SI1 Westerns distort
^ er true
United Press International
Western novels and movies often have distorted or glamorized the
history of the American West and have left readers and viewers with
, International ^ feeling they have been “conned by the storytellers,” says a writer
E d xt ^j of Western history.
Zt f K I C-I-'- Sonnichsen, senior editor of the Journal of Arizona History
1 .| 1 ' and author of numerous books and articles on Western history and
ica > an p iit era t ure has published a book he hopes may help put Western
htc.ngthe^fktion in its proper perspective.
lena Heseattl
said.
The book, “From Hopalong to Hud: Thoughts on Western Fic
tion,” published by the Texas A&M Press, is a collection of 11 essays
1 in which Sonnichsen looks at both popular and “serious” fiction,
act Incaust The book suggests reader interest in western fiction is declining
iusc, aocor because of the way in which most are written, but that a turnabout —
rescan n or a re t urn the valuable books already written — could occur if
ramzatipn, writers chronicle the virtues of the true heroes of the western move-
investigatc tnent.
ors and adt “Western novels are indeed here today and gone tomorrow, and
than mere there are some special reasons for reader indifference, he says. “One
is the feeling that we have been conned by the storytellers and
ort of lignts: scenarists who give us wrong answers about how the West was won.
much wee “They have ignored the landgrabbers and exploiters and played up
e receivedt as f ron tier Galahads, a gang of barroom characters and part-time
lain physical peace officers whom the Kansas and Arizona historians have revealed
who claim It;T n their true insignificance. ”
•tact to tat;; To show how far the flight from idealized fiction, including West-
I eni fiction, has gone, Sonnichsen cities the case of Larry McMurtry,
nee of Ai whom he describes as a “properly disillusioned writer.”
alentieh diw His novel “Horseman, Pass By” (“Hud” in the movies) prompted
II green ligl many honors, including a top award by the Texas Institute of Letters
lit Inis trie a nd Wallace Stegner and Guggenheim fellowships,
sst, he said ■“With all this impact, one would think, it would have sold 50,000
an cxplanati or 100,000 copies,” Sonnichsen said. “It sold about 1,500.
pearance* 1 Sonnichsen says, however, the decline of the Western novel may
don t yeti hi only temporary.
ion will be it “In years to come,” he said, “the novels which are overlooked
something# today may be historically important as a line between what was and
it, he said what is to be. Much gritty realism, exemplified in the work of Larry
McMurtry and his disciples, shows how far behind we have left the
hopes, ideals and scruples of our forebearers.
Sonnichsen says the Western novel is often defined in terms of the
frontier, the formula and the legendary Wild West, “but it is much,
much bigger than that, and it needs to be plumbed and measured.
IS Pickin Paradise
Campus Names
■ Aft?
Zerle L. Carpenter
new department head
Dr. Zerle L. Carpenter, a teacher
and researcher in the meat sciences
field, is the new head of Texas A&M
University’s animal science depart
ment.
“As head of this key department,
Dr. Carpenter will have a vital lead
ership role in the future of the live
stock industries of Texas,” said Dr.
Perry L. Adkisson, vice president
for agriculture.
Carpenter has been acting head of
the deparment since last April. He
came to Texas A&M as an assistant
professor in 1962 and has been a
professor of animal science since
1971.
Associatiofi of Meat Purveyors and
the 1977 Distinguished Service
Award from Gamma Sigma Delta.
Carpenter is past president of the
American Meat Science Association
and the Texas Section of the Insti
tute of Food Technologists.
Susie Williams
enters state pageant
False
fined
THE BATTALION
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1979
Page 9
76 grad\ research
nationally honored
His research and teaching have
focused on improvements in beef
quality and tenderness and beef
packaging and distribution.
Carpenter’s early studies formed
a basis for U.S. Deparment of Ag
riculture revision of pork
standards as a reference for scor
ing pork color, firmness and marbl
ing. He is author or co-author of
more than 230 scientific publica
tions.
