad was

called to the ministry. We moved to St. LOllis-Dad's family's from Missouri-so he could go to Bible School. Then we had churches in Kansas. When I was 12, we moved back to Iowa. All during that time we'd always come back [to the Ottumwa area], 'cause that's where my mom's folks were. The area was the closest I had to a home, 'cause Dad was moved from church to church every two years or so. You've been an Iowa City-based artist since '74?

I moved back to Iowa City in '73 or '74. I lived here before then-went to college [at the University of Iowa] my freshman year. I moved back in '73 or '74, stayed 'till '83, when I moved up and did the "Prairie Home Companion" show for two-and-a­

half years, then lived in Chicago for a year, and then came back again. So now you're moving back to native ground? Yeah, well, I love Iowa City, but like they say about Anchorage in Alaska, "The nice thing about Anchorage is that it's close to Alaska." Iowa City's a great place, but it's nothing like Ottumwa, or Fai!,field.

So you're going back to Hacklebarney country. What made you want to go back? Because you inherited some land? A combination of things. I've always wanted to live in the coun­ try, and for some time I'd been looking up in the driftless area, Northeast Iowa by Decorah. I love that country. My grandfather

What I like about that record [Over and Under] was it got me back to how I like to make records, just sitting around playing with my friends.

You've carved an independent place for yourself in music. Was this your plan? Had no plan. My plan was just to write and sing. I've been doing music since I was 12. Growing up in Hacklebamey, the music we

played, what Grandpa liked, was hill music, a lot like what was being played in places like West Virginia and the Carolinas. I never traced it, but I think that type of music came up the river, plus there was the railroad and

coal mines. All my people came from English and Irish on both sides. That music came

over in the fOlm of folk songs. Grandpa played banjo. I was raised in that tradition. When I heard about the folk music revival growing up-that was the stuff I was raised on. Where did the tel'm "Hacklebarney" come from? Hacklebamey is a place-name. Before you had towns, you had stretch­ es of hills. Hacklebamey is a section, like Turkey Scratch, whatever

name's been given to that place-area Grandpa said it means "tail-end of nothing." Iowa artist, what do you think Iowa lends to your music? To me, it's not specific to Iowa so mach as I come from subsistence farmers, My father's people came from the Ozarks; they made a living by having a couple of cash crops, raised sorghum molasses, worked the ground with mules. My mother's people: Grandpa had a little sawmill,

As

an

the 40-acre place, a big garden, a couple of cows, pigs. They had to do a lot of things to get by. That's the people I come from; and the story­ telling from that way of life, it's a rich vein of storytelling, because it was a hardscrabble poor, but not a sad poor. We had eggs, meat, gar­ den-vegetables. There was storytelling, and music. The great thing about that kind of American music, whether it's church music or music made in bars, both musics are connected, I feel fortunate to have been born into such a rich culture.

passed away in 1991, and my mother and uncle inherited the Little Village * •

11

, ___ , _ .. .. ._ .. j• •_ ... , _ . ... ..

I had been

spending time down there, and it didn't take long to realize it would mean a lot more to me to build on the old home ground.

,_ ,_ . _ ,_ .. .. .• •_ , _ , _ ,. '_ _ ,0,_ ,, _

Your life, in a way, has been a

to worry about paying $50 to park, and

r e b e l l i o n

was just living here, I got pretty restless. I

against the cor­ porate process. It's been about staying

inde­

pendent.

I think one of the beautiful

things

about America­ and

So much of my heart and mem­ ories are down there.

it's

myth-is

not

a

that

independent streak, where a person can think of something to

do and do it. And it's getting harder to do,

Featuring the c ritically acclaimed G reg Brown release, Over and Under, as well as works by the followi ng artists: •

Bo Ramsey

•

David Zollo

•

Brother Trucker

•

Joe Price

•

Eric Straumanis

•

Kelly Pardekooper & the Devi l 's House

because with the corporate process, you come up with an idea, and now you sell it

to a corporation, and if it's good, you make

a million dollars. In Alaska, I still feel the

spirit, the frontier quality. People don't need a degree; if you can do it, you get the job, and if you can't, you lose the job. That spir­ it is still in the old-time music, even in the mournful songs. And that spirit, I think

,

we're losing. Whether it's a bookstore, a grocery store, a garage, a record label. If we lose that independent spirit, then as far as I'm concerned, the story of America is over. It's all about McDonald's and all the others. It becomes their story. In a way, my job is to play for people who don't like what's going on. People can come together and

meet. The power of music, I think is how it ,

bring people together.

Band

can

BeJae Fleming

Iowa City has an interesting culture. It's

•

Vicki Price

•

Tom Jessen

Iowa but a different kind of town. It's a hang town, like a lot of college towns can be. I think it's insular in some ways. It

•

can

.{.GtR& Hem lleCGhcLs t:Ai..4. 4" nc.m.ek and

be too comfortable for people to hang

out, if you're looking not to be hassled too much. Iowa City's a great town for that. Before

I

left

to

do

"Prairie

Home

Companion," I was at my limits with rest­ lessness. From my perspective now, it's wonderful to tour and then come back here.

Eric Straumanis,

--a

If I want to hear some music, I don't have

then get mugged along the way. But when I always encourage young musicians to get

out of here. This is a great town for musi­ cians, and there are a lot of great musicians here for a town this size. But it can get to be too comfortable. One thing I have noticed is the town has gotten more conservative. The police force-that shooting of that boy-I see them hassling kids on the ped mall. And the politicians in town are getting more conser­ vative, too. The river of society flows right through here. They've got that mall in Coralville, they're talking about building a rainforest, when the money could go to help some kids. The town is drifting the same way the country is heading, with money being the arbiter of all things.

The river of society flows right through here. They've got that mall in Coralville, they're talking about building a rainforest, when the money could go to help some kids. The town is drifting the same way the country is head­ ing, with money being the arbiter of all things.

So what's next for Greg Brown?

rve got two proj­ eds coming up, a

disc of baditional folk music I'll make

late-sum­

mer for Trailer,

make it again with old friends from around town. In

the late fall, I'll cut a

Red

House

released

next

record that will be spring,

when

I

start touring again.

Then, I'll only be playing about 40

gigs a year. •

Do

you write an the lillie? I'm always working. I plug away, not always on songs. I write other kinds of things, some­ times learn other people's songs, write poems, other stuff. I don't see it as work. I like doing it. And out of that process comes songs.

•

Continued in the August issue . . .

Brother Trucker, Jennifer Danielson & David Zollo

• •

•

,

,

•

i

R

law. Clt:y, law.

3 1 9 . 3 5 1 . 3 683 www. trailer- records.com 12

• Little

Vii/age

}ll

---.-

Steve Horowitz

Let the Iowa City poet aim.s to keep you up at night with new book

"It's not as if there were a n actu­

a l school in New York where 0' Hara, Koch and [John] Ashberry went or taught," Short says. "I

he cover of Iowa City poet Spencer Sh ort's first book of

came

poems,

work late in my literary develop­

TremoLo

( H arperCollins), bears a large p h oto­

graph of a golden-orange bedbug. This striki ng bug

ment.

into

contact with

They

tau g ht

their

me

an

refers to the centerpiece of Short's debut co llection, "The

i mportant lesson. I used to be

Bedbug Variations," seven formal variantions on the son net

too serious and I thought this

form. These lively and inventive poems illu strate Short's range,

was somehow linked to being

i ntellect and talent.

honest. Their work lightened

The 20-something Short has a boyish face, an earnest expres­

me up. I realized one could

sion and a n articulate vocabulary. He currently works as one of

be serious and still have fun

the "wi ne guys" at Joh n's Grocery, although he'll soon be mov­

i n a poem." A good exam­

ing to Manh attan . Short appears enthusiastic and somewhat shy

ple of this can be found i n

talking about the "Bedbug" poems over a cup of coffee at the

Short's brief poem "'And I

Java House.

Have Mastered the Speed

"The first and seventh poems are li near palindromes," he

& Strength Which i s the •

explai ns. "The first one reads backwards as well. The thi rd a nd

Armor of the World:" (Short

fifth are acrostics that spell 'crown of son nets' on the left- hand

laughingly concedes his shortest poems

column

the third one going down and the fifth one going u p

the left side." Short pauses and acknowledges that many rea d­ ers won't see the patterns o r even realize they are sca n ni n g son­ nets. "I didn't want the formal things I was doing getti ng i n the way of people reading the poems," he says. Consider the openi ng stanza of the "Bedbug" sonnet from which the volume gets its name:

engender the longest titles.) The poem begins: And so. Someone has written Fuck You i n em pty beer cans

across my neighbors lawn. It turns out it

was my neighbor. The mix of classical quote and obscenity

Arduous, Night atop its g rey grey horse.

adds both weight and humor to this poem

Night-bees gathering i n the tremolo.

about the eph emeral nature and power of love.

And shadow-bra nches. Black gum. Tupelo.

Short ends the poem in a similar manner:

The g lobe of light. The g rafted course Sh ort's use of repetition ("grey g rey," "Nig ht" used twice i n the first two li nes) are echoed in the word "tremolo," a won­ derful term that evokes vibrating and stayi ng still at the same time, not to mention the sound of bees buzzi n g . The personifi­ cation of [a] "Night" o n a horse, the color of the horse

. . . "I love you" you say & the night goes off like a gun I n a car •

The combi nation of a tender "I love you"

not

with the meta phor of a gun going off i n a car

the southern tree species (black gum

reveals love's erotic energy and danger. The

and tupelo), and the full moon ("globe of light") all give the

result is sexily funny and true to the work as a

poem a gothic feel. There's somethi n g spooky going o n .

whole.

just g rey, but "grey g rey"

As the poem continues, we learn the narrator is having a rest­ less nig ht, watching television until the station goes off the

Although Short is g laddened by the success of his poetry

( TremoLo

is published as one of

the "Star Spangled Ban ner" is sung and the screen goes

this years National Poetry Series winners), the

em pty. Short says he named these poems "Bedbug" because

recent Iowa Writers' Workshop g raduate says

they work through the issues that "keep one u p at night and

he's working on his prose. "You write poems

kind of itch at you." Short's poetry is meant to disturb readers

because you have to, there's a n i n ner need.

as they engage the poems.

