91 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(10/16/07 1:40am)
BOLOGNA, Italy – When I hear people railing against modern art and its lack of aesthetic value, I usually get upset. Most try to compare abstract works to the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance or to the brilliant colorations and light patterns of the impressionists. This causes them to draw the conclusion that modern art is “worse.” This simply cannot be done. With each new period of art comes new techniques and, more importantly, new theories.\nWhile I would definitely not consider myself an expert on modern art theory, I have formed some of my own ideas about its principles. For example, I feel that modern pieces do not place a heavy focus on aesthetic value. Works are no longer created to be “pretty,” they are created to express ideas. The “art” no longer lies in the actual finished product, but rather, the artist’s creative concept. The physical manifestation of the idea is what the artist presents.\nModern art is also very egocentric. Pieces can no longer be interpreted on the surface, where the average viewer can appreciate their value. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the artist’s purpose to fully appreciate each work. It is oftentimes very difficult to enter the minds of the artists, and truly see their visions, so it can be said that modern pieces are created for the artist, not for the audience. \nI have little tolerance for modern art exhibits where explanations and information about the pieces are not provided. This weekend, I went to the Museo dell’Arte Moderna di Bologna, and found such a display. I looked for a brochure that would give me some insight into the pieces that I was viewing, but found none. As I wandered around the museum, I couldn’t help thinking how utterly weird most of the pieces were. There was a video clip, titled “Bouncing Balls,” that was just a shot of a nude man from behind who was bent over, and swaying so that his testicles were bouncing off of his legs. \nNow, how am I supposed to be able to appreciate that, without some explanation? What in the world was going on in this artist’s head? I began to sympathize with the museum patrons who simply laugh and brush the artist off as a nutjob. I believe that the artist had a purpose, but without any information about his thought process or that of any of the other artists, the entire museum seemed like an over-sexed freak show. Every piece seemed to be created solely for shock value. I was severely disappointed. \nI never believe the “artsy types,” when they draw conclusions about modern art pieces, simply upon viewing them. I hate it when I have to hear someone wax poetic about the “apparent reference to the women’s suffrage movement of the early 1900s as depicted by this lone man’s swinging testes,” or some other similar crap. One would have to be a mind reader to interpret this piece – and all modern art. \nIt irritates me when people do not stop and open their minds to the revolutionary ideas of today’s artists. However, the artists seem to not want the audience to share in their concepts. They close the significance of their pieces when they do not explain their intentions, and they then wonder why the general public brushes their works off as ridiculous and meaningless. It is a paradox that may only be solved by the next major artistic movement.
(10/09/07 1:18am)
BOLOGNA, Italy – The easiest way to cross the chaotic streets here is to just close your eyes and run.\nGenerally speaking, Italians are the most laid-back people I have ever met. In contrast to the typical American, they never seem to be in a hurry and nothing seems to stress them out. They know that everything will work out in the end. \nAll of the shops close around 1 p.m. and open two hours later so the shop owners can have a nice long lunch. I have not once received proper change while I have been here, because it is much easier to round up to one euro rather than count out 85 cents. And, I still don’t have the Internet in my apartment, because it takes at least a month for the provider to keep an appointment. \nNeedless to say, it has been difficult to retrain my American mind-set to be more relaxed. This weekend, I decided to take a trip Italian-style: completely spontaneous and completely relaxed.\nMy friend and I met for an hour Friday morning to look up train departure times. We picked a destination, Padua, looked for an affordable hotel and ran to the station. We didn’t run fast enough, so we missed the train. At this point in America, I would have had a small stroke. But, instead of freaking out, we decided to get lunch and discuss our options. \nWe realized there was no reason why we could not catch the next train, or even another train to Venice, Naples or Rome. It was such a liberating feeling, realizing we had three free days, enough money to catch a train and pay for a hotel and all of Italy flashing on a train schedule in front of us. \nWe decided to catch the next train to Padua. We got there, bought a map and checked into our hotel. We wandered around the city for a while, and saw, in my opinion, one of the wonders of the art world: Giotto’s fresco cycle in the Scrovegni Chapel. He completed this enormous revolutionary work in only two years. We also strolled through the oldest botanical gardens in Europe. It was an amazing experience. \nThe most important lesson I will learn from this trip and from the Italian people is that stress will never resolve any difficult problem or save you from a challenging situation. Everything will work out in the end. If the results aren’t exactly what you expected, at least you’ve saved yourself from heart failure. Just close your eyes and run.