Among his honors and awards are
the 1970 Faculty Distinguished
Achievement Award in Teaching
from the Texas A&M Association of
Former Students, the 1972 Meat
Science Research Award from the
American Society of Animal Sci
ence, the 1975 Outstanding
Educators Award from the National
Helen H; Ligon, a ’76 graduate of
Texas A&M University, has earned
national recognition for her doctoral
dissertation, “A Comparative
Analysis of Design Concepts for
Large Scale Information Systems.”
Her dissertation is among the 100
chosen from tens of thousands in re
cent years for publication by the
University Microfilms International
Research Press.
The collection aims to promote
wider recognition and use of re
search by promising young scholars.
Du Juana Lyn (Susie) Williams, a
senior agricultural journalism major
from Hemphill, will compete in the
Miss Texas Rodeo Pageant in San
Antonio Saturday through Wednes
day. She will enter under the title of
Miss Texas Prison Rodeo 1978 and is
being sponsored by the Texas De
partment of Corrections.
Williams graduated valedictorian
of her high school class in Hemphill
in 1975 and is attending Texas A&M
on a four-year College of Agricul
ture scholarship. She was recently
awarded a scholarship by the Texas
Cowbelles for the spring semester.
She has been a Distinguished Stu
dent at Texas A&M for six semes
ters.
She is a member of the Alpha
Zeta — National Agricultural Honor
Society; Sigma Delta Chi; Women
Communications; the TAMU
United Press International
DOVER, N.H. — A man who al
legedly pretended to be a member
of the Kennedy family — using their
name to buy airline tickets and rent
a fraternity house room — has been
fined $50 each on three theft of ser
vices charges.
Edgar Berube, 22, of Some-
rsworth, was found guilty Friday
‘Kennedy’
$50 in
* u ^ '
and fined by Dover District Cduft" t
l r .i
Judge Ovid Viel, He appealed tl\e-’
verdicts to Strafford CouiitnC'
Superior Court. ** *
Berube was arrested last month.) *}
Police said he posed as a Kennedy to; 5
sign credit card applications, buy )}
$8,000 worth of airline tickets tothe-
Bahamas and rent a University of) -J
New Hajnpshire fi at house room . - ) ^
y*„
Ligofrs Work is one of ten in the
series “Research for Business Deci-
Her book, published under the
title “Successful Management In
formation Systems,” establishes a
set of criteria for the conceptual de
sign of a large scale information sys
tem. She demonstrates how the
criteria apply to three large informa
tion systems.
Ligon is director of the Casey
Computer Center and. professor of
quantitlattve analysis at fray lor Uni
versity.
Horsemen’s Association; Saddle and
Sirloin Club; Phi Kappa Phi Honor
Society; and Gamma Sigma Delta —
the Honor Society of Agriculture.
She has competed in area and
state horse shows for 10 years and
has won numerous awards. She has
been queen of numerous fairs and
rodeos.
About 40 contestants are ex
pected to compete in the Miss
Rodeo Texas and Miss Rodeo Texas
Teen contests. Prizes for Miss
Rodeo Texas include a $1,000 schol
arship, use of a new pick-up truck
and horse trailer, and a hand-made
saddle.
TV
tetric medi
t life with a
World’s largest country music college is in Texas
dec, || United Press International
t m the ste LEV elLAND, Texas — More
mlant an, jan x rni , es from Nas hvill e , on
tCjAat expanse of the West Texas
as lain, is the world’s largest college-
P a ,, 1 ivel country and bluegrass music
’ a I z . llu It wasn’t here four years ago, but
e (Hybsonfl itherwasJohnHart . n
nal).
. . Hartin, 36, was teaching guitar in
ackfrlUh orfolk. Neb., in 1975, when he
i elated i c k ec l U p a country music magazine
ge —tlic' 1C | no ti ce( I an interesting item in
nighei | e j 0 k listings.
the eiH-ct yVichita, Kan., native, who
'OS educated in Iowa and taught
men s femuitar in Nebraska, responded and
are being iinded the job in West Texas over-
[ full dedf ein E a Kentucky bluegrass and
who is rf( as ^ v ^ e " soun< ^ niusic program.