Prose writers get six-figure contracts," Short

air

The poems creatively interweave thought and association i n

says a bit uncomfortably. Despite the publica­

a way that mimics how the mind operates. They function as lit­

tion of his first book, and all that entails (roy­

tle machines that take the reader through the p rocess of dis­

alties, rea ding-and-signing tours, etc.), Short

covery. While Short acknowledges a myriad of influences

his

still needs to earn a livi ng. In the meantime,

collecti on contai ns references to works by classic 20th-century

he hopes his knowledge of wines, honed here

writers like T.S . Eliot and Rainer Maria Rilke

in Iowa City, will help him gain employment in

the so-called "New

York School of Poets" has clearly affected his writi ng. Short

the Big Apple. *

freely acknowledges this. His poems mention and address Fra n k O'Hara and Kenneth Koch, and his use of wordplay, aesthetic and philosophical references and dialectical spontaneity clearly recall the New York poets' best work. Little Village

*

13

•

7

•

_ _ _ ,_ _ ,, ... ...,

Hippie Shake6peare, a gay ]e6u6 and WaLker 6traight owa City theater companies offered patrons a wealth of options in late June. The Riverside Theatre Shakespeare

extended run of As

Rob Cline

Festival wrapped

up its

these additions often

Escape from Happiness, one of three comedies by George

humor in herent in the play's language. The

F. Walker that the company will present this year.

biggest laugh of the nig ht, for example, was

Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festiva l production

of As You Like It

14

* Little

Village

from the

awarded to the forest dwellers when they ripped off some boy-band choreography rather than to any wit of Shakespeare's devising. The production boasted several strong per­

schedule a month before opening nig ht due to brisk

Weber as Rosali nd. Weber's comic timing and

ticket sales. The plot of this comedy revolves around

ability to reveal Rosalind's in ner conflict

the effo rts of Rosalind (Wendi Weber), daug hter of a

were at the heart of the production's success.

banished duke, to determine the steadfastness of her

Memorable performances were also delivered

would-be suitor Orlando's (Charles Picard) affection.

by Martin Yurek as the fool Touchstone and

I n the forest Arden, Rosalind, i n her role as a man,

(2nd Lord) in 2001

detracted

formances,

disguise herself as a man once she too is banished.

Jackson Doran

best, mixed. While it is certain ly true that the

mer, with five shows bei ng added to the origi nal

This effort is complicated by Rosalind's decision to

(Duke Senior) and

You Like It were, at

U niversity of Iowa Summer Rep season opened with

the most eagerly anticipated production of the sum­

(Amiens), Ron Clark

modern trappings into As

modernizations added humor in several places,

Performed at the outdoor theater in City Park, was

Stephanie Braun

The results of Hu nter's efforts to interject

You Like It, Dreamwell Theatre pre­ sented Terrance McNally's Corpus Christi, and the

As Yo u Like It

•

and "Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits").

however,

particularly that of

David Q. Combs as the melancholic Jaques.

Corpus Christi

tests her suitor's love by offeri ng to "pretend" to be

McNally's

Rosalind so that Orlando can experience the ever­

B rewba ker, is a retelling of the story of

changing tempers of a woman. The plot is compli­

Christ, in which Jesus

cated by a young woman who breaks the heart of her

usua lly called in the play

suitor by falli ng for Rosalind's male persona.

that aspect of the play has received the most

Corpus Christi, directed by Matthew or Joshua as he is is gay. Though

Director Mark Hunter chose to portray the kingdom

attention and caused the most controversy,

from which the main characters are banished as the

the story drifts from traditional accounts i n

modern corporate world, complete with cell phones,

several other ways. For exa m ple, Joshua (Jeff

computers and a stylized mode of business dress. The

Hansen) i s unsuccessful in completing one

forest Arden, by contrast, is populated by members of

miracle and

a sort of 1960s commune, led by the banished duke

"turn the other cheek" as something he must

(Ron Clark, who also plays the usurper duke back in the

have said when he was i n a very good mood.

city). The play is full of songs sung by various members

But the homosexual themes

of the forest band, and Hunter replaces Shakespeare's

play i n a number of ways, not the least of

songs with folk ballads ("Morning Has Broken" and "The

which is the reason behind J udas' betrayal of

Circle Game") and alternative rock ("When You're a Boy"

Joshua. McNally imagines Judas as a jealous

dismisses

his admonition to

are central to the

lover dis pleased by Josh ua's sharing of his body with the other disciples; and he betrays Joshua with a much less chaste kiss than is usually portrayed.

Corpus Christi

is a demanding play, asking

IT.os: of the 1 3 actors to drop i n and out of a :>er of different characters throughout :-e

erformance. While the play is anch ored

e strong performances of Hansen as :J osrua and Scot West as Judas, the other a ctors did a remarkable job capturing the essence

of various

personas

quickly and

abandoning them just as rapidly for a new ide ntity. The result was a production by turns hu morous,

thought-provoking

and

tragic.

From the opening moments of the production to the fi nal crucifixion scene, Dreamwell's production was deeply felt theater performed by a talented cast.

Escape from Happiness

Escape from Happiness,

directed by John

Cameron, is the madcap story of a family whose members are struggling to determine why they are under investigation by the police, just as they struggle to i nteract with one another in

any useful man ner.

Nora

(Deborah Mayo) is the matriarch of a house­ hold that i n cludes her youngest daug hter, Gail

(Mollie

Mook) ,

and

Gail's

husband,

J unior (Tony Bingham), as well as Tom, the man Nora refused to acknowledge as her hus­ band (Richard McWilliams) . When Nora and •

Gail find J unior bleeding on the kitchen floor, they enlist the help of Nora and Tom's other two daughters, Mary Ann (Mary Fons) and Elizabeth ( Dana Hardy), to try to deter­ mine what has happened. Mayo's performance as Nora is the glue that holds this farce together. Nora, living i n a n advanced state of denial, offers quirky advice at inopportune moments with an abundance of goodwill that would drive any child or spouse i nsane. Mayo has perfect pitch when it comes to delivering her often outrageous lines, and she also finds the right tone at a critical moment when Nora must be serious. Hardy, as the "com petent" sister Elizabeth, provides the perfect foil for Nora in both the humorous and serious scenes, coming into her own late i n the fi rst act when she goes on the offensive against the powers that threaten her fa mily. The strength

of Mayo's characterization

and timing is hig h lighted in the one major scene i n which she does not appear. A diffi­ cult ensemble scene requiring good timing and better characterization fa lls just short of success. On the whole, however, the cast of

Escape from Happiness

kept the audience

laughing from begi n ning to end, suggesti ng that this edition of Summer Rep is destined to have a strong run .

The play continues July 1-12 at David

Thayer Theatre. *

Little Village

*

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We have what y o u 16

,. Little Village

S M E /\ D K M Y

o r:

N A S S I U R

S R E M M SU

El R O N A M ,.

,

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Little Village ;,

17

---1-

•

Slons

Loathing in Las Vegas

and Iowa City's own

Jesus' Son.

There's no way that camera gim mickry can du plicate a

•

OVle

drug-induced

hallucination. In fact, these movies

wind up cateri ng to viewers who enjoy drugs. Another sub-genre is movies based on actual people who suc­

Le nny, Sid & Nancy, My Life and Times with

cumbed to drug use; these include don't do drugs, I do drug movies. I crave them on

Chris Offutt

long winter nights. I race recklessly from one video

ALL that Jazz, Basquiat and Antonin Artaud. Obviou sly, it

store to the next seeking my fix. Drug movies make

ject is a fa mous musicia n , poet or painter.

my com plicated life easier by providing escape into the

Last year brought

helps if the film's sub­

Requie m for a Dream .

Based on a

bliss of a n alternate world. I'm not talking about the

novel by Hu bert Selby Jr. and di rected by Darren

crime genre of movies about cops and robbers caught u p

Aronofsky, the film was Aronofsky's second offering

i n the so-called "War on Drugs"

best depicted i n last

after the cult-classic

Pi,

I'm talking about movies i n which the

Requiem for a Dream

shows the genuinely horrific

year's

Traffic.

a religious-math thri ller.

main dudes are addicts. I love these movies. I do them

resu lts of drug addiction on four characters over the

on a regular basis. But I can quit any time I want to.

course of several months. Harry is a young man who

Really. The drug-movie habit is safer on all fronts

better for

my body, softer on my wallet, not to mention the legal issues. Movies are also much easier to obtain than drugs. And let's face it, movie-lovers are far more inter­ esti ng to be around than druggies. (No one ever boost­ ed a VC R to raise money to rent movies.) Perhaps the best part of this habit is that after an overdose of bad movies, you can still wake up alive. You never find your­ self in jail. And late-video fines are a lot cheaper than lawyer fees. The godfather of drug movies is

Reefer Madness,

made

in 1 938 as a warning to young people about the dangers of marijuana. It was re-released to great comedic appeal during the 19 70s. The top dog of the serious, early drug movies is

The Man with the GoLden Arm,

a n Otto

Preminger film based on a Nelson Algren novel, and star­

Iowa City author want& teen-ager& to &ee controver­ &ial 'Requiem tor a Dream'

ring Fran k Sinatra as an ex-j u n kie who slides into old

repeatedly hocks his mother's TV in order to buy

habits. I n 1 9 5 5 , its depiction of drug addiction was very

drugs. He and his buddy Tyrone hatch every junkie's

controversial

in fact, the Motion Picture Association of

dream

America ( M PAA) refused to give the movie its seal of

bulk and peddle it at Coney Isla n d . They make oodles

approval. Until recently, the strongest drug movie was

of dough, get plenty of smack, and keep themselves

1 992's

Bad Lieutenant

with Harvey Keitel as a j u n kie,

and their girlfriends happy.

g a mbling, drunk cop. The peren nial cult-favorite drug m ovie is 1 989's

Ellen Burstyn (who received a n Academy Award

di rected by first-timer

nomi nation for her role) plays the TV-obsessed, diet

Gus Van Sant, with its blend of romance, burg lary and

pill-addicted mother. In the film's second act, Mom

substance abuse. Matt Dillon never did better work, but

gets hooked on speed and downers to the point of

Drugstore Cowboy,

the movie tends to glamorize addiction, which is very

hallucinating freely. Tyrone gets robbed of both stash

bad indeed. If you want to see how stupid dope makes

and cash. Harry and his girlfriend, Marion, h ave seri­

you, watch Cheech and Chong.

ously escalated their addiction but are out of dope.

