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(11/11/02 11:03pm)
The decadent society of the late 1780's could not be better portrayed than in Christopher Hampton's "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." The play, based on the novel by Choderlos de Laclos, premiered at the John Waldron Arts Center Friday. It is a story of intrigue, jealousy and, most of all, the constant search for pleasure. \nUnder the direction of Amanda Renée Baker, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" kept me sitting at the edge of my seat throughout its almost three-hour duration. Not a moment of the play was wasted, and there was not a single audience member that did not get enraptured in the action. \nThe play opened with a sparse set greeting the viewers as they came into the small, 100-seat theater hall. Three chairs, a table and a make-shift couch occupied half of the stage; an oak bed, fattened with pillows and a feather comforter sat regally on the other. Along with this, five screens hung from the ceiling. They served as the narrator -- putting action in context. Everything was white except for one little detail: a red ribbon attached to some piece of the furniture. This signified a foreshadowing of things to come -- the innocence that was to be taken away. \nWritten in the late 1780's, the plot is quite simple. The Marquise de Merteuil (Breshaun-Birene Joyner) seeks revenge on a former lover. To do so, she enlists a like-minded friend and former lover, the Vicomte de Valmont, to deflower the man's young fiancée, Cecile Volanges (Stephanie Dodge), known for her unshakable fidelity. The two proceed gleefully with their scheme, until an unexpected turn of events shakes to the core everything in which they believe. \nMadame la Marquise holds "cruelty" as her favorite word. She is stubborn, cold-blooded and domineering. Joyner conveyed the spirit of the Marquise with utmost precision. She gracefully conveyed the Marquise' motto: "I was born to dominate (the male) sex and to avenge my own."\nThe Vicomte's life is centered on the search for pleasure. He knows nothing more rewarding than finding pleasure in the unlikeliest of places. Daniel J. Petrie was stirring as the rakish Valmont. Joyner and Petrie craft their characters with astonishing precision, setting up traps for their victims and lying in wait. Not knowing the actors personally, one would think that their on-stage personas are their true personalities. Surely, that is a sign of good acting. \nAmong the rest of the cast, of special note is Bobby Hackett portraying Valmont's servant Azolan. He is the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-hearing eye of the Vicomte, and gleefully plays a homosexual fascinated by his master. \nKudos to the director and the art director for a set filled to the brim with symbolism. The three primary colors of the production -- white, red and black were the only ones to be seen throughout. The changes of the flowers -- Cecile's sign -- from white to red to black only further establish what the viewers already know from the action. Nonetheless, the symbolism is an important facet of the play. Lighting and sound also deserve some mention, as these two often ignored features of a play made this particular one more enjoyable. The sound gripped the heart as well as the action, and the lighting was just right to focus on certain characters at specific times. \nAlthough the production was well done, there were some minor slip-ups. Madame de Volanges' (Annie Vowell) tattoos took away from her performance. Her open décolleté showcased the flower pattern around her neck, which distracted the audience from her acting. There were some minor blunders in the actors' lines, but that is usual for a premiere. Despite these insignificant gaffes, the play was most enjoyable, and I recommend it to all.
(11/07/02 5:31am)
It's a kingdom of light and bright colors. The atmosphere gets the creative juices flowing, and the end result -- a personalized vase, plate or picture frame -- breathes with the spirit of The Latest Glaze. \nBill and Mary Jo Benedict wanted to try something new and different. She has been a first and second grade teacher for the past 26 years. He worked with adults with disabilities for 25 years. The result of their joint venture are two locations of The Latest Glaze, a paint-your-own-pottery studio that gives young and old, IU students and not, the opportunity to paint various pieces of pottery as gifts or just because.\nOn a friend's tip, the Benedicts opened their first studio on S. College Mall Rd. The studio is similar to other studios of its kind found in larger cities. The first contemporary ceramic studios first appeared in New York City about 1993, according to the Contemporary Ceramics Studio Association Web site. The CCSA estimates that approximately 2.5 million people visited contemporary ceramic studios in 2001.\n"We thought that the market would be right in Bloomington," Bill said. "Sooner or later, there was going to be a studio like this here. We were afraid someone would beat us to it."\nThe older location at 1316 S. College Mall Rd. has been in operation for about three-and-a-half years, whereas the newer Kirkwood studio in the Carmichael Center opened in September 2001 to accommodate IU students and larger groups. Mary Jo even went on sabbatical from teaching to work full time at the studio. She missed teaching and went back to the classroom this school year, but still gives a lot of her time to The Latest Glaze.