(10/02/07 12:39am)
BOLOGNA, Italy – Other than my discovery of the absence of Mexican food in Italy, I have had few major disappointments in my trip thus far. The thought never actually crossed my mind that a country might not have spicy, chicken-stuffed burritos slathered in sour cream and salsa. Though realizing this was traumatic, it was not nearly as devastating as my recent trip to the Palazzo Ducalein Urbino.\nAs I stated in my column two weeks ago, I am an enormous art history nerd. When I learned that my class would be travelling to the city of Urbino and visiting the home of Federico III da Montefeltro, I could barely contain myself. I couldn’t have been more excited if my professor had announced a trip to Qdoba.\nFederico was known as one of the true “men of the Renaissance.” He did not force his subjects to pay taxes, and he beautified his city, built an enormous palace and became renowned as an immense supporter of the arts. Even more appealing to the art history nerds of the world, the Duke commissioned Piero della Francesca to paint a famous painting of himself and his wife. \nThe art collection he left to posterity continued to grow throughout several generations of the ducal family, which married into the equally important Della Rovere family. Titian painted the “Venus of Urbino” for the family, a painting that inspired the great Impressionist painter Manet, as well as many other artists.\nI knew before I left on the trip that many of the important pieces from the family’s collection were not actually housed in the palace. I still expected to be wowed, however, by what I thought would be a breathtaking assemblage. Upon arriving in Urbino, I was immediately impressed with the city’s architecture and general layout. It was situated in a small valley, and the street plan would have been difficult to organize, especially without modern technology. The palace itself dominated the city and was an enormous symbol of the Duke’s importance and personal power. \nWe entered through the simplistic Renaissance-style façade that was still as imposing as it had been centuries before. Then, I was overcome with immense disappointment. The palace was literally a shell. \nIt felt as if this gorgeous, historic place had been robbed of all its art and artifacts. It housed only a meager collection of Renaissance-era pictures, and most of its rooms were completely bare. The few pictures and tapestries that remained were so heavily guarded that it was impossible to enjoy them. I was not allowed to stand closer than five feet away from the paintings, which were in glass cases, without lights and sirens going off that brought guards running. I was not even allowed to take photos of the pieces. It is a standard rule that photography of historic objects is permissible if the camera flash can be turned off, so as not to ruin the delicate layers of paint or fabric with bright light. Even so, I was told that I was not allowed to take any photos at all while in the palazzo. \nIt was difficult not to be angry with the guards, who proceeded to follow me throughout the palace, as though afraid that I might take off with a 12- by 36-foot tapestry in my purse. However, as I thought about the situation, I surmised that they were probably right to be so protective of their remaining collection. For centuries, they most likely watched helplessly as pieces disappeared from the walls, to be distributed among museums around the world. \nI made the argument a few weeks ago in favor of displaying art “in situ,” but after this weekend’s trip, I am even more of a proponent of the argument. The palace, and even the city of Urbino, was built to house these works. To see the beautiful city without its pieces was heartbreaking. I believe that historic art should remain where it was created. \nMexican food, however, should be everywhere.
(09/24/07 11:49pm)
BOLOGNA, Italy – When you think of medieval times, the first thing that probably comes to mind is knights in shining armor on their valiant steeds, off to the joust to win the hearts of their ladies fair. \nI always thought that this period was known as the “Dark Ages” because the people were too busy creating subject material for future Disney movies. There existed little to no focus on new scientific advancements and art. Indeed, this is usually what we are taught in history courses. The Italian word for the Renaissance is “rinascimento,” which literally translates to “rebirth.” Scholars have decided that world culture actually died during medieval times and was not “reborn” until Giotto and Boccaccio came along to save the day.\nI had agreed with these scholars up until Saturday, when my class took a field trip to the Museo Civico Medievale in the heart of Bologna. This city actually saw much of its growth during the Middle Ages, and the museum housed a fine collection of municipal art pieces from that time. The museum also contained a large collection of suits of armor and weaponry, but these were so masterfully crafted that they could be considered art in their own right.\nWhen you compare a rough gothic style piece to the brilliant, life-like qualities of a work from the Renaissance, it is easy to say that Renaissance art is “better.” But it is important to remember that art from different periods cannot be compared. Each epoch in art history has its own stylistic standards and diverse concepts of skill and beauty. During the Middle Ages, it was not that the artists lacked the ability to create pieces that were full of life, but that they chose not to. The art of medieval times had different rules and was intended for a different purpose. Renaissance art, to my eye, is far more pleasing than that of any other period in art history. But while I prefer to view the art of this period, I can still fully appreciate the works of another.\nSome modern scholars have said that we are currently in another Dark Age. Many of my friends have expressed their disgust for what “passes as art these days.” They wonder how the digital media and performance-based work that is often seen in the SoFA Gallery can be compared to the work of the Neoclassicists and the Romantics. The short answer is that it can’t be. Even for modern and contemporary art there exist vast differences in style and theory. While it may not be easy to appreciate the aesthetics of a contemporary piece, it is important to understand the concept behind it. Art today has become more about the idea of art; pieces are no longer created simply for their visual value. \nArtists in the medieval times were considered skilled laborers. They even worked in guilds like the blacksmiths and bakers did. Their art was meant to serve a practical purpose, and it reflected their social status. During the Renaissance, artists were still considered more highly skilled and their work reflected life in paint or marble. Aesthetics was their main concern. Today, artists are thought to be elite members of society and they are valued for their original ideas and revolutionary concepts. \nCulture never actually dies. It never has to be reborn out of a period of “darkness.” Quite simply, art changes with the times. It reflects the values of its creators and the theories of the day.