Movies attem pting to depict the effects of drugs on

Marion sleeps with her old boyfriend and bo rrows

one's consciousness is a sub-genre that I try to avoid.

enough money for some smack, but the buy goes

Examples include

south fast and everyone is out of luck. The last 20

Naked Lunch, Trainspotting, Fear &

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, m m ..:w

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18

• Little

Crisis Telephone & Walk-in Counseling

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•

Caring Service Since 1 970

Information and Referral

Food Bank/Emergency Assistance Program

Village

the big score, raising mo ney to buy heroin i n

•

Volunteer Opportunities

minutes of the m ovie are phenomenal. A sequence of literally hu ndreds of cuts depicts the terrifyi ng reality of an addict's life.

Requiem for

Dream

0

strongest anti -drug sho uld

be

seen

is quite si m ply the

m ovie ever made.

by

It

every teen-ager i n

America. The problem i s that, due to the absurdity of the MPAA rati ng system , very few teen-agers got to see it o n the big screen . The M PAA board gave

Requie m

an Ne-

1 7 rati ng, basically an X-rati ng in sheep's clothi n g and the kiss of death for the the­

LVN C �

atrical release of a m ovie.

C

e. � ••

The MPAA is a board whose sa lary comes from the eight major studios i n Hollywood. That's right, the studios pay the people who make decisions about rati ng movies. That's right, the M PAA is a paid jury. Naturally, they favor the money

just look at the R-rati ng

they gave Steven S pielberg's

Ryan, ing

f ,

Saving Private

be b e .'

which featured the most violent open­

sequence

in

movies such as

movie

history.

A merican Psycho

f

Violent

and 8MM

also received R ratings, while independent movies

like

Kids, Happiness, Dogma and Summer of Sam were hounded to death. In Requiem's case, di rector A ronofsky rebelled

and

convinced

his

..

s

b eing ag ain . i v

I

"� •

distrib utor,

elief in

Artisan Entertai n ment, to release the movie

. . q u i ties

u n rated. But when two big theater chains

•

art Museum copIes !

com plained, Artisan agreed to make clear i n

I

pri nt ads for the film that no one 1 7 or younger

would

be

allowed

to

see

it.

(Aronofsky was contractua lly obligated to turn i n a n R-rated film, but Artisan decided to support him . It's a little ironic then, that he caved i n on the video release, cutti n g scenes to ensure an R-rating.) This war of censorship versus artistic free­

I Love You,

dom is a bad one. The true losers i n this case

You 're Perfect,

were the teen-agers who, due to an artist's board, weren't allowed to see the movie.

Sept. 7 - 3 0

is the best anti-drug

chains didn't want teen-agers to see it. If

Walking th e Wire:

this climate of censorship conti nues, pretty

Monologues

soon it will be harder to get into a drug movie than it is to get drugs. *

at

Riverside

Oct. 1 2 - 1 4 Spinning Into Butter

Nov. 1 6 - Dec. 9 Small Miracles

... ••

Dec . 1 4 - 1 6 Dr.

Side Man

April 5 - 20 Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival

The Comedy of Errors and Romeo

& Juliet

June 6 - July 7

For a season brochure or more information cal l :

City

Hours: 3 5 8- 1 1 6 3

Emily Dickinson

Feb. 2 8 - March 3

movie ever made, but the MPAA and theater

1025 8.

Jan . 2 5 - Feb. 1 7

Now Change

hubris and the fascism of an anonymous

Requiem for a Dream

The Memory of Water

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Little VillagH

19

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shift the way naturaL Landscape changes with time.

1 David

Trawick'.s

photograph.s

Life is cha nge, and the necessity of change i n Life

o��er

a rareLy .seen gHmp.se o� the �emaLe �onn

is apparent i n the body of a pregnant woman. The piece that i ntroduces the exhibit,

#127,

shows the

remarkabLe physicaL transition a pregnant woman experiences through five photos within one frame.

ne might Look at the 1 6 photographs of nude

The first two photos of the series show the woman i n

pregnant women and

earLy pregnancy. The viewer's focus moves over the

caLL them

shocking.

Natural. Beautiful. Unexpected. It is a per­

Julia Fierro

woman's body

the sLight sweLLing of the stomach,

spective of the femaLe form rareLy seen. Each of us has

the sharp an gLes of her arms above her head and

had our attention drawn to a pregnant woman waLking

waist.

down the street or passing through a crowded cafe.

advances and the focus shifts to the stomach and the

What is so provocative? Is it the dramatic physicaL

rounding breasts. I n the Last photo, the focus rests

change in a woman's body, or the change within? In

compLeteLy on the stomach, aLLowing the viewer to

the 1 6 bLack-and-white photographs that make u p

participate in the graduaL physicaL chan ge, with one

David Trawick's

sweeping gLance.

Great With ChiLd,

it i s the h onesty i n

As the

series

progresses,

the

pregnancy

the portrayaL of the body that is captivati ng. This

Few artists, maLe or femaLe, have represented this

depiction of the femaLe form i n a phase scarceLy shown

phase of the femaLe body. For ma ny, photography of

is a refreshi ng contrast to the cuLturaLLy ideaLized

the nude pregnant body brings to mind actress Demi

image that is more familiar. The pregnant body i s pho­

Moore on the cover of

tographed for what it is

a body, i n a naturaL phase of

Va nity Fair . This

gLamorization

of the pregnant Moore sends out a faLse image of the body i n preg nancy. The raw beauty of Trawick's exhib­

change. naturaL

it shows that the pregnant body does stray from the

objects, whether Living or not. I use these simi larities

ideaL, and that the change is naturaL and beautifuL,

to open a discussion of the connectedness of aLL Life

absent of the stereotypicaL notion of femaLe beauty.

o n earth and the pLanet itseLf," Trawick says. This is

In

the essence of

where the pregnant

stomach out in an exaggerated pose, aLmost separat-

the same as a Lake, a

ing it from her body. This intentionaL warping of the

mountain o r a hiLL covered with snow. The rounded

ideaLized form creates an unexpected beauty that

Lines, Luminous against a bLack background, seem to

rivaLs Moore's overtLy gLamorous pose.

"There exist similarities

of form i n

Great With ChiLd,

form is "a naturaL object"

aLL

#143,

a woman's hips tiLt forward, pushing her •

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20

* Little

Village

Great with Child #1 08

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One of the most fasci nating aspects of the exhibit is that it sprung from the mind of a

: ".

.

m a n . Trawick is able to capture the physical experience of preg nancy without eroticizing his subjects. Of the women photographed,

Send us your

one is a professional artist's model and the rest acquaintances or women Trawick met­ some he just stopped on the street. The

.

inclusion of inexperienced models creates an organic setti ng i n which the poses appear

•

casual, as if the models have grown withi n

PO Box

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136 ,

•

and photos Iowa cit \- 52245 •

•

the enviro nment of the photograph itself. The connection

•

between pregnancy and

natural landscape is best expressed i n the photos that come i n close on the body.

#88

is a true depiction of female landscape i n the flux of preg nancy. The focus rests on the con­

,

trast of two long curves, the stomach and

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thig h , magnifying the point at which the two

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curves meet and then disappear i nto shadow.

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It is easy to see how the shape of the body

·

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•

could be mistaken for the smooth curves of a •

stone washed over by centuries of waves.

.

, •

The perspective i s drastically different i n

#49.

·

The viewer's focus starts at the woman's

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and

#21,

'

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photos that include the

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the main focus of the exhibit. The face

.'

.

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removes the quality of abstraction and its

•

•

potential to attain diverse viewpoints.

•

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Some may i nterpret this focus on the body Agai n ,

.

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to the face, denying attention to the body­

of wom en.

.

.

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disrupt the exhi bit's unity. The eye is pulled

objectification

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,

full body and face of a woman, ulti mately

as

.

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Not all the photos achieve this sta ndard.

#52

; '.

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a llows a multiplicity of perspectives to rise

Pieces

"

,

.

of physical reality

from one image.

.

·

illusion of a landscape that stretches on end­ confusion

.

·

and ends on the toes, ba rely visible on the

The

.

:, •

eye follows the steep slope of the stomach

lessly.

;

'

. ' ;

neck and m oves down over the breasts. The

horizon . This dream-like di stortion gives the

.

.

:

.

.-

Trawick's honesty i n the depiction of the

. •

•

.

·

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·

pregnant body that overcomes the possibili­ ty of objectification and makes his risk a suc­

.

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it's

.

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cessful one.

'

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•

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The exhibit as a whole is a n honest and

.' • • • • • .

stri king representation

of the

connection

·

·

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between the female body i n preg nancy and the natural landscape that sustains that body.