(11/04/02 4:53am)
Is she translating his poetry, or is he translating her soul? The main heroine of John Crowley's latest novel "The Translator" ponders the question in the course of the book. Chrysta "Kit" Malone's life has been full of changes -her father works on the 1960s version of computer security and moves a lot to accommodate her job. \nIn 1961, Kit Malone, a contributor to a national anthology of young people's poetry, shakes hands with John F. Kennedy at a ceremony honoring the book's publication; the promise in her life seems even fresher than his own. \nFurious with her beloved brother for enlisting in the Army, she loses her virginity to a high school classmate and gets pregnant. Her Catholic parents are horrified, and Kit is sent off to a convent to bear her child, who dies within hours after birth. \nShortly after that, Kit's family finds out about her brother's death. The report states that it happened in an ammunition accident in the Philippines, but Kit doubts that after being told about the brewing hostility in Vietnam. At the age of 19, she starts her freshman year of college at a large university in an unnamed Midwestern state and is harrowed by grief. (On a side note -- the college sounds like IU, especially taking into consideration we have had a summer Russian program since the 1950s.)\nHere, Kit meets a professor who gives her back her voice. Innokenti Isayevich Falin is an émigré Russian poet exiled by Nikita Khruschev. Their entire relationship is based on poetry. She takes his class, and he asks her to translate his poetry. The novel has a lot to do with Falin's impact on Kit's life. Although some of the novel's episodes take place during Kit's adolescence and her later years, most of the novel is concerned with her time at the college, her time with Falin, which marks her profoundly. \nIndeed, the novel implies Kit's entire adult life is an afterthought of her affair with Falin. She goes on to marry and have children, yet we don't even learn the names of her family. \nAs a child, Falin grew up in Stalinist Russia without a family, belonging to the world of the besprizornye -- orphaned children living underground and in shadows, a kind of dark mirror of Russian society. Falin's ordeals represent the suffering of a nation. Kit's losses are those of an individual. But for both of them, poetry is a means of expressing their pain, an antidote to despair; it leads them to solace because it leads them, indirectly, to each other. Crowley masterfully gives a realistic voice to their suffering through the poetry, which peppers the pages. \nThere is much more to the novel besides Kit and Falin's relationship, but not all of it is quite as potent. The narrative jumps back and forth in time, introducing elements which complicate the story, situating it within the broader context of the Cold War, the collision course of American and Russian history.\nThere is a U.S. government agent who spies on Falin and tries to enlist Kit's help. There is Kit's sort-of-boyfriend, who is involved with radical student groups. \nAll these elements are woven into the novel, leading the reader to feel for the characters, weep with them, love with them. Although I have never read anything by Crowley before, I might just take up his other novels. \nCrowley is also the author of the Aegypt trilogy and the novels "The Deep," "Beasts," "Engine Summer" and the masterpiece "Little, Big." The Translator is Crowley's first book in 10 years.\nThe hardcover copy is available at Barnes and Nobles and Border's Books and Music for $24.95. All of Crowley's books are also available at IUB libraries.