(09/18/07 1:02am)
BOLOGNA, Italy – I am the biggest art history dweeb ever. I will freely admit it. This week, I finally made some time to start exploring the local art and culture (other than the bars and nightlife). So, I started out by doing some research on Guido Reni, my favorite Baroque painter who was born and died in this city. I made a map of the different locations, and set out one day after class to find all of it.\nJust for fun.\nMy trek lead me to the Pinacoteca, the city art museum, where Reni had an entire gallery to himself. The pieces were luminous and larger than I had ever imagined, and the museum was enormous. I only had time to visit the one gallery, and I know that I will probably have to set aside an entire week to see everything else.\nI then went to the Basilica of San Domenico, which was so beautiful and rich in history that I almost wet my pants in excitement. Mozart played the organ in one of the chapels while he was a student, and every noteworthy artist from the Bolognese school of painting contributed to the frescoes that cover every square foot (or meter, whichever you prefer) of the church. \nI handled my little trip without any significant breakdowns, so the next day, I left with some of my other American friends for Ravenna. For an entire day, we walked around the city and toured the ancient churches with their Byzantine mosaics. The nerd in me exploded. \nI cannot accurately describe the feeling of seeing something that you have been studying for years in real life and in its original location. Emperor Justinian and his court look a thousand times larger and more brilliant. You can actually see the shading of Christ’s face as he looks tenderly down upon his flock of sheep. I had seen most, if not all of the major images in my art history classes in Bloomington, but there is really something lost in the translation when a picture is put on a slide or a Powerpoint presentation. \nThe feeling of being surrounded by so much history was overwhelming. I had to stop, step away from the tour guide, put my camera in my bag and just appreciate what I was seeing. \nAfter these experiences, I feel like I am a much stronger proponent for displaying art “in situ,” or in its original location. This is a hot topic in archaeology and art history, with the disagreements about the Elgin Marbles and new provenance laws, and I have always been able to see both sides of the argument. Not everyone is able to travel to Ravenna or other historical locations to see these glorious works, so museums were created to make art more accessible to the public. But, the pieces I saw in museums, however beautiful, were a stark contrast to having the wind knocked from my lungs by centuries old cathedrals. It seemed that the pieces belonged there. They were created for specific spaces, and I now feel that they should reside in their natural homes. \nDuring the next two weeks, as a part of my introductory Italian language and culture course, I will be visiting several different museums and historical sites around the region. I am going to compare my experiences at both types of locations and try my best to describe everything.\nHowever, I can already tell it’s going to be one of those you-had-to-be-there type deals.
(09/11/07 5:17am)
BOLOGNA, Italy – Italian men are terrible dancers. \nThis was my first impression upon entering the small “discopub” Corto Maltese a few nights ago. Scattered around the tiny room, amid groups of grinding American girls, were a few such men. They jerked and flopped around like bits of meat in hot oil. It was not pretty. The sound of late-90s American pop music was punctuated by random, offbeat claps and shouts. And I wondered how these men, who are reputed to have such strong powers of seduction, could be such fools on the dance floor. \nLast night, however, I discovered my error. My roommates, both Italian men, convinced me to go with them to the club Cassero. It is a club that typically hosts the young gay and lesbian population of Bologna, but because of its amazing house techno music, it draws dancers of every age and sexual orientation. I was slightly hesitant to accept their invitation, because of my previous experience with Italian dancers, but I decided to go along for the show. \nWhen we arrived at the club – literally housed in a castle – I could see the fashionistos and fashionistas pouring in and feel the music’s pulsing beat. We went into a dungeon and were assaulted by strobe lights, a DJ who blew my mind and AMAZING dancers. Everywhere. It was as if the music of Italy had just evolved to match the spastic movements of its people. \nI was immediately reminded of the episode of “Chapelle’s Show” where Dave Chapelle “proves” that everyone can dance – even white people – if they are given the proper music. He demonstrates that white people dance better to guitar music, black people have a positive reaction to the drums and Hispanics can’t stand still when they hear an electric piano or a trumpet. Apparently, Italians are genetically wired to appreciate the finer points of electronic mixing. \nAfter dancing until 5 a.m. with every man in Italy, I went home to nurse my aching feet and to reflect on the experience. I have come to realize that Italy does have its own pop culture. Up until last night, I truly thought that European youth based their existence entirely around what they encountered on MTV. But I now know that the mixing of cultures doesn’t always create the best results, and I was very relieved to learn that they are doing their own thing.