Great With Child allows

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Little Village

*

21

Jeremy Erwin

The Bug Dance Rhythm Band emerge6 Q6 one 0& the m06t 6emationaL eLectric­ bLue6 outbit6 in the Midwe6t

guitars and hypnotic backwards vocals. "It's basically a collection of four-track demos," Park explained, "and yeah, a lot of it's kind of weird; but it was just a chance to elabo rate on what we were doing live with­ out having a million people up on stage with us, and to just

uring the '60s, rock musicians constrained

put together some of the other ideas I had that couldn't be

by 1 2 bars and four chords threw thei r

done with j ust a n acoustic guitar and harmonica."

blues guidebooks out the window and let

Around the time of the Vegetable sessions, Park and

their music go wherever their minds o r drugs took

Swartzendruber pieced together their first full-fledged band,

them. Upon reaching the other side, however, they

a six-piece collective named Squib Potential. Far removed

realized blues music wasn't about form but feeling.

from the acoustic blues the duo performed live

The formula worked well for the Stones, the Byrds

playful head music recorded in Park's basement

and the Who. Each dove headfirst into musical

Potential was a jam band tried and true. Anchored by two

experimentation only to resurface a few years later

pianos

with their own mutation of blues-based rock 'n' roll.

vicious

I n this sense, The Bug Dance Rhythm Band is a throwback to those days. Within the last three years this Morton, Ill., quartet has fearlessly taken bare-bones acoustic blues to psychedelic peaks and g ritty honky-tonk valleys, only to emerge as one of the most sensational electric-blues outfits in the Midwest. Fronted

by

a

harmo nica

player

who

rivals

even the g reat Sugar Blue, and a songwriter/gui­ tarist/pianist who comes off like one of Bob Dylan's unclaimed sons, The Bug Dance Rhythm Band pre­ sides over a melting pot of blues, R&B, rock 'n ' roll and country i nfluences, without a trace of imita­ tion . Making regular weekend appearances at Sam's Pizza, the band stuffs its three sets so full of train ­ ridin' hobo tales, lonesome dirges and clever revi ­

, "

."

--

:.: .

.

22

. . '

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.

.

.'

• Little

,

Village

Swartzendruber's

h armonica,

Squib

Pote ntial performed a combi­ nation

of original

material

with a healthy dose of covers. With

the

band

gai ning

momentum and wi n ning over crowds across its home state, Squib after

Potential fizzled less

than

out

two years

when the i nterests of Park, Swartzendruber a n d

bassist

Aaron Eleam turned to the British blues of the early '60s. ''I'd look out into the crowd at these shows and

I don't

want to say this because it'll look bad

but you look out

there and everybody's a hippie, and you're just like, 'What

night, they should have every blues band withi n

am I doin'? I'm not really a hi ppie, so why should I only be

the Iowa City limits shaking in its boots.

p layin g to these people when I could be playi ng to all kinds of people?'" said Park with a laug h .

Band can be traced to a series of demos recorded i n

And so, Park, Swartzendruber and Eleam parted company

the basement of songwriter/g uitarist Joe Park's

with Squib Potential and began tryi ng out d rummers, ulti­

Morton

Pina, l. $, GiUlert St, C ' ity : : Wilen: Saturday, July 7.9pm

Squib

sions of rock 'n ' roll standards that, even on a n off

The hum ble begi n ni ngs of The Bug Dance Rhythm

Sam'$

Even on an off night, they should have every blues band within the Iowa City limits shak­ ing in its boots.

and

and the

home.

Created

under the

moniker The

mately recruiti n g Josh Barn hart from a local band called

Vegetables, the recordings featured only Park and

Bonanza Jelly Beans. Essentially picking u p where the

harmonica p layer/vocalist Matt Swa rtzendruber, the

Vegetables experiment left off, the qua rtet landed their first

two having performed together with a sparse gui­

gigs as after-hours entertainment.

tar-a nd-harmonica setup for a few short months.

friend's house, the band would practice and perform in the

The tunes recorded in Park's basement, however,

garage from midnight until sun rise, honing their abilities

were hardly a reflection of their stripped-down live

and seemingly telepathic musical i nteraction. After several

performance, as the pair fleshed out the tracks with

of these sessions, it was clear the band had become much

honky-ton k pianos, organ, layers of tinkling electric

more than si mply The Vegetables Part 2 . With their jam

During parties at a

influence still lingering, three-minute blues covers became 1 0 min utes of honky-ton k piano runs, lightning-fast harmonica solos, and a rhythm section that chugged it all along like a steam trai n . Taki ng their name from the chorus of a song by comedy-jazz duo Slim & Bam ("bug dance rhythm/let your feet go down"), the Bug Dance Rhythm Band

now emulating their

blues influences by wearing identical three­ piece suits

added the final ingredient when

Eric Davis of Bonanza Jelly Beans joined on lead guitar. A band that already put together an astonishing live show managed to become even better. The addition of Davis' lead-play­ ing

created

music that

bridged

the

between The Band's The Rolling Stones'

Music From Big Pink Sticky Fingers .

gap and

"When Eric played with us we'd become so much more of a rock band than we ever were," Heam said. "A nd while he's a great rock gui­ tarist, he could also play the banjo, so we'd try doing some of our songs as bluegrass tunes. We'd also do some weird ones, like, I remem­ ber one time i n Chicago we did a bluegrass ver­ sion of [Guns N' Roses'] 'Patience' " . which actually went over really well." It came as a blow then when Davis recent­ ly left The Bug

Dance

Rhythm

Band for

'be

. -• .

Kentucky. Before his departure, th ough, the band made its first tri p to the studio and recorded

a

soon-to-be-released

EP

titled

Coping with the Bug Dance Rhythm Band.

A

collection of six Joe Park originals, the EP includes some newly re-va m ped material from The Vegetables days, the slow, Pi n k Floyd­ style " Faces," a jazzed -up "Man with the Boots" and one of the band's live favorites, "Hobo Joe." While the return to a four-piece lineup and the release of its first studio recordi ng all but ensure a change i n direction for the band, just how they'll mutate is still up for grabs. Park said the band is now experi menting with vocal jazz standards by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles. One thing is certai n , though

anyone with

a n ear to The Bug Dance Rhythm Band won't be disappointed. *

Little Villag. .

23

•

7

Orlando

Lucinda Williams

•

"Cachaito" Cac:haito

Lost Highway Eastern

Luaka Bop

World Circuit

Iowans

latest

from a member of the Buena Vista

of Bay-area band leader Johnny Otis,

lick than the average musician can

Social Club is much more than just

was creati ng and recording ground­

express in a whole song. So it's no

that.

"Cach aito"

breaking music. U nfortunately, it has

wonder that Lucinda Williams' latest

Lopez and visionary producer Nick

taken the musical world almost 30

release, whose basic tracks were pro­

Gold have experimented with both

years to figure it out. Luaka Bop's re­

duced by Bo, sounds so eloquently

i n strumentation

release

stark. As the title

here

Bassist

Orla ndo

and

production

Inspiration Inform ation

( 1 9 74) has fina lly given Shuggie the

Williams distills her music from the

Lopez is the nephew of legendary

credit he deserves. Otis was a musical

basics: the sound of her voice, a quiet

Cuban bass player, and co-inventor of

prodi gy, a ma sterful blues guitarist

drumbeat, plucked and looped guitar

the mambo, Israel "Cachao" Lopez;

and multi-instrumentalist. His play­

tones, and such. This album is no

and

party but contains a certai n sweet­

musical ambition. Listeners beware:

vibes, drums and assorted percussion

ness and dignity. If it were a wine, it

this is not traditional Cuban music by

on

would be a dry Semillon that could be

any means.

in musical texture, com position and

drunk without food accompa niment;

replaced by fun ky organ-playing and

producti o n .

one would chug the bottle between

surf-like

arrangements of horns and strings

sips to get the taste and the buzz

han d led

si m ultaneously.

Morrison

Essence

sug gests,

he

has

his

i n herited

On

excelle ntly

montu no s by

Manuel

and

piano is

Cachaito,

electric-g uitar

uncle's

Bigga

Galban.

The

ing of guitar, bass, organ,

Inspiration Information

piano,

is a study

Shuggie's

creative

add depth to his musical vision. The opening

title

track

could

which

Maybe because Williams' father is a

musical fa brics they weave are an

have easily been a top-10 hit

famous poet (M erle Williams), critics

essential backdrop to the album with

tively i ntroduces Otis' soft vocals and

have always lavished praise on her

Galban taking occasional solo duty,

tastefully restrai ned guitar playing.

lyrics. Sure, she has written some fine

most notably on "Mis Dos Pequeiias."

Shug gie's

turns of p h rase, but Williams' secret

Morrison is one of several non-Cubans

occur throughout the album. Many

strength has always been her raspy,

brought in by Gold to give the album

songs abandon traditional structures

quavering voice. Williams' lyrics on

a

cross-cultural sound.

i n favor of long i n strumental sections

For

Former James Brown saxophonist Pee

used not as a forum for solos but to

exa mple, on the refrain of the open­

Wee Ellis contributes horn arrange­

convey a strong mood or texture. This

ing cut, "Lonely Girls," Williams sings

ments on "A Gozar el Tumbao" and

i s best illustrated by "Sparkle City,"

the words "Lonely Girls" four times

"Wa hira," soloing and playi ng organ

which opens with a fu n k guitar-based

overtop Bo's quiet electric guitar and

on the latter. On the spacious and

groove, and builds stea dily for two

other sparse i nstrumentation. Hence

beautiful

Hugh

min utes before the vocals glide i n .

the consta ntly changing expressive

Masekela appears, playin g flugelhorn.