(10/28/02 4:09am)
On her 70th birthday, Sylvia Plath's intense voice greeted a small but devoted audience. The event held at Auer Hall Sunday was not a seance but a commemoration concert. Of course, Plath wasn't really there -- her recorded radio interview with the BBC was projected for all to hear. Not only did she talk about her poetry and her personal life's influence on her art, but she also recited her poem "Fever 103 ." This introduction prepared the audience for what they were about to hear -- an intense exploration of Plath's effect on music and musicians.\nThe first a series of three musical pieces was Ariel by composer Ned Rorem, born in 1923. Performed by soprano Joan Mettelli, clarinetist Tasha Dzubay and pianist Sally Renee Todd, the piece evokes deep, passionate emotions, often hidden at the very bottom of one's soul. This piece was based on five of Plath's poems: "Words," "Poppies in July," "The Hanging Man," "Poppies in October" and "Lady Lazarus." I have never imagined that adding clarinet to a musical piece can provide so much power. Dzubay's clarinet and Mettelli's soprano blended to show the amazing capabilities of the human voice -- the clarinet seemed an expression of a different human voice, not just that of a musical instrument. I particularly enjoyed "Lady Lazarus." In it, Rorem was able to interpret Plath's irony to reverberate in one's heart. The music and the emotion it carried was almost palpable. \nNext, IU graduate student Chantal Carleton premiered her a-cappella piece "Songs for Four Soloists." Four different voices -- a soprano, an alto, a tenor and a bass blended to sound despair, awareness of a loss and, at the same time, a questioning panic. Based on Plath's poems for her newborn son Nicholas, "Nick and the Candlestick" and "Morning Song," the piece interprets the oxymoron of Plath's poetry and imparts that understanding onto the audience. Even those who do not have a good ear for music, this piece seemed particularly successful. Even more so because of the emphasis given to certain words and phrases by having them sung by a single soloist, not all four. This effect helped me take to heart Plath's poetry.\nThe concert was a celebration of Plath's influence on artistic disciplines, mostly music. Catherine Bowman recited her poem "Sylvia's Tarot," written specifically for the concert. Thus she tied the literary and the musical aspect of Plath's influence. The poem itself is largely influenced by Plath's work -- it is as intense, ironic, imaginative and iconic as Plath's own writing. Bowman's voice echoed in Auer Hall -- the acoustics helped immensely and added to the atmosphere.\nThe headlining moment of the concert, a performance of Shulamit Ran's "Apprehensions," was saved for the end. The music impacts the senses, even more so because the musicians seem visibly influenced by it. Performed by soprano Ellen Ritchey, clarinetist Tasha Dzubay and pianist Jordi Torrent Curull, it is a feast of sounds. The piece is divided into four parts -- like Plath's poem. Ran developed her piece as a mini-opera with three movements and an epilogue. I savored the piece. Its music made me not only hear it, but also feel it, taste it, see it. The sharp breaks of the clarinet coupled with the melodious waves of the piano create a sound perception of Plath's juxtaposition of harmony and dissonance. As strange as it may sound, this sort of discord created by the mix of three very different musical instruments -- the clarinet, the voice and the piano -- becomes harmonious as the ear gets used to it. It is an accurate rendering of Plath's poetry. The last movement of the piece was particularly interesting. In contrast with the first three, it begins not with the clarinet, but with a melody piano reminiscent of a lullaby, despite the dark, violent content of the poem's last verse. \nIn the course of the concert, Plath's influence on music came alive before my eyes. The three pieces presented at the concert are a mere drop in the ocean of work influenced by Plath. As the organizers of the concert, I too hope that after enjoying this music, the audience has grown to appreciate Plath not only for a spicy personal life, but for her influence on art in general and music especially.
(10/25/02 7:02pm)
Most know Sylvia Plath as the brilliant poet who committed suicide in her prime, at the age of 30. This Sunday, Plath scholars as well as simply curious minds will find out more about her during the Sylvia Plath 70th Year Commemoration concert at 2 p.m. in Auer Hall. \nThe commemoration is the second of the 3-part series dedicated to Sylvia Plath's 70th birthday. The current exhibit of Plath artwork "Eye Rhymes" at the School of Fine Arts and the Plath literary symposium are also parts of this series. \n"Plath has inspired so many. She is a cultural icon -- a popular figure," said Kathleen Connors, graduate student and Plath scholar who helped organize the concert and created the exhibit and the symposium. "This is probably one of the biggest interdisciplinary events IU has ever launched."\nThe concert was a joint venture by Connors and professors of music Marianne Kielian-Gilbert and David Dzubay. Kielian-Gilbert originally worked with two students who were influenced by Plath. \n"We approached Kathleen whether she wanted to include these pieces into a small session for the literary symposium later this month," Kielian-Gilbert said. "From a small session, this blossomed into a full-fledged concert."\nThe concert is a medley of Plath's poetry and music inspired by it. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran will headline a guest/student recital of music based on Plath's Ariel poems. Ariel, a collection of poems published posthumously has become one of the best-selling and most widely discussed volumes of 20th Century poetry. \n"Ariel was her final collection of poetry," Connors said. "Even her most severe critics had to admit that it was the work of a genius."\nPresently, Ran is the William H. Colvin Professor in the Department of Music at the University of Chicago where she has taught since 1973. Her piece Apprehensions (1979) will be performed by IU musicians and guest soprano Ellen Ritchey. The commemoration also features guest soprano Joan Metelli, associate professor and chair of vocal performance at IU South Bend. \nOne of the other highlights of the Plath celebration is the premiere of IU graduate student Chantal Carleton's "Songs for Four Soloists" based entirely on Plath's poetry and written this year. \n"I hope that those who attend this concert will see Plath's influence on other art forms," Carleton said. "This will help create Plath as a fuller, multi-dimensional artist, instead of seeing her as an one-dimensional tragedy."\nCatherine Bowman will present "Sylvia's Tarot," a new poem commissioned specifically for the event.\nAfter the concert, Diane Middlebrook will give the keynote address entitled "The Literary Romance of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes" -- an excerpt from her forthcoming book "Plath and Hughes" to be published in 2003. The address will take place at 5 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium. Middlebrook is currently Professor of English Emerita at Stanford University.\n"This series is an occasion to come together, reflect on Plath's achievement, historical importance of her as a writer, who emerges from post-war America in the 1950s," Middlebrook said.\nMiddlebrook's talk will be open to the general public and will center on three Plath issues. She will give homage to Plath on her birthday for her achievement as an artist. She will also talk about Plath's marriage and her death.\n"We hope that this series will provide a way to understand and dialogue with scholars who have other perspectives (on Plath)," Kielian-Gilbert said.\nEye Rhymes, an exhibit of Plath artwork, coincides with the commemoration concert. Organized chronologically to follow the artistic development of Sylvia Plath, the "Eye Rhymes" exhibition begins with works she created while she was a young child, and concludes with late illustrated manuscripts and poetry drafts of Ariel poems that contributed to her fame. Manuscripts exhibited include illustrated newspaper articles, letters, school papers, postcards, unpublished fiction and poetry, diary and journal entries and "art poems" based on paintings and etchings of modernists. \nA week after the concert, the third event of the Plath series will take place. The literary symposium focused on Sylvia Plath will be held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. \nThe symposium will attract Plath scholars from all over the world to Bloomington. \nConnors said 90 percent of the most important Plath scholars of the world will be at IU to celebrate Plath and to learn more about others' Plath-focused work. \n"This is the largest Plath gathering ever," Connors said. \nAlong with meetings, panels and speakers restricted to the registered participants of the conference, one keynote and three featured speakers as well as a literary panel will be open to the public.\n"We are focusing on undergraduates," Connors said. "We want to get people exposed to literary criticism of a major figure early on."\nAll three events celebrate Plath's importance as one of the greatest women poets of the 20th century. Here, her life is presented as that of an artist, not in light of her personal life and her suicide.\nFor more information about Plath commemoration events, please go to www.indiana.edu/~plath70. Eye Rhymes runs through Nov. 23 with a curator tour on Sat, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m. and Thu, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
(10/25/02 4:29am)
My name is entirely American, but I'm originally from Moscow, Russia. I grew up in the center of the city, 15 minutes from the Kremlin. I lived in Moscow for the first fourteen years of my life. At heart, Moscow is still my home.\nYesterday, near 3 p.m. Eastern Standard time, 40 to 50 Chechen fighters took over a Moscow theater. The musical Nord-Ost, currently playing on this theater's stage is based on my favorite book -- "Two Captains" by Veneamin Kaverin -- and has been one of the most attended stage spectacles in the Russian capital according to www.nordost.ru. This is extremely scary for me. My relatives, friends and former teachers could be in that theater -- there are no lists naming every person inside. What's worse is that I cannot get in touch with most of my friends and relatives. Most access to information has been reserved for the use of the police and the Federal Security Services, the successor to KGB, the Soviet version of the CIA.