(09/05/07 1:44am)
BOLOGNA, Italy – You know you aren’t in Bloomington anymore when you can only find peanut butter at an exotic food store. I have been in Europe for one week now, and I have spent the entire time trying to deal with culture shock. For instance, there is no Comedy Central, and I don’t know the intended use of half of my bathroom fixtures. Also, I have been frantically searching for an apartment. There has been very little time for arts and entertainment this week, and more of a focus on survival. I have to say that there are a few things I really think someone could have mentioned before I left. \nTo spare you the embarrassment I suffered this week, I want to provide you with a short guide about why Europe is weird to Americans. Here is a list of the top five things I wish I had known before I left the States. \n1. Luxury items are inverted. Let’s just say I went to buy a tiny bottle of sunscreen (Sadly, I am nowhere near the Italian people’s golden bronze perfection), and it turned out to be 16 Euros. At the same store, a bottle of champagne was 99 cents. Resources and cultural values really screw with prices, and you will find that wine literally is cheaper than water.\n2. By American standards, Europeans are nymphos. Last night, I watched the MTV music video countdown (much more entertaining when it includes Italian pop music) and was shocked to see a commercial for wristwatches where the watches were animated – and humping. I kid you not. Even if you don’t consider yourself a prude, you would be surprised by the number of nipples you see on television. \n3. You should really learn the slang and how to pronounce it. One of my friends told several Italians that she was studying “international erections” rather than “international relations” before one was kind enough to point out her error. \n4. You are an idiot. No matter how much you think you know about history, politics, geography, literature or art, the Europeans know more. Don’t make the mistake of getting into a debate of any kind. Unless you enjoy looking like a boob. \n5. You will come to appreciate the size of IU’s dorms. The beds in Europe are just as large but the rooms are tiny, even though the apartments can cost you more than $500 each month. And they all seem to be owned by crazy old women.\nI am close to securing my own tiny place this week, so that should clear up my schedule to find the local chapel that houses some works by Guido Reni. \nBut in the meantime, anyone know of an IKEA around here to furnish my dollhouse?
(08/28/07 1:47am)
Yesterday, as IU students moved through their first day of classes for the 2007-08 school year, I was 30,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. I am headed for a country – no, a continent – that I have never been to. I just kissed my family and boyfriend goodbye because I won’t see them for 10 months. And, I am seriously questioning \nmy sanity. \nFor the next academic year, as students dash into Ballantine Hall and crawl out of Kilroy’s, I will be in Bologna, Italy. No lunch meat jokes, please.\nI have a very limited vocabulary and no permanent residence. I get to stay in a hotel for two weeks and then I am on my own. In October, I will start taking art history classes at the University of Bologna, the oldest university in Europe- founded in 1088, which has an alumni list that puts IU’s \nto shame. \nItaly is the home of pasta, fashion (Armani, Gucci, Versace...oh my!), some of the world’s greatest artists and architecture and now, me, for a good part of a year.\nI have never been so scared and excited, all at once. For the first time in my life, I have no idea where I am going or what I am going to do. It is going to be a real-life adventure. \nI would like to give you, the devoted IDS reader, an opportunity to live vicariously through me. I don’t want to rub it in your face that I am having a much better time than you, except that I probably will be. I don’t want to give a droll account of every major art museum in Europe, and I don’t want this to turn into my travel journal. I want some feedback from you. \nPlease e-mail me. Tell me what you have seen, or wish to see, that I should experience. Tell me what you would like to do and I will tell you if it’s worth your time and a trans-Atlantic flight. My dream is to become a foreign arts correspondent. I want assignments from you. Ask me questions. Send me answers. Be my editor this semester (editor’s note: She already has two fabulous editors, thank you). \nJust be sure to allow for a six-hour time difference while waiting for a response.
(06/21/07 4:00am)
The fact that The White Stripes' Icky Thump was released just one week after The Queens of the Stone Age's Era Vulgaris serves to highlight both Icky's strengths and weaknesses -- and, to some extent, those of The Stripes themselves. Both The White Stripes and QOTSA are at the pinnacle of Noughties rock. Both are artistic and commercial successes. Both have produced two undeniably classic albums. Both have done consistently excellent work across their careers. And, in creating their newest releases, both faced the question of how to follow up an album that broadened their sounds but alienated some fans (those albums being Get Behind Me Satan and Lullabies To Paralyze, respectively). Last week, I wrote that, good as it is, QOTSA's Vulgaris plays things a little too safe, retreating somewhat to the pre-Lullabies days. \nNot so, Icky. Rather than try to reverse things, Jack White seems content to go speeding off the cliff. Strange, bitter and punctuated by bone-crunching peals of distortion, Icky is even less mainstream-friendly than GBMS -- its "broadening" isn't so much a natural outgrowth of The Stripes' influences (like the latter) as wild experiments in what sounds the band can possibly get away with incorporating. And yet, Jack White's enormous songwriting talent almost manages to pull it all together. Almost.\nMake no mistake, most of the tracks should still please fans. Blues/country/garage-rock-styled highlights include title track "Icky Thump," "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)," "Little Cream Soda" and "Effect & Cause." \nBut things get pretty weird on the electric guitar-enhanced tango "Conquest," the Renaissance-era Celtic folk track "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn," and the partly spoken musical theater number "Rag & Bone." Still, these work pretty well (the last being particularly charming). However, the surreal, avant-garde, bagpipe-featuring "St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)" does not. It's easily the worst track in The Stripes' entire discography (and I even like bagpipes).\nIn sum, Icky is a bold (if not wholly successful) attempt to keep pushing the Stripes' boundaries. And, who knows, maybe their next album will reap the benefits.