The four consecutive instrumental

vocals (her si nging i s backed u p by

The production

of heavy

tracks on the album though sketch­

Jim Lauderdale) become more i m por­

reverb and

other effe cts give the

like in their si mplicity, sound so fresh

tant than the words and even the

album a psychedelic and contempo­

they could easily be hip-hop or down­

melody. And despite the sad words,

rary sound. This i s most effective

tempo

the song is as comforti ng as a lulla­

with Demetrio Muiiiz's a m bient string

instrumentals, and many of the vocal

by. Williams' vibrato reveals her in ner

arrangements

on

"Redenci o n , "

tracks on the album, are marked by

strength and confidence. Sometimes

"Conversacion"

"Oracion

the use of a n early drum machine

being lonely is a good thing.

Lucumi." "Redencion," the opening

reminiscent

i s an emotional album, but

track, sets the mood as Cachaito's

(worth picking u p ) . The four addi­

doesn't

rich bass li ne lays down a foundation

tional

tracks

that

(1971)

have a

are

Williams life's

particularly

bare.

get gooey

problems.

She

about

knows

that

fresh

and

"Tu m ba n g a , "

conti nues

use

and

t h roughout

off

Ston e's

Fresh

Freedom Flight

distinctly different

Amadito Valdes, Carlos Gonsalez and

Regardless, they are a welcome addi­

When Williams sings about the spiri­

prodigious conguero Miguel "Anga"

tion to the album with the most

tual, as in the down and dirty "Get

Diaz is solid, only occasionally stray­

noteworthy contribution

Right With God," she fi nds salvation

i ng too far from the g roove.

origi nal version of "Strawberry Letter

i n blasphemy, and redemption i n the

is marked not by catchy hooks or cho­

23,"

sound

actually three

ruses (there is only one vocal num­

Brothers

Johnson.

guitars: she strums a resonator, Bo

ber) but by a n overall mood and con­

Information

is a must-buy for fans of

plays slide and Cha rlie Sexton joins in

ti nuity (despite the ill-advised hi p­

early '70s fun k and soul but will

on tremolo slide and rhythm guitars.

hop track "Cachaito i n Laboratory")

sound surprisi ngly fresh to contem­

But it's Williams' voice calli ng, "I

that can only be thoroughly appreci­

porary R&B and hip-hop listeners as

want to get right with God" that

ated after a second or third liste n.

well. There isn't a wasted cut on the

transforms the

plea

This album will make you want to

album; it's a lost treasure that'll leave

a nswer.

lounge with a d ri n k and float way; it

you th rilled that it was re-discovered.

a

prayer

song

.¥ Steve Horowitz

in to

from an

a

has

a

unique

and

of

Sly

These

s h a ke the blues away.

guitar

section

of

tra cks.

tough

of a

percussion

the

electronica

form

with

album.

can

The

and

experiments

effec­

humor, pride and even just acting

into

Cachaito

beautiful feel

throughout and is a bold step forward in the fusion of Cuban and contem­ porary music.>:;' Justin Feinstein Village

of

and the resu lts are spectacular.

Essence

• Little

early

Ramsey can say more with one guitar

Essence

24

;

the

Back i n

- ' - - 70s, Shuggie Otis, the son

Bo

that

solo

,

a lb u m

know

•

Inspiration In/ormation

Lopez

Essenc:e

•

- , - - Shuggie

feel

raw

later

and

made

* Justin Feinstein

less

produced.

bei ng the

popular

by

the

Inspiration

Joe Hemy

Scar

,

Mammoth Records The image man's

of a

breast,

stenciled with the crudely

ha nd-i n ked

"A MOR,"

graces

Henry's

latest

a lbu m ,

Scar.

Henry's

songs

"scarred"

prison

the (and,

The

tattoo

sometimes willing ly

Scar strikes

a groove rem­

Feeli ngs," "Crickets" and

Feet

"Thankful

sim ple

well-suited to breathing i n the thick,

outstan d i n g

i n ky blackness of upcoming sum mer

taste i n backing talent (including gui­

nig hts. Get out of the air conditioning

B rad

and soak i n this sweltering voodoo on

album

Hen ry's

com pari s o n . Mark

tarist

defies such

Ribot,

pianist

bassist Me'shell Ndegeo cello and free­

of

jazz legend O rnette Coleman) alone

simi larly

lifts his lyrical visions to new heights.

begrudgingly,

Wounds heal, but scars remai n. Joe

arnor.

"Bird

but the

best)

by

are

Dirt," but the whole of

so

far,

humid

iniscent of early Brand New Heavies,

Mehldau,

been

sometimes

At times,

cover of Joe

protagonists

have

Particula rly

i n g true to yourself i n the process.

Henry's •

drummer

Scar is

Brian

Blade,

your front

porch

High Seas

with

a jug,

is

if

appropriate . .,:;. Joe Derderian

The

that's not what i heard

a cathartic tour of the

fli pside of love; it reminds us that

KiU Rock Stars

Scar's

freeing ourselves fro m bad situations

The Gossip come

characters are so imm ediate, so simul­

like a dead-end job, the expectations

ta neously

on

of others or a n unfulfilling relation­

country cousins of the Cramps­

allegorical levels,

ship (while temp orarily painful and

soaked in raunchy backwoods blues,

s ee m i n g ly

spiked with just a hint of Southern

Henry has always possessed a gift for stri king lyrical imagery, but u n derstandable

metaphorical and that you're

completely

drawn

into

their situations. From "Edgar Bergen": bird

"That

of yours,

he just

bit

me/And all I said was 'hello'/All I did was,

I

an swered

him/And

allows

i m possible)

somet hing

expectation

i nto

and 1 9 9 9's

gospel and set on fire with the healthy spark of relentless NW punk­ rock attitude. It's especia lly hearten­

Derderian

sort of

ing to realize that this is The

Trailer Bride

Gossi p's first full-length album; never

High Seas

B l o o d s h o t

"traditional"

Records Crawling

American music contexts (see 1 996's

Trampoline

beyond -

Henry has always enjoyed placing i n sig hts

more

to be discovered. ;:;. Joe

shook his foot, you know" his

ulti mately

across as swampy

Fuse) . Scar goes

even further, with the electric-blues

mind that it clocks in at under 25 minutes

th at's more than enough

time to have you (in the words of from

the band) "shake dat fat ass, baby!"

of

Certai nly, you've never heard a more

free-fall of "Richard Pryor Addresses A

Chapel Hill, N.C. (if there really are

upbeat and driving cover (sort of) of

Tearful Nation" ("Love me like you're

swamps i n

"Swi ng Low," and hey

lyi ng/Let me feel you near/Remember

Bride returns to haunt with

me for tryi ng/and excuse me while I

their third

d i s a p p e a r " ) , t h e s n a ke - c h a r m i n g

Creepi ng

Middle Eastern tango of "Stop" ("Tell

j oi st/saw-p layer

me everythi ng I'm not/but don't tell

feminine swagger, a most able group

RC,

me to stop"),

of fellas ( Daryl White on bass, Scott

blues and 70s-era AC/DC and Black

and the fun ky jazz

instrumental "Nico

Lost One Small

Buddha." Regardless of co ntext, Henry always

sounds

than ever here

more

self-assuredly

like himself.

two albums was sometimes unsuccess­ (witness

a nd

North

Brad

two-third's

of

Trampoline), Henry understa nds Scar's protagonists are learning

and tha t

the most i m portant and diffi cult thing

Caroli na),

Trailer

Bloodshot.

Jesus" twisted into the evil crawl of

sin ger/guitarist/ba n ­

"Heartbeats"? If the Go-Go's had been

on

Melissa

Goolsby

on

Swi ng le's

guitar

and

listened to nothing

Sabbath,

moved to

the clincher

but gritty

NYC i n 76-'77

were managed by

and

i ng your back.

Howli ng Wolf, you'd ca pture the sound

Horsep ower,

of

early

with

a

16

and spirit of The Gossip's

smoother

what i heard.

i ntensity and a slower, smokier burn,

modern lovers

High Seas

but

is a fitti ng com plement to

the u n nervi ng still before those mid­

that's not

This album g rrr-i nds,

seek it out! ->::- Joe

Derderian The Gossip appears J u ly 6 at Gabes.

sum mer thun derstorms. Like crossing Tony Joe White with the banjo

has done markedly since 1 9 90's low­

this is easily some of the coolest

key, acoustic

swa m p

is re main-

raised in Searcy, Ark., on catfish and

drums, respectively) keeps you watch­

about reinventi ng yourself (as Henry

Shuffle town)

isn't that the

hook from Depeche Mode's "Personal

release

via

swa m ps

High Seas,

Remi niscent

Though the genre-mixing of his last ful

the

player from

music

since

, o •

Deliverance, Slim

Har po.

,

-

. . .

of 8

Little Villagu

25

iCubanismol

Iowa City Jazz Festival Downtown Iowa City . July 1

•

6pm

Although the 200 1 edition of Iowa

1996 self-titled debut. That CD re-introduced tra­

City's premier outdoor music festival

ditional Cuban

i nstrumental dance

styles

like

performers

dazon and pa'ca alongside more familiar forms like

( Dizzy Gi llespie's tenor saxophonist

rumba, cha-cha and son montuno. Three CDs later,

brags

some

i ncredible

Benny Golson a n d Carla B ley with

the band explores connections between Havana

Steve Swallow, to name o n ly three),

and

New

Orleans

with

Mardi

Gras

j Cubanismo! in New Orleans. This big band is led

will be achieved.

by former Sierra Maestra trum peter Jesus Alema ny,

jCubanismo! laid the g roundwork for

who was convi nced by producer Joe B oyd (Fairport

the whole Cuban invasion

Convention, Nick D rake) to forge the group from

including

•

July 1 6

•

8pm

The title characters of J ustin Cronin's Mary and O'Neil are a man and woman who date,

get ma rried,

settle

down,

have babies.