\nComing home from school, I went online as usual to check out the news, and the first thing I saw was the giant headline: "Chechen fighters take hostages in Moscow." At first, I didn't think it was anything big. According to MSNBC, the percentage of Russian citizens who approve of the war in Chechnya has been rapidly decreasing over the past six months, while Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval rating has stayed the same. Then, I understood the magnitude of this attack. For many within the Russian capital, this terrorist attack broke new ground and brought the war in Chechnya closer to home. It did so for me -- Moscow has always been impregnable in my mind. After all, it has withstood many attacks in the past and has been able to defend itself, like the Russian Revolution and the Second World War. This incident, however, was organized quietly, with no one even suspecting this could be possible. \nAlthough more than 100 women, children and foreign nationals were released, over 700 still remain inside the building. What scares me more than my own ignorance about the situation and my helplessness, is how these Chechen rebels were able to carry out this operation without a glitch. Not one news agency knew about this. The men simply arrived in Jeeps, walked into the theater at the beginning of the second act and fired shots into the air from the stage. Even worse, the Chechen leader Morev Barayev is an expert in mine-laying, has supreme power over his forces and has nothing to lose. \nThe only solution for the Russian government is to act immediately. That means storming the theater without regard for the hostages inside. On one hand, this solution will give Putin an advantage over the Chechens, who will lose yet another guerrilla leader. On the other hand, an advantage over Chechnya does not validate the loss of 700 hostage lives. Personally, I believe that the Russian government has no other possibility. They cannot and most likely will not lead troops out of Chechnya. The demand of the Chechen hostage-takers is outrageous. Leading the troops from Chechnya would only mean admittance of defeat by the Russian government -- something that would set a precedent. \nEither way, neither Russia nor Chechnya will find themselves in an advantageous position. For me, either way is scary. This latest incident in the war between Russia and its secessionist republic is only further proof that it is no longer safe even in a city as large as Moscow. I was planning to visit Moscow during the coming summer -- after I receive my U.S. citizenship. I still will, except now I will be forced to take more precautions, as if I am visiting Israel.
(10/23/02 4:04am)
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane à la française? I think not! "La Cage aux Folles" is the original French adaptation of Jean Poiret's play by the same name. The play and its film version were later tailored to English-speaking (read: American) audiences in the more recent "The Birdcage" with Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman. \nThursday, an audience of about 10 to 15 students, faculty and staff at Foster International had the opportunity to laugh at the hilarious antics of Renato and Albin, the center of the film's drama. There's a quite simple recipe to this film: take two aging gay men, mix in a 20-year-old man about to get married, and add a pinch of conservatism in the form of his fiancée's family. Oh, one thing -- the young man, Laurent, is Renato's son.\nRenato, played by Ugo Tognazzi, is a makeup-wearing, silk-clothed owner of a nightclub, "La Cage aux Folles." Tognazzi masterfully captures Renato's character -- everything from the gestures to the way he talks, walks, acts, and smiles. One cannot help but feel what it's like to be in his shoes. It's quite apparent that he has fought for his lifestyle and isn't about to give it up -- he is completely comfortable.\nAlbin, superbly portrayed by Michel Serrault, is the drama queen (literally). Every night, he puts on the make-up, the skirts, and the high heels to perform on the stage of "La Cage." Instead of being Albin - the slightly weird male, he becomes an altogether different persona: Zaza Napoli. Serrault gives a very believable account of the troubles and tribulations of being adored. \nThe main premise of the film is a perfect set-up for some classic, insane, and hilarious screwball comedy. After Laurent announces his intended marriage, the two families must meet for the first time. Renato and even the drama queen try to make things seem normal and presentable for the Charrier family - a conservative representative of the "Union for Moral Order." Of course, it's nearly impossible to cover up Renato and Albin's real lifestyle - and especially to hide "La Cage."\nThe movie is likable after the first five minutes. The music, the costumes, and especially the surroundings add to the 70's flavor of the film. Serrault and Tognazzi have great chemistry - making their interaction a pleasure to watch. \nThe script alone is hilarious -- it's rich in entertaining and amusing moments. One needs not to be familiar with French (the movie is subtitled) or the culture of the 1970's (the movie would be uproarious in 1970, in 2002, or 2032). The script is really well written with larger-then-life characters and zany dialogue.\nDirected by French filmmaker Edouard Molinaro, who also co-adapted the screenplay, the movie has spawned two sequels. Molinaro received an Oscar nod for directing the film. The pace is even and tight, making this a rare kind of comedy that hits the mark nearly every single time - there are very few moments of confusion. I credit the film's funny and likeable atmosphere to both Molinaro's directing as well as the lively chemistry between Tognazzi and Serrault. \nOverall, if you've seen "The Birdcage" you owe yourself to see this. While I liked "The Birdcage," the original - "La Cage aux Folles" - has more to offer. This is a great comedy you can just pop into the VCR - or the DVD player for all you lovers of modernity, watch and enjoy. Humor lovers and world cinema fans, you should not miss this one.