(06/17/07 8:59pm)
Last summer, I saw the film “Everything is Illuminated,” starring Elijah Wood. I have seen it at least five times since and tell people it is my favorite movie. Its gorgeous imagery, quirky characters and freshness captivated me. I recently learned this movie was based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer, who also wrote “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” – my new favorite book.\nThe story is about Oskar, a 9-year-old boy who has just lost his father in the collapse of the World Trade Center. He finds a key in a vase in his father’s closet with the name “Black” on the back of its envelope. He then sets out to find every person in the five boroughs of New York City who has the name. He meets a new person every weekend and gradually learns to cope with the loss of his father. On his way, he also finds his long-lost and enigmatically silent grandfather who lived through the bombings of Dresden during World War II.\nThe novel is genius and beautiful. The prose is strikingly original, and the insight into Oskar’s thoughts reveals the author’s depth. The boy is a prodigy, and in moments of agitation, he “invents” items such as wedding bands that would take the pulse of their wearers and send signals to cause a red light to blink on the other’s ring. Foer’s creativity is astounding.\nOskar also keeps a scrapbook of “things that have happened to me.” Foer includes actual illustrations from Oskar’s book. There is a delicious scene in the middle of the novel where, when one of the “Blacks” meets Oskar, he turns on his hearing aid for the first time in several years. The first thing Mr. Black hears is a flock of pigeons leaving his windowsill. The following page has a full-spread black-and-white print of birds taking flight. My own mental picture combined with the illustration was so evocative that it literally brought me to tears.\nI hope this book will be made into a movie, and I pray that Foer is not done with his writing career. The man is truly a master. I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read. I finished it in three hours because I was unable to set it down. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” touches deep chords of human sorrow and compassion, and it may be one of the best books you will ever read. I know that I consider it as such.
(06/11/07 12:53am)
I started reading William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying” more than a week ago. I would consider myself a pretty fast reader, so a novel with fewer than 300 pages should have been a two- or three-day endeavor for me. However, since I had to keep reading and rereading chapters in an attempt to make sense of them, it took me more than a week to get to the middle of the book.\nI know many people consider this book a classic work of American literature. So, if you are one of those people, please e-mail me, Facebook me or give me a call. Just let me know why this book somehow got onto so many recommended reading lists.\nThe book takes place, as far as I can tell, in the post-Great Depression United States. It follows the journey of one family to bury its recently deceased matriarch in her hometown. According to the book jacket, it is supposed to be a dark comedy, but I saw nothing funny in its morbidity.\nIts main problem, however, lies in its organization. Each chapter is told by a different character, and it is difficult to distinguish between characters who are family and those who are neighbors. The characters jump back and forth in time without warning, and the plotline is barely discernible.\nFaulkner uses a Southern, backwoods dialect to color the words of his characters, but their obvious lack of education hinders their ability to tell a coherent story. I had to read the book three times to understand what was going on, and I still have no idea how many people are actually in the family.\nThe good news is that the novel has beautiful prose, and this, along with its unique organization, might be responsible for its good reputation. Still, I did not find its redeeming qualities strong enough to overpower my disappointment at not being able to understand the plot. An introductory note or just some clarification from one of the characters would have made the novel a much better read for me.
(06/07/07 12:23am)
Claire Messud’s novel, “The Emperor’s Children,” follows the life of three New York 30-somethings as they struggle to become writers. Marina lives at home and in the shadow of her famous journalist father. Julius is easily distracted by chance sexual encounters and ravaged by a poverty that he chooses to ignore. Danielle is wracked with guilt because of her affair with Marina’s father.\nThe book is organized so each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character. Murray, Marina’s father and Marina’s idealistic cousin Bootie often narrate as well. Each chapter is cohesive and well-written, but the book’s message is jumbled.\nWhen Bootie drops out of college to become self-educated, he leaves a worrying widowed mother for his uncle Murray. The renowned writer takes Bootie on as his secretary and protege. Bootie betrays his uncle’s trust when he writes a blazing expose on Murray’s unpublished manuscript – a piece intended to be the culmination of Murray’s life’s work. This subplot becomes the turning point and main focus of the novel, but I could barely understand its significance.\nThe most prominent theme of the novel is the necessity of truth. Marina fails to grasp that she is not a talented writer. Julius finds that his numerous secretive trysts led to a pain he had never imagined. Danielle slowly comes to realize Murray will never leave his wife for her. All of these examples were easy to recognize, but the novel leaves me with many unanswered questions, such as: What’s the point?\nMessud did a fair enough job with the prose. The angsty, overly passionate voice in some earlier passages reminded me of Harlequin romances. However, her writing seems to mature with each new chapter. She brings the events of Sept. 11 into the end of the novel with an ease and class that does not overdramatize and overemphasize the tragedy. In other words, she doesn’t change the flow of the story but rather ties Sept. 11 in smoothly with her plotline.\nShe struggles to be thoughtful, but at the same time I can see that she was going for a watered-down Ayn Rand rip-off. I was also confused by the story’s seemingly unrelated random characters and events. I would not recommend this book because its underlying message lays too far below the surface of the plot to identify.