Cronin, who attended the Writers' Workshop with Elizabeth McCracken and Chris Offutt,

the ranks of Cuba's best jazz musicians.

the more low-key ramblings of the Buena Vista Social Club

Prairie lights, Iowa City

Mambo:

the jCuba nismo! show i s where the real dehydrati o n

Juslin Cronin

represents a return to the glory days of

with their

understated domestic fiction, when U pdike, and Cheever were in vogue. But he doesn't seem to care that today's critics gather round the excesses of writers like David Foster Wallace or that readers don't even gather. " Fo r these characters, the death of their parents, the birth of their first child, these a re the biggest things that ever hap­ pened to them," he said in an interview

•

•

,

<

.

.

with the Philadelphia Citypaper. "Most read­

··· .' U

'.

' .

.#� .

'.

ers a re ordinary people; they get married,

'.

..

grieve the dead. Mary and O'Neil tries to show how these things feel,

how they

change us." Also broadcast live o n WSUI AM - 91 0 and WOI AM-640. 1 5 S . Dubuque St., Iowa City, 33 7-2681 .

a

7

L2

7

•

•

•

I

Apt

Akar Architecture and Design 4 S. Linn St., Iowa City, 3 5 1 - 1 2 2 7 • Maren Kloppmann, contemporary ceramlCS, through July 14. Cedar Rapids Museum of Art 410 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapi ds, 3 6 6·7503 • Making Waves in the Midwest: The Art of Asian Paper, a variety of pieces by 25 artists, many local, who use handmade Asian paper in their work, through Aug. 5 . • Related events: "Asian Paperma ki ng: Throughout the Far East," Thursdays on Third lecture by Lynn Am lie, direc­ tor, UICB Research and Production Paper Faci lity, July 1 2 , 6pm; • "Paper Innovations: An Historic Craft in the Artist's Hands," Thursdays on Third lecture by artist Karen Stah lecker, Ju ly 19, 6pm; • Asian Papermaking workshop, co­ instructed by Karen Sta hlecker and Lynn Am lie, July 14-15, 10am-5pm, register by July 6 • Open-Book Tour of exhibit with Lynn Amlie and CRMA curator Jane Milosch, Art Sandwiched In, Aug. 1 , 1 2 p m . • Michelle Acuff: Recent Sculpture, features i nsta llation piece called Shelter by this Iowa City artist, through Aug. 1 2 • Art Sandwiched In ga llery talk with the artist, •

26

Hittle Village

•

•

July 1 1 , 12pm. Iowa Artisans Gallery 1 1 7 E. College St., Iowa City, 3 5 1·8686 • NEWS, mixed-media paintings by Iowa City­ native Stefan Kn orr, through July 9 . • Jewelry Invitational: Baby Jane & Carla Reiter, July 12Aug. 10. • With Wooden Handbags: Schinichi Miyacaki, J u ly 12-Aug. 10. Lorenz Boot Shop 132 S. Clinton St., Iowa City, 339- 1053 • Photographs by Sandra Louise Dyas; mono­ prints and monotypes by Lucy David; sculpture, photos and prints by Chris Burd, all Iowa City, through Oct. 1 MC Ginsberg Objects of Art 110 E. Washington St., Iowa City, 3 5 1 ·1700 • Modern Day Tiara, handmade felt hats accent­ ed by vintage jewelry brooches, through July 15. Mythos 9 S. Linn St., Iowa City, 33 7·3760 Ethnographic art, antiquities and museum • copies; specializing in African, Mayan Indian from Guatemala and Asian, ongoing. Senior Center 28 S. Linn St., Iowa City, 3 56·5220

_ ... _ I

1 .7

•

•

Patterns and Colors from the World of Nature, photographs of wild life and flowers by Dick Sjolund, through Aug. 2. Studiolo 4 1 5 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City, 341 ·8344 • Great With Child, photographs by Iowa City's David Trawick, through July 15. University of Iowa Museum of Art 150 N. Riverside Dr., Iowa City, 3 3 5- 1 7 2 7 • Lee Allen, paintings by this Grant Wood pro­ tege and medical i llustrator, through July 29. UI Hospitals and Clinics Project Art of UIHC Iowa City, 353-6417 • VI Printmaking, thesis Prints; 1992-1995, through Sept. 10, Hospital Dentistry Gallery, fifth floor Pomerantz Family Pavilion • Linda Graves, pai nted gourd SCU lptures, through July 3 1 , Main Lobby • Ina Loewenberg, photography, July 2-Aug. 3 1 , Patient and Visitors Activities Center • Tom Aprile, oil paintings, July 2-Aug. 3 1 , Boyd Tower East Lobby ' Michael Harker, photography, July 3-Sept. 3, Boyd Tower West Lobby. •

.. ..�'..

,,;.:

�.�.. .-,-

'>':::0/.'

�

-

," "

�

--�",

Lee Allen

UI Museum of Art, through July 29

Although Lee Allen began his career • ' 5 "

•

p rojects, he is best known for his achievements i n medical i llustration

-��.: :«.

. _ .

worki n g with Grant Wood on WPA art

.

;� - .., >,&;.-¥&. ' -e.g;"i:m;,8

and ocular prosthetics. This exhibit

. .; ::

explores Allen's work i n both art and

'

science. Regionalist work from the 1 9 30s i s included, as well as work from the past two decades when he returned to painting following his reti rement from the UI Department of Ophthalmology. 1 50 N . Riverside Dr., Iowa City, 335-1727 . •

o n .... 0 > ... n IC 0

� ::s

•

$[ � -<

�� :" ... n - "" '" .. :; 0 =- : " 0 .

7 7

::s �" ::s � ..

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... c:: � -

Zaslrozzi: The Masler of Discipline UI Theatres, Iowa City

•

July

5-14

This comedy by Canadian playwright George F. Walker has been described as "an odd hybrid of melodrama, revenge tragedy and grand opera, with bodies all over the place at play's end." The Iowa Summer Rep festival of Walker comedies wraps up with

Zastrozzi July

5-14. One of Walker's most popular plays,

Zastrozzi is

a n Italian

fable that follows this self- proclaimed master crimi nal of the world as he to seeks revenge on his arch nemesis, the hapless i m pressionist painter Verezzi believes Verezzi

has killed his mother. A review i n the

Zastrozzi

Washington Post

said

Walker creates a world "where humor and horror waltz drunkenly around i n each other's arms. " The play contains material of an adult nature. E.C. Mabie Theatre, Iowa City, 335-1 160.

---

,

---1-- _ __ _I

___ . ..

I

---.--

_ _ I

__

A Friendly Afternoon Place to Study

1 ••

• _

•

We Provide:

*Pens *Paperclips *Staples *Paging Service Also Available

*White Out *3 Language Dictionaries *Rolaids

study and have

*Certs *Good Music *Access to a phone

I'�:rm ���

Band starts at

Or pretend to

10

•

* Plush Vinyl Booths!

$3 fun tax

Dave Zollo

��'l

and the Body Electric Band starts at 1 0 $5 fun tax •

The

a beer

Institute of Higher Lear'ning

Little Villagn •

27

..i ._ '_ _ • _ _ _ _

I

_. _ -

1 _ :_ ... .

•

USIC

Gabe's 330 E. Washington St., Iowa City, 3 54-4788 Lawrence Arms, June 30 • ALejandro Escovedo, JuLy 1 • River City High, JuLy 2 • Drowning Man and Darkest Hour, J u Ly 5 • The Gossip, with Har-Mar Superstar, JuLy 6 • Groovy GhouLies, JuLy 9 • Cee KnowLedge and the Cosmic Funk Orchestra, JuLy 14 • Rocket from the Crypt, JuLy 20. •

_ 2 .. _

•

.

CarLa BLey/Steve SwaLLow & The Iowa ALL-Star Big Band, 8pm Stage A: Dick Watson, 1 : 30pm & 3:30pm • SauL Lubaroff, 5:30pm & 7 : 30pm Stage B: Fred Woodward Trio, 1 : 30pm & 3 : 30pm • DoLiho, 5: 30pm & 7:30pm. •

The Green Room 509 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City, 3 54-4350 BLues Jam Mondays, Latin Night Tuesdays • EL Nino with Dr. Z's Experiment, June 30 • Orquesta de Jazz y Salsa ALto Miaz (Salsa Band), JuLy 1 • KeLLy Pardekooper & the Devi L's House Band with Brother Trucker, JuLy 6 • Conspire, JuLy 7 • The TroLLeys wi Tastes Like Burning, JuLy 1 2 • Skunk River Bandits w/ SLopsycLe, JuLy 1 3 • Bohemian SouL Tribe w/ Phat ALbert, JuLy 1 4 • EviL Im posters, JuLy 18 • Catherine MusiLek w/ Kat Parsons & Ben Sch midt, JuLy 1 9 • HopesfaLL w/ 7 Angels 7 PLagues and Innocence Broken, JuLy 20 • Euforia w/ Cosmic FooLs, JuLy 2 1 • CLean Livin' w/ Guva, JuLy 26 • Still Gravy, JuLy 2 7 • WestfaLL w/ Hop on John ny, JuLy 28.