(10/10/02 6:00am)
Practicing three hours a day for every one hour a week they spend at class, students at IU's School of Music do not miss out on the overall college experience. Instead they have a rare opportunity to attend a music conservatory within a full-range university. \n"I came here because I'll get a well-rounded education as opposed to just doing music," said Crystal Boohr, sophomore trombone major. \nThe students at the School of Music manage to perform, study, tour and enjoy themselves during their four years at IU. They do this because "they love music and have known only music since a very young age," said Anthony Cirone, chair of the Percussion Department.\nThis type of life is what prepares music students for the adventure after college. Most students do not attempt to get a job right away after completing an undergraduate degree, although it is a distinct possibility. Instead they continue their training -- whether formally in a graduate program or informally with coaches and teachers outside a university or a conservatory. For these people, learning never stops.\n"The minute you stop looking at yourself as a student, you atrophy. Music is a way of life where one never stops growing as an artist," said Ron Donenfeld, a senior voice major.
(08/30/02 5:15am)
Life after college graduation in three words: "On the Verge." As the title of Ariella Papa's debut novel, this phrase perfectly describes the future of most recent graduates -- waiting for something, about to get the big break, but not quite there.\nEve Vitali, the hilarious protagonist of Papa's novel is a 23-year-old recent graduate with a journalism degree turned assistant to the editor of Bicycle Boy in New York City. Everyone keeps telling Eve that she has her foot in the door, but she doesn't think so. After all, she's stuck working for, of all things, a bicycle magazine. \nUnfortunately, her job consists of inputting data, scheduling meeting rooms, ordering lunch and handing out office supplies -- not exactly the glamorous first job after college that she has dreamt of. One other fact that cannot be withheld -- she's from none other than New Jersey. Enough said! Trying to make it in the grand world of Prescott Nelson's many magazines, Eve goes through a series of entertaining but sometimes mundane tasks like sucking up to a future landlord. Although there is a lot of alcohol consumption involved, the portrayals of the characters end up not only funny, but incredibly timely and comical at the same time. Consistent with this trend in her book, Papa uses ingenious description of the many accounts of schmoozing with foreign celebs courtesy of Tabitha, Eve's friend and colleague, who has the power. You see, Tabitha is the assistant to none other than the editor-in-chief of NY By Night, the one and only magazine with the privilege of covering all the interesting events in the city. Reading this book is being drawn into a roller coaster ride through Eve's life.\nPapa's novel is oriented towards a growing population of young single women in big cities, but it lets everyone -- from the country gal to the woman who religiously reads Cosmo -- train their test buds on the city life. Reading "On the Verge" tastes of a captivating and fast-paced chick flick, but guys can do the Sherlock Holmes thing trying to find out the way women's minds work. Papa's book is colorful, funny and insightful. "On The Verge" is a lighthearted coming-of-age tale in the Big Apple. The protagonist shows growth throughout the story line making decisions that will eventually lead to her taking a huge corner risk. Readers will hope she succeeds because she's perky and bright displaying the potential to go far in her chosen field if she can get her act together. It made me feel like I have accomplished something, not just Eve.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Teaching and volunteering are not simply things Leslie Lenkowsky does; they are his passions. \nAlthough he will have to stop teaching soon, Lenkowsky, a research associate of philanthropy and public policy at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, will be involved with volunteerism as never before.\nLenkowsky will head to Washington as soon as his nomination as chief executive officer of the Corporation for National Service is approved by the Senate. \n"I was honored by the nomination," Lenkowsky said. "I had been involved in volunteering since high school, believing that we only have a certain number of years on this earth. Now is the time to volunteer."\nLenkowsky's nomination by President George W. Bush is testament to the long-standing spirit of volunteering that Lenkowsky stands for.\nHe has previously served on the corporation's predecessor agency, the Commission on National and Community Service, while former President Bill Clinton twice appointed him to the Board of Directors of the CNS. \nAlthough this appointment grants Lenkowsky power over the Corporation -- his duties include overseeing the distribution of more than $750 million to various agencies nationwide -- he is a professor at heart.