(05/31/07 1:14am)
David Mitchell’s “Black Swan Green” follows the life of Jason Taylor, a 13-year-old growing up in Worcestershire, England. He fights with his older sister, writes angsty poetry and spends a good portion of his time thinking about sex. It is a stereotypical “coming of age” tale.\nKirkus Reviews called the book “Great Britain’s ‘Catcher in the Rye.’” I think that whichever Kirkus reviewer made that assessment is a right bloody wanker.\nThe book lacks the frills and drama in American author J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye.” The two boys are not even the same age or maturity level. The novels serve entirely different purposes.\nSure, both are about the loss of innocence. Taylor has several typical growing-up experiences, such as a first kiss and learning to cope with his parents’ divorce.\nTaylor’s story is clear enough to be a memoir. It has little depth, but it is easy to relate to his growing pains. Anyone who has ever felt like an outcast at any time could sympathize with Taylor. \nI hesitate to recommend this novel. It does not read quickly, and because of its realism, not all of the events are exciting. Taylor’s life is not perfect, but it isn’t that bad either. The book wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t a particularly good one either.
(05/23/07 11:26pm)
Have you ever had one of those dreams that makes absolutely no sense? \nIt starts at your great-grandmother’s house and you’re playing ping pong with your best friend from fifth grade and your high school boyfriend. Then, without warning, you land at the top of the St. Louis arch and you are having a heated discussion about scrambled eggs with your cat that died five years ago. You are rescued by a zombie, who bears a striking resemblance to your Aunt Martha. She is in the middle of a lecture about the dangers of forest fires when suddenly you are awakened by the buzzing of your alarm clock. \nYou roll over, wipe the sleep out of your eyes and wonder if perhaps you need a CT scan.\nI recently had an experience like this, only I was not dreaming. I was reading Kurt Vonnegut’s “The Sirens of Titan.” \nNow, before you go on a rampage and start accusing me of disliking the greatest Hoosier author of all time, beloved by every college student “just looking for answers,” let me say that I haven’t said I disliked the book. But like a whacked-out dream, I was kind of glad when I finished reading it.\nThe story follows one man, Malachi Constant, through the far reaches of the galaxy. He was once a wealthy corporate shark who was “recruited” to the Martian Army. The Earthling, Winston Niles Rumfoord, raised the army. He sent the troops to Earth on a suicide mission so that the Earthlings would rally together and form a new religion known as “The Church of God the Utterly Indifferent.”\nConstant survives the mission, becomes angry that Rumfoord manipulated him, causes some trouble back on Earth and gets exiled to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. Rumfoord, in turn, finds out that another alien planet was manipulating the entire human race for thousands of years to obtain parts for a spaceship. He dies. And so does his dog.\nThat was the simplified version.\nIf you have ever tried to recount a dream to one of your friends and found yourself unable to coherently do so, I am sure that you can sympathize with me.\nI really enjoyed Vonnegut’s stream-of-consciousness style of writing and his comments on the human situation with his own brand of dark humor. However, this story was just too difficult to follow. I recommend Vonnegut’s “God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian.” \nI have had enough of his whimsical style for now, so I am going to move on to David Mitchell’s “Black Swan Green.” It is a novel about an English town at the end of the Cold War, and it seems much more promising.
(05/21/07 7:06pm)
Last week, Karen Green Stone and 60 other demonstrators from the group Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan lined up outside the Anthem-Wellpoint Health Insurance headquarters in Indianapolis to support a universal health care bill making its way through the U.S. House.\nHoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan is a non-profit group that advocates a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would extend the federal health insurance system, Medicare, to all U.S. citizens. The bill, HR676, was introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and has 70 co-sponsors, including 7th District Congresswoman Julia Carson, D-Ind.\nGreen Stone’s husband, Rob Stone, is the group’s director. He explained that HR676 is the universal health care bill that currently has the most support in the House. One of the functions of Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan is to lobby legislators to sign the bill. Stone said he has approached local Rep. Baron Hill, and that the congressman is considering it.\nA spokesperson for Hill said health care is a high priority for him, but that he is trying to balance the bill’s benefits with its cost.\nTo fund the measure, legislators have proposed a new payroll tax, which would affect the top tier of income earners by introducing new sin taxes, closing corporate tax loopholes and repealing President Bush’s tax cuts.\nJim Kappel, staff vice president for Corporate Media Relations at Wellpoint, Inc., said the company is committed to providing affordable health care to all Americans. He spoke of an action plan that Anthem-Wellpoint has created to extend coverage to 30 million Americans over the next three years and to provide universal care for children.\n“We want to reach out to individuals who can’t afford it,” he said.\n “Overall, there have been a number of different proposals,” Kappel said. “We welcome different ideas or opinions, but we believe that Americans want choice in the marketplace.”\nStone spoke at the rally, as did another woman who found her daughter dead in her bed because her daughter could not afford to go to the emergency room or pay for her prescriptions. The woman was left with her daughter’s two-year-old child. “(Her story) was absolutely heartbreaking,” Green Stone said.\nKaren Green Stone, Rob Stone and the head of the organization’s lobbying committee, Julia Vaughn, all own stock in Anthem-Wellpoint. Therefore, they were allowed to attend the annual shareholders’ meeting, although they arrived late and were put into the overflow room. Still, they were able to ask questions, and after the meeting, they met with the retiring CEO, Larry Glasscock. \nHoosiers for Commonsense Health Care has also been working to enact legislation that would create a single-payer state health care system. Stone said many similar bills have been proposed around the country. In California, one such measure made it through the House and Senate but was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Indiana bill did not progress further than an introduction before the session ended, but the General Assembly will reconvene in January, at which time the bill will be reintroduced.\nHoosiers for Commonsense Health Care holds a general meeting at Boxcar Books, 310 S. Washington St., each month. All are invited to attend. The next meeting is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 13. For more information, visit www.hchp.info.\nSince last semester, a student branch of the group has also been working for the cause. \n“I realized that there were no student groups about the single-payer health plan. It is very important for students to know about,” said Russell McIntire, an IU graduate student and the founder of the student group.\nHe explained that, even though most students are on their parents’ health insurance, they will eventually be dropped and will have to begin making payments on their own.\nThe group has between 12 and 15 members. Next semester,McIntire hopes to create a film series centering around public health care and to raise more awareness about the issue among students. \nFor more information on this organization, e-mail rkmcinti@indiana.edu.