The 120 E. Burlington St., Iowa City, 3 5 1-9529 Greg Brown, JuLy 1 • Nate Basin ger, JuLy 5 • John Lake, JuLy 6 • Dancing Andy, J u Ly 7 • Singer/songwriters, JuLy 1 1 • Eric Straumanis, JuLy 1 3 • Ben Sch midt, JuLy 14 • Stuart Davis, JuLy 1 5 • Open m i ke, JuLy 1 6 • Joe Price, J u Ly 20 • Jennifer Danielson w/ Too Much Yang, JuLy 2 1 • WyLde Nept, JuLy 28. •

' }tome: Justice

Northside Books 203 N. Linn St., Iowa City, 466-9330, Sunday Live!, all 2-3pm JuLy 1: Jade, guitar and vocals; foLk, popuLar and origi nals • JuLy 8: Nica's Dream , clarinet and string bass, jazz • JuLy 1 5 : TBA • J u Ly 22: Mary EagLe, mountain duLcimer and a cappeLLa, foLk • JuLy 29: TBA •

Sal's Music Emporium 624 S. Dubuque, Iowa City, 338-7462 The Star Death, former IC foLkster BLueberry's new punk vehicle, with 86'd, JuLy 1, 5pm • Stuart Davis, JuLy 13, 6pm. • Kat Parsons, with Gravity ShackLes, JuLy 19, 6pm •

Sanctuary 405 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City, 3 5 1-569 2 Mike Spiro, jazz percussionist, JuLy 5 • Chris Merz Trio, jazz sax, JuLy 6 & 7 • Anton Hatwich Trio, J u Ly 13 • Thompson, Cun Liffe & Hatwich, JuLy 1 4 • Dave Moore, JuLy 20 & 2 1 • Jazztet, JuLy 27 • Tom Jessen, JuLy 28 •

UI Hospitals and Clinics Proj ect Art of UlHC Iowa City, 353-64 1 7, 1 2- 1pm, John Colloton Pavilion Atrium, by elevator F JuLy 3: ALan Swanson, piano i m p rovisation • JuLy 1 1 : Piano Students of Nancy Cree • JuLy 25: Piano Students of Nancy Cree. •

Festiv

s Series

Friday Night Concert eries Plaza Fountain Stage in front of the Sheraton City Plaza Hotel, Iowa City, 6:30-9:30pm JuLy 6: Poetic Justice • J u Ly 1 3 : Tornados • J u Ly 20: Shade of BLue • J u Ly 2 7 : Johnny Kilowatt •

Iowa City Jazz Festival June 30 & July 1 Downtown Iowa City Saturday, June 30 Main Stage: Chris Merz Trio 2pm • Kenny

28

• Little

Vii/age

Werner Trio, 4pm

•

Benny Golson Quartet, 6pm

Youth Stage: Independence HS, 1:30pm;

•

Eisenhower HS, 3 : 30pm • Independence HS, 5:30pm . Eisenhower HS, 7 : 30pm. Workshops: Hosted by jazz pianist and author Kenny Werner, 1 1am, IMU WheeLroom • hosted by saxophonist and composer Benny Golson, 1 2 : 30pm, I M U WheeLroom.

Sunday, July 1 Main Stage: Dave ZoLLo, 12pm

Greg Osby Quartet (featuring Jason Moran), 2pm • Pat Martino & Friends (with Joey DeFrancesco & Billy Hart, 4pm • jCubani s m o ! , 6pm. Stage A: The Moe Band, 1 1 :30am & 1 : 30pm; • Funk Farm, 3 : 30pm & 5:30pm. •

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Stage B: UNI Jazz Combo, 1 1 :30am & 1 : 30pm UI Jazz Combo, 3: 30pm & 5:30 pm Youth Stage: IC West HS Jazz Combo, 1 1 :30am & 1: 30pm • Northwest Jr. High, 3:30pm & 5 : 30pm.

Market Music Chauncey Swan Park, Iowa City, musicians entertain Farmers M a rket-goers, 5-7 pm, Wednesday evenings through August July 4: Radoslav Lorkovic • July 1 1 : Dave Zollo • July 18: Aleta & Al Murphy • July 25: Robert Morey •

. Saturday "Just Jazz" Series Plaza Fountain Stage i n front of the Sheraton City Plaza Hotel, Iowa City, 6:30-9:30pm

June 30: Jazz Fest • July 7: Saul Lubaroff • July 14: Oddbar • July 2 1 : Jim Hall Quartet . J u ly 28: Daug herty/McPartland •

Other Music E!vents

JUISE

A summer jazz ensemble com prised of local jazz professionals, educators and select stu­ dents from the UI School of Music. July 5, 8pm, Riverside Festival Stage, lower City Park, Iowa City. •

The UI Latino Native American Cultural Center 3 0th Anniversary Gala Tribal-jazz-reg gae band Poetic Justice per­ forms July 6 , 6:30pm, Iowa City ped mall. •

Old Creamery Theatre 39 3 8th Ave., A m a n a , 800-3 5 2 - 6 2 6 2 Performance times: Wedne sday, Friday & Saturday 8pm; Thursday & Sunday 3 p m • Anything for a Laugh, original s crewball com­ edy by Old Creamery Company mem bers Tom Johnson, Meg Merckens and Sean McCall, star­ ring Merckens and McCall in different parts, through July 2 2 • Over the River and Through the Woods, new comedy by Joe Di Pietro about a young executive and his two sets of grandpar­ ents who try to keep him from moving away, July 27-Sept. 2.

Riverside Theatre 213 N . Gilbert St., Iowa City 887-1360 • A Midsummer Night's Dream, presented by Riverside Theatre's Young People's Com pany, July 1 9 , 7pm; July 20- 2 1 , 8pm; July 22, 2pm.

Theatre Cedar Rapids 102 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids, 366-8591 • Tammy, The Who musical about a pinball wiz­ ard, 8pm J u ly 1 3 , 14, 20, 2 1 , 2 7 , 28; 7 : 30pm July 1 9 , 26; 2:30pm July 1 5, 22, 29.

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Theatre Building, UI campus, Iowa City, 3351 1 60, all performances 8pm except where otherwise noted • Iowa Summer Rep 2000: Three Comedies by George F. Walker, Escape from Happiness, July 1 (2 & 8pm), 4 (6pm), 8, 10, 1 2 , David Thayer Theater; Risk Everything, July 3, 8 (2pm), 1 1 , 15, 1 7 , 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, Theatre B; Zastrozzi, July 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, E.C. Mabie Theatre • Problem Child, staged reading, July 15, 2pm.

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IC Public Library 12 3 Linn St., Iowa City, 3 5 6-5200 Summer Reading Program (K-six grades only): "Steve Thunder Maguire and G reat Bicycli ng Stories," J u ly 5, 3pm • "Dennis Warner Kids' Concert: Life as a Road Trip," July 12, 3 : 1 5 p m • "Dave Panther: Tales of the Bou ndary Waters," July 19, 3 p m • " Peter Chan and the Chinese School: Let's Visit China," Ju ly 26, 3 p m ; all Room A • "Women's Issues, Women's Lives" Book Discussion Group, pre­ sented by ICPL/ Rape Victim Advocacy Program, com m u nity welcome, Call 335-6001 for book titles, J u ly 22, 2pm, Room B. •

Prairie Lights 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, 33 7-2681, 8pm unless otherwise n oted, br()adcast live . on WSUI AM-910 and WOI AM-640 Mary Monica Pulver, mystery writer who someti mes writes under the name Monica Ferris reads from her fiction, July 9 • Judith Tannenbaum, reads her memoir, Disguised as a Poem, about how she came to teach writing to prisoners, July 1 0 • William Kent Krueger, reads from his new mystery, Purgatory Ridge, July 1 2 • Max Alan Collins, Muscatine author of detective fiction reads from Angels in Blue, July 1 3 • Justin Cronin, UI Fiction Workshop grad reads from new book, Mary and O'Neil. July 16 • Charles Holdefer, Workshop grad reads from his latest work, July 1 7 • Doug Bauer, fiction writers reads from his new book of essays about writi ng, The Stuff of Fiction, July 19 • Thomas Fox Averill, reads from his novel, Secrets of the Tsil Cafe, July 20 • Spencer Short, Workshop grad reads from new book of poetry, Tremolo, July 23 • Deborah Tall, reads from her new collection of poetry, Summons, J u ly 24 •

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The UI Latino Native American Cultural Center 3 0th Anniversary Gala Tribal-jazz-reggae band Poetic Justice per­ forms J u ly 6 , 6:30pm, Iowa City ped mall • workshops, art exhibit, banquet, dance, July 68, Iowa Memorial Union, advance registration required for meals and Saturday dance, call Adele Rodriguez at 335-0591 for more info. •

Clas ses

IC Public Library 123 Li n n St., Iowa City, 356-5200 World Wide Web Class, a one-hour hands-on introduction to the World Wide Web, call 3565200 ext. 125 to register, July 18; 7pm, Room D. •

eetings

City of Iowa City Civic Center, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City (unless noted otherwise), 3 5 6-5236 July 9: Special Council Work Session, 6:30pm, Council Cha mbers • July 10: Police Citizens Review Board, 7pm, Lobby Conf. Rm.; Special Council Formal, 7pm, Council Chambers . J u ly 12: Historic Preservation Commission, 5:30pm, Council Cham bers . July 16: Planning & Zoning Informal, 7 : 30pm, Rec. Ctr. R m . B • July 1 9 : Council Economic Development Committee, 9am, Lobby Conf. R m . ; ' Planning & Zoni ng, Council Cham bers; Housing & 7:30pm, Com m u nity Development Commission, 6:30pm, Lobby Conf. Rm • J u ly 24: Human Rights Commission, 7 p m , Council Chambers . J u ly 30: Special Council Work Session, 6:30pm, Council Cham bers • July 3 1 : Special Council Formal, 7pm, Council Chambers. •

Film

Bijou Iowa Memorial Union, UI Campus, Iowa City, 33 5-3041 • Calle 54, co llection of Latin-jazz performanc­ es by director Fernando Trueba, su btitled, 7pm July 6, 8, 10; 9:30pm July 7, 9, 1 1 • The Circle (Dayereh), director Jafar Panahi looks at the oppression suffered by women in Iran, subti­ tles, 7pm July 7 , 9, 1 1 ; 9:30pm July 6, 8, 10 . Center of the World, Wayne Wang's film about a young com puter whiz who convinces a stripper to spend three days with h i m i n Las Vegas, 7 & 9pm, July 1 2 - 1 8 • Waiting for Guffman, mocku­ mentary starring Christopher Guest that does to sma ll-town comm unity theater what Spinal Tap did to hair bands, 7 & 9 p m , July 19-25

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A R I E S ( M a r c h 2 1 - A p ri l 1 9 ) We've ::-..) become quite a big frog in our local puddle, and comfy, too. But the neighborhood is getti ng noisy and visions of a new life in a dis­ tant Utopia beckon. The tension between life as you know it and life as you would like it could get worse. Don't bust your budget tryi ng to cope, though. Events will soon ease pressures all around, giving you room to maneuver and pre­ senting new possi bilities. Be your confident and sure-footed self. You'll make it.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Did your lover leave suddenly without a forwarding address? Are you and your spouse having unchar­ itable thoughts about each other? Are your busi­ ness associates consulting lawyers? Are you doing the work of three people? Do you need a double atomic- powered latte to get started in the morn­ ing? Yo u'd like to have a nice emotional blowup or nervous breakdown and run away, but you can't? Please relax. Wise friends in high places are going to see that you get through this.