,/ af yin ' “I’ve enjoyed myself immensely, ”
. . , itartin said recently, his voice bet-
U . ° tying the pride he feels for the ex-
'' ,l 111 aiiding program on the South
ral generiiljgins College campus.
in this cor The 2,400-student school, located
nedteatiom the southern edge of this table-
fe with a wit town, is just a hayride from
H deck. >untry star Waylon Jennings’
nmetown at Littlefield, 24 miles
. And it’s about the same dis-
ffects follow
tance from Lubbock, hometown of
the late country-rock legend, Buddy
Holly.
About 40 students are enrolled in
the two-year country and bluegrass
sequences at the school, Hartin
says. And that’s about 20 more pic
kers than he expected at this point.
But magazine ads have provoked
inquiries about the program from
throughout the United States,
Canada and Europe, Hartin says,
and he expects enrollment to reach
100 in a few years.
The director, whose wife, Patty,
runs the couple’s downtown music
store, says he derives personal satis
faction when an ex-student makes
his mark in the professional blueg
rass or country field.
“We have hopes for all of them,
actually, that they’ll get to pursue a
career in entertainment or music
that they really enjoy,” he says.
Toby Hise, a former South Plains
College student and a promising
country singer from Haskell, Texas,
wrote Hartin recently.
“He sent me a copy (of a news
paper article about Hise) and said he
thought his two-year training here
put him five or six years ahead of
where he would have been had he
not had it,” Hartin says.
Those two years at the college
aren’t necessarily easy ones,
though.
One Alabama bluegrass guitarist
said she figured on coming to South
Plains College just to “pick.
“But I had to learn to read music-
through the program, and that’s
hard, she said.
“If you’re going to have any suc
cess as an artist, you do have to be
extremely talented and well-
trained,” Hartin says.
But “luck is a big factor for a lot of
people,” he admits. “Just so many
are never recognized because
they re not at the right place at the
right time.
The spring 1979 bulletin lists
courses in country arranging,
country-bluegrass composition and
country-bluegrass music today. Arid
Hartin says there’s also music-
theory instruction, as well as indi
vidual instruction on banjo, bass
guitars, dobro, double bass, fiddle,
guitar, mandolin and pedal steel.
For students hoping to obtain a
bachelor’s degree in music from a
WHEN YOU BUY A CALCULATOR, THINK ABOUT
WHO’S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
At Loupot’s, We’re One of The State’s Largest Calculator Dealers
For A Reason — We Look Out For Our Customers. Buy A Calculator
From Lou. If Anything Goes Wrong With It Within 30 Days, He’ll
Replace It With A New One. Or Loan You Another Calculator Free
While Yours Is Being Repaired. Our Business Is Built On Friendship —
Isn’t That The Way It Should Be?
LOUPOT’S BOOKSTORE
NORTHGATE
rs recei
rugs,” she
itled “The
trical M
oral Medii
■ sponsored
■ of Neurol
ve Disordei
3,500-child
ints horn
•n from the
Jtherchild i
ve Perinatal
ler study
ise last Api
a result of
obstetrician
lid that the:
tndy which f
... j jJm
luse-and-effe
en the ohs|
degradati®
itelligence,
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said. “Iftl
gal action,
e changed o!
ACROSS FROM
THE POST OFFICE
4
DISCOUNT 1 /2 PRICE
Dominguez :
Arciniega 7:
Students, Faculty & Staff
$8.15
THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE
delivered to your dorm, apartment or house every
day for the entire spring semester.
:l; 'Vy,'
4
January 15 - May 11 - $8.15
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EXCLUDING 8 DAY SPRING BREAK
INCLUDING SPRING BREAK
Just call 693-2323 or 846-0763
Houston Chronicle
These LPs
“Every Way
But Loose”
Soundtrack
(With Eddie Rabbitt, Charlie
Rich, Mel Tillis)
8.98
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STEVE FROMHOLTZ
“Just Playin’ Along”
DIRE
STRAITS
“Dire Straits”
DAVID
BROMBERG
‘My Own House”
NICOLETTE
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“Nicolette”
JEAN MICHAEL JARdE
“Equinox
SPIRIT
“Live In
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PARAPHERNALIA
ERIC
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‘Blackless”