(05/17/07 12:12am)
For me, the best way to spend a lazy summer day is to curl up on the patio with a glass of lemonade and a trashy romance novel. Work on my tan. Maybe sneak in a nap. I found the perfect book to go along with my perfect day, and if it seems like your sort of read, I highly recommend “The Birth of Venus” by Sarah Dunant.\nAs an art history major, I have a special place in my heart for books that are based on actual historical events. “The Birth of Venus” follows the tumultuous life of Alessandra Cecchi, who to my knowledge is a fictional character, growing up during the Florentine Renaissance. At the particular time in which the novel is set, Catholic priest Girolamo Savonarola rules Florence and openly defies the pope with his sermons about the opulence of the papacy and the people.\nIt has a plot that is typical of a story about this time period: The girl is very intelligent and wants to pursue her studies and become a painter, but her father, a wealthy cloth merchant, has other ideas about her future. He panders her off to a rich husband to improve the family name. \nHowever, the twists and turns that the story provided kept me flipping the pages as fast as I could. Obviously, I will not reveal any of the surprises by going into more plot detail. After all, that is half the fun of reading romance novels.\nI was most impressed with Dunant’s mastery of the cultural guidelines that would have been in place during this time. She delves deeply into the religion of the day, as well as various viewpoints that would have existed on sodomy, adultery and greed. She also relied heavily on references to works that would have been popular at the time, including Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and Botticelli’s masterpiece for which the novel is named.\nMy only complaint is that sometimes the allusions seemed a bit too forced, as if Dunant were making an effort to include as many recognizable names from the Renaissance as possible. Other than this small error, I would say that the story is very well-written and easy to read. I managed to finish it in less than three days because I found it hard to put down.\nThe next book I will read is a collection of works by Kurt Vonnegut. As you may already know, he died just last month at the age of 84. He was a Hoosier, having been born and raised in Indianapolis. I read one of his works while I was in high school, and his black humor captured my interest. I have since had a desire to read more, so my goal is to read at least three or four of his most popular works and give you my comments.
(05/14/07 12:52am)
Unless you are absolutely starving for a book to save your sanity and it is the only one you can find, don’t read “Ivanhoe.” I would consider myself to be pretty high on the boredom scale, but I couldn’t even get through chapter three. The two main characters, who shall remain nameless because I can’t remember their consequence to the story, hadn’t even finished their leisurely stroll through the forest by the end of the third chapter. At this point, I fell asleep.\nSir Walter Scott, the author of the terrible tale, has a fondness for vivid descriptions. But, by a certain point, I really didn’t care what color shoes the swine herder was wearing and in what order everyone was standing. I wanted to read about sword fights. I decided to forsake “Ivanhoe,” watch the Disney movie instead, and began reading a book titled “Babylon’s Ark” by Lawrence Anthony.\nThis book, which was just released in March, caught my interest immediately after skimming the book jacket. I don’t typically enjoy reading non-fiction works and I am not up-to-date on current events, but this story of one man’s valiant efforts to save the Baghdad zoo in the middle of a war zone captivated me.\nAnthony, the owner of a game preserve in South Africa, decided that he would take action against the unspeakable cruelty toward animals during wartime. He had seen footage from previous wars of soldiers shooting caged wild beasts for fun and the conditions in which the animals were kept. Because of what he saw, he used several of his political connections to get into war-torn Iraq and began the backbreaking work of restoring the zoo. He wanted to save as many animals as possible, and also to help restore the Iraqi people to a state of normalcy. His work was, in fact, one of the first efforts toward rebuilding Iraq.\nAnthony and a team of a few native Iraqis and Kuwaitis had to struggle every day to bring water to the animals, feed the staff and protect the zoo’s few assets from looters. He received help from many American soldiers, but the majority of the responsibility fell on Anthony’s shoulders. In addition to his regular duties, he also had to go on many rescue missions, including one to Saddam Hussein’s palace. He relocated Saddam’s son Uday’s lion pride and his prize Arabian stallions.\nThe book is written in a very conversational tone, and I would go so far as to say that at many points, it is not well-written at all. He uses the last chapter of the book to plug his non-profit group, The Earth Organization. I suppose he has the right to do this, but the conclusion kind of lost my interest and was a poor ending to a wonderful story.\nI would recommend this book. It is a quick read and difficult to put down. It is also easy to understand if you are like me and oblivious to political affairs. Next week, I am reading a book from my favorite genre, historical fiction, from my favorite historical period – the Florentine Renaissance. The book, titled “The Birth of Venus,” follows the lives of a wealthy Italian merchant and his family.