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TAUR S (Ap.ril 20-.May 20) There's a ""-",,, . fi nanclal cnSlS brew1 ng. Be prepared for a rash of money-related power struggles. But you Tauruses are on top of that. Mid-month, it could seem like people are lining up just to step on your toes. No matter. Draw strength from those daydreams of a more peaceful life in a better place. An old magic is tryi ng to reenter your life. Let it i n . . . slowly and carefully.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22) Work has been getting to you. The issues are big and annoying. They follow you home. In reality, work concerns are causing positive changes in your personal attitudes and i n your approach to life. You are about to get a BIG leg up, too. Dramatic, improvements in how you and the world see each other are around the corner. Finances should ease quite a bit, also. But do keep an eye on your weight. The vibes involved are expanSlVe. •

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Awhile ago, your relationship-life turned into a kind of fun house: distorting mirrors, jack-in-the-box mon­ sters, wildly unpredictable turns, strange encoun­ ters. Recently, it got easier. Stability began to return. It will soon get even easier. Healing ener­ gies will soon arrive in your aura. A serious bat­ tle is heating up in someone else's back yard. Participation is optional for Leos, though. You understand human nature a lot better nowadays, so you could help a lot. But tread lightly. VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22) Two of the biggest challenges of your life all at -� once! Two of the most im portant things i n your life, career and family, hanging i n the balance. The scales will tip soon, though, one way or the other. The planets are quietly working the angles on your behalf. A lot more help will come before the deadline, too. Your relationship with young people is also about to change dramatically. They will help you fulfi ll your fondest hopes. .'

LIBRA (Sept 23-0ct 22) Many born under other signs are facing outsized challenges. But the planets have put Librans out

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of harm's way and in a perfect spot to help the rest of us and benefit from it, too. The planets are also going to begin transforming home and work life for Librans. A new, more flexi ble and gratify­ ing life is taking shape. The extra static Librans might face in July will not outweigh their pleas­ ure at the overall turn of events.

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21) Relationships :J of all kinds have, until recently, been a strain, even a drain. The family scene has been at a rolli ng boil. Now there is a financial crisis­ and-a-half brewi ng. Very soon, pathways you thought were im passable will open, though. Old, familiar, worn-out pathways will slowly but sure­ ly close-for good. You will explore the new and unfamiliar paths because you must. Inspiration will flow. Confidence will surge. You will find a way beyond any i mpasse. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21) The "-"" three keys to understanding you these days are: motivation, motivation and, well, moti­ vation. Sagittarians are driving and being driven by changes all over their stomping grounds. You haven't seen eye to eye with your partners, friends and associates lately, either. You inspire and explain and motivate and they come back with objections and obstructions. There could be a parti ng of the ways. You must put your own plans and dreams uppermost. Long-term fi nan­ cial developments, especially, will require your attention. CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19) Capricorns love power; you were born to wield it. But it's harder to exerci se power these days. There is commotion on your turf, but you can't get a handle on it. The ball keeps bouncing i nto everybody else's court. New sources of power are developing, but you can't use them yet. Personal and work concerns could undermine your well­ being. Yo ur circle of friends and associates is rapidly changing. Form alliances with your benevolent new associates. They can help you reinvent yourself. AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18) You're doing just fine, thank you, in a very tur­ bulent time. Problems related to your livi ng sit­ uation are clearing up nicely. Exciti ng, inspiring, stimulating forces circulate through your life everywhere that counts. Your creative life and your ideals are in for a thorough reexamination, but that is going well and is well along. Some deep, healing energies will soon pour into your being. Obstacles that might have blocked emo­ tional healing and growth in the past will start melting away. PISCES (Feb 19-M arch 20) You are �� entering a long period of fun and play­ ful self-expression. The stars want you to learn more about yourself and to express it. Your cre­ ativity will be greatly stimulated and/or gener­ ously supported. Old obstacles to self-expression will disappear. This will provide a happy outlet for the i nspiration and rebellion that has been driving your inmost thoughts for some years now. It should also help you resolve the serious ten­ sions building up at home and at the office.

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Sperlll in the New& Sperm reserves have become so low i n Sao Paulo Department of Huma that the Brazil, Reproduction at the Albert Einstein Hospital there launched a n aggressive campaign to boost sperm-bank donations. One advertisement shows a baby boy holding a Playboy magazine with the tagli ne: "Give it a hand so that he can be born."

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The McGhan Medical Corp. announced the develop­ ment of a biologically engineered human collagen that is awaiting approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The source of the cells for the new collagen is the circumcised foreskins of infant boys.

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Memorials has introduced special bur­ lal caskets and urns em blazoned with a universi­ ty's insignia. The Tuscaloosa, Ala . , company said 40 schools h ave a g reed to participate.

Cur6e6, Foiled Again Michael A. Moore stole Michelle Greshak's car but was arrested after he tried to sell it back to her. The Philadelphia woman said Moore called her and claimed to have just bought her car fro m a man for $600, explaining he traced her through the car's registrati on. After negotiati ng, Moore agreed to sell the car for $200, telling Greshak, ''I'll take whatever you give me." Greshak noti­ fied police, who nabbed Moore when he showed up with the car to claim his money.

Way to Go John l. Bower, 85, a national defense expert who built his own bomb shelter after the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, was killed while doing electrical mai ntenance work on the underground shelter. Authorities said a leaky propane tank that fueled the shelter's electri cal generator triggered a n explosion that ripped through the steel-walled shelter. Khamurat Berdyev, 41, the head of the railway company i n the central Asian state of Turkmenistan, died while crossing a railway line when one of his own trai ns hit him from behind. Xu Xiaodong, 18, a zookeeper i n Jinan, China, was mauled to death by a tiger after apparently defecati ng on it. Authorities who found toilet paper, human excrement and a loosened belt at the scene concluded that Xu had cli mbed on the ' �ger cage to . relieve himself over four Bengal tigers, then elther slipped or was dragged i n by one of the angry ani mals.

WondetiuL WorLd Researchers i n Croatia discovered that some trees were so badly contaminated from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident i n the Ukraine that people spending just 1 0 hours a day i n a cabin made from the wood would receive a dose of cesium-137 equal to one-third the international safety Ii mit. Vatican Radio agreed to cut its transmission out­ put i n half after Italian Environment Minister Willer Bordon gave the papal state two weeks to reduce what he called excessive electromagnetic levels or be shut down. New Scientist magazine sald that when the Vatican's radio transmitters were built 50 years ago, their site outside Rome was relatively unpopulated. Now, however, about 100,000 people live nea rby, and some residents fear the station's 33 antennas are responsible for leukemla cases. Saying the Vatican was aston­ ished by Bordon's t h reat, since the territory is a soverei gn s�ate, a Vati can spokesperson said Vatl Can RadlO had agreed to reduce its medi um­ wave transmissions as an act of good faith.

Southern Caskets Di rect of Atlanta, Ga., offers coffi ns featuring bright lithographed designs and catchy titles. NASCAR fans, for example, can rest in peace in caskets that announce "The Race Is Over," which show a checkered flag. Golf fans can be buried in one that says, "Fairway to Heaven." Company president Thomas Hicks said, "Typically, the faml l1es that buy them are freethinkers and like to do things differently. "

by PAUL

Eternal Reefs of Orlando, Fla ., suggests memori­ alizi ng loved ones with underwater reefs made fro m the ashes of the departed. The cremated remains are mixed with concrete, then molded into "reef balls" and placed on the ocean floor i n govern ment-approved areas like the Florida Keys. Prices range from $850 to more than $3,000.

and braids KRISTIE ·

The An&wer 1& BLowing in the Wind British police said they were investigating a complaint that an officer farted while searching a London home during a drug raid. "An allegation has been received from a person i n the house that one of the male officers broke wind and did not apologize to the family for his action," said a letter from Scotland Yard to the officers involved i n the raid that was printed i n the Daily Mail newspaper. "The complainant felt it was rude and unprofessional." Two New Jersey men were charged with spraying gas designed to mimic the odor of flatulence inside a Washington Township supermarket. After assistant store manager Rick Calabrese notified police, the two suspects were spotted orderi ng food at the deli cou nter. "The police officer asked one of them what he had i n his shirt pocket. He ad two cans of fart spray," Calabrese said, not­ Ing suspects Geremino T. Ranallo, 64, and Warren G. Jacoby, 49, were the same men spotted i n the store two weeks earlier carrying what he described as a "fart machine," which merely mimicked the sound of flatulence, not the odor.

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Feti.&he& on Parade Christopher Simms, 34, of Willow Grove, Pa., was charged with being a Peeping Tom after he set up an �laborate videotaping system to spy on two nursing mothers who used a breast pump i n a storage closet while at work. According to Montgomery County prosecutors, the scheme fell apart after one of the women spotted the camera hidden i n a trash bag and rigged to his com puter.

Compiled from the nation's press by Roland Sweet. Send original clippings, citi ng source and date, to P. O. Box 8130, Alexandria ' VA 22306.

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