\n"I will definitely miss teaching. It was a hard choice to make," he said. \nHaving a Hoosier in such a distinguished position is a boon to the state, said attorney Catherine Stafford.\n"Indiana is somewhat overlooked by national organizations, so it is always good to have such great representation," said Stafford, head hotline attorney for Legal Services, Inc, which is funded through the CNS. The program is a non-profit organization that helps people with low incomes find legal advice. \nVolunteering at IUB\nWhile Lenkowsky is in Washington overseeing the CNS, various arms of the organization will continue their service in Bloomington.\n"Volunteering is absolutely essential to this town. Every group runs on volunteers," Stafford said. \nThe America Reads program and the Week of Caring, both sponsored by the CNS, attract a large percentage of student volunteers from the Bloomington campus. \n"I believe that students who study here feel that they should give back to the community. Bloomington, although small, has big city problems, such as poverty and homelessness," said Nuha Elkhiamy, Community Service Coordinator for the Honors College.\nThe Bloomington-based Week of Caring is another event where individual students and organizations take part in a week-long celebration of the spirit of giving to the community. The annual week of special volunteer efforts that takes place from Oct. 20 to 27 will culminate in the Make A Difference Day, held annually on the fourth Saturday of October. \nThe week's message is to bring awareness of the need for volunteers to participate in community-wide projects among permanent and temporary residents. Annually, about 500 to 600 people participate in Bloomington. Students and their organizations are encouraged to sign up to take part in eliminating city problems.\nStudents who are involved in the community get more out of their college experience, said Bet Savich, director of the Bloomington Volunteer Network.\n"Many of (the students') classes will come to life in unexpected ways because the students will have sunk some roots. The 'real world' doesn't have to come after college," she said. "If you are productively engaged in the community during your college years, your whole experience will be much richer"
(03/28/02 5:55am)
We have been lost to each other for so long. My name means nothing to you. My memory is dust."\nThus begins Anita Diamant's "The Red Tent," the story of Dinah -- daughter of the famous Jacob, sister of the 12 tribes of Israel. Since the Book of Genesis does not contain any information about Dinah beyond her apparent rape and the subsequent revenge of her brothers, the story is mostly fictionalized, but with a ring of truth to it. Diamant does it with flair and insight as few have been able to do.\nEssentially, "The Red Tent" is a book by a woman, about women and for women. However, men are welcome to try it and learn from it. Diamant reclaims the long-forgotten story of Dinah, overshadowed by the stories of her brothers.\nNarrated in the powerful voice of Jacob's only surviving daughter, the story intertwines existing history with the product of the author's powerful imagination. Dinah tells her story simply, describing everything around her with precise thoroughness.\nShe starts by talking about her four mothers -- the four wives of Jacob -- Dinah's birth mother Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah. This relatively short part of the novel serves as background for what is yet to come in Dinah's life. It not only includes her own childhood, but also that of her brothers. \nThe only daughter among 13 children, Dinah tells everything from a woman's perspective. Dinah becomes the women's memory, the "storage" of their stories and traditions. At a time of constant change -- from a polytheistic culture to monotheistic Judaism -- Dinah is the anchor of the old ways. \nThe second part of the book -- and the longest -- is Dinah's own story. It is the story of her love, her betrayal and her new life. To say any more would give away the plot.\nThe entire time I read the book, I ate, slept and dreamt the world of Dinah. I was Dinah. Diamant's magnificent storytelling is insightful and thought-provoking, breathing life into the long-overlooked female heroine of the Biblical era. Diamant gives voice to pain and sorrow, happiness and regret, sadness and celebration.\nIt is time to regain Dinah's identity as a living, breathing human being, not merely as the celebrated sister of Joseph. Diamant does exactly that with passion and respect for history's forgotten personage. She grips the reader and does not let go until the very last word of the book. This fast read will keep you thinking about Dinah and her side of the Biblical story for a long time after you lay down the book.\n"The Red Tent" is now available both in hardback ($23.50) and in paperback ($14.95) from St. Martin's Press.