(05/09/07 9:25pm)
I don’t know what you are doing this summer, but at some point, you will probably need to take a break from your break. You could be needing an escape from nagging family members, a release from your demanding summer course load or you may just need to unwind after a long day at work. Whatever the case may be, the indisputably best way to get away from all of the stress is with a good book. Also, the return trip to school in the fall isn’t so abrupt when you have been practicing the reading thing all summer. \nI will be staying at my grandparents’ house for the next three months, reading my way through the White County Public Library. My goal is to finish one book each week and write up a review. I know that sometimes it is much easier to just watch “The Godfather” trilogy for the millionth time to cure boredom than to pick up a book. Hopefully, by reading my piece each week, you can decide what books will most capture your interest. \nMany exciting books are coming out this summer, including the highly anticipated finale of the Harry Potter series. I will be trying to get my hands on that, and also reading books from the New York Times’ best-sellers list and any recommendations that you send my way. Feel free to make me your literary guinea pig. I tend to read classic novels and a lot of historical fiction, but I am open to any and all suggestions. My e-mail address is lalandis@indiana.edu.\nI get to pick the first book, though, and I am going to start out with the tale of Robin Hood and his merry men in green tights. “Ivanhoe” is the actual novel that the famous stories of our childhood were based on – and no, he is not really a fox. I bought the book over a year ago, and I have never had a chance, or the motivation, to start reading it. However, I am curious to see whether it is as interesting as the familiar fairy tale. I’ll let you know next week if it is worth your time.
(05/04/07 4:00am)
After a combined total of more than 400 hours spent in the studios, 20 Bachelor of Fine Arts students will showcase their work at the Senior BA show from 7 to 9 p.m. today in the School of Fine Arts Gallery. The pieces are varied and come from every artistic field. The gallery is filled with abstract ceramics, various canvases filled with vibrant paintings and digital media exhibits.\nSenior Nicholas Just’s mixed media piece is titled “Game, Set, Match.” It features a platypus and a rabbit engaged in a game of tennis on a gigantic green platform. “I draw cartoons, and I like playing ping pong, and I thought it’d be funny to see them meshed together,” Just said in an e-mail.\nHe explained that he spent 25 to 30 hours in the studio because he had some failures in his casting process. \nSenior Molly Stevenson has a series of 10 of her photos hung in small red frames on the SoFA Gallery wall. Her work is titled “Dream Sequence.” Each photo is blurry and has a trancelike quality. “It feels great to have my piece up in the SoFA gallery. ...It is a great opportunity for me to see what my peers are doing and vice versa,” Stevenson said in an e-mail.\nThe gallery’s assistant director Rob Off said the students had to complete an application process before their work went on display. But he added that everyone who applied and showed a general interest in the show was allowed to participate.\nStevenson said that the SoFA helped her through several career development courses. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in art education and find work in an inner city school before going into museum work. Just will not pursue a career in art; instead he will move to Portland, Ore. to become a firefighter. \n“I love painting, but none of this will help me save lives,” Just said. “I will always make art. ... It’s the only thing I love.”\nThe show will remain open until May 5 at 4 p.m. For more information on this SoFA Gallery exhibit and others, visit http://www.indiana.edu/~sofa/2005.
(04/13/07 4:00am)
Whitney first tried to break into the modeling world in her hometown of West Palm Beach, Fla. She explained that the agents were looking for stick thin Brazilian girls, so the plus-size black girl just didn’t stand a chance. She auditioned for cycle seven of America’s Next Top Model, giving up her position on the Dartmouth women’s basketball team. She didn’t make the seventh cycle, but was called back for the eighth. She landed a spot on the show, and abandoned her studies at Dartmouth. She has since returned and will graduate with a degree in sociology in June. \nEven though the judges told her Wednesday that she needed to work on getting into her characters more when she models, Whitney isn’t giving up. The girl’s go-get-’em attitude is inspiring.\n“I had a hard time balancing crazy and modeling. At the end of the show, I never felt more defeated in my life. I let other people’s comments get to me.”\nDuring her last photo shoot, she was asked to pose with a former ANTM contestant who had refused to pose nude. She was to impersonate the other girl and she loved every minute of it. She describes herself as a “Top Model crack addict” and was excited by the opportunity to hang out with old contestants. She said Jay Manuel told her during the shoot that she had finally learned the art of modeling and she was disappointed that the judges could not see her improvement.\nWhitney seemed to take Jay’s comments to heart, because she said that when the show wraps up she plans to continue to pursue modeling and to also explore acting. Someday she would like to have her own talk show.\nFor now, though, she is just focused on her upcoming graduation. She thinks that her experiences living in a college environment helped her get as far as she did with the other girls in the house, but is excited to be done with school. She commented on how fast the years flew by and asked me to write a line thanking her many friends here at IU that who her emails throughout the show. Watch the rest of the girls battle it out at 8 p.m. next Wednesday on the CW.
