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Tuesday, March 9,1993
The Battalion
Page 3
Award-winning singer
to perform in Rudder
Chronicle depicts a literary rogue
By DENA DIZDAR
The Battalion
The University Chamber Series
will present baritone Christo-
pheren Nomura and pianist Kayo
Iwama in Rudder Theatre tonight.
Nomura is the winner of the
1992 Young
Concert Artists
International
Auditions, a
prize that has
given him the
opportunity to
travel exten
sively and per
form various
works.
Professor
Wemer G. Rose,
coordinator of
Texas A&M's
Nomura
Music Program, said Young Con
cert Artists (YCA) is a non-profit
organization that tries to locate
and identify outstanding musi-
and I really enjoy the recital reper
toire. It's more fulfilling to be able
to dictate my own pace and not be
dependent on 20 to 30 people to
do a show."
Nomura's performance tonight
consists of 25 pieces he has cho
sen, with one intermission. All se
lections will be accompanied by
pianist Kayo Iwama.
Rose said in chamber music,
though, the pianist is really a col
laborator, not an accompanist.
"'Chamber' essentially means a
room," he said, "and that's what it
was originally intended for. The
aspect of one player to a part (and
not more than 9 players total),
shows that there has to be a true
artistry to play in such an intimate
setting."
The players are involved in a
music dialogue, and the art form
enhances the message of the writ
ten text through song. Rose said.
Rose said the series was devel
oped in 1986 to supplement the
expanded music course offerings
Book Review
"'Chamber' essentially means a room... there
has to be a true artistry to play in such an inti
mate setting."
-Werner G. Rose, coordinator of the University
Music Program
dans and take them under its
wing.
Rose said, "Past winners (of the
audition) are now some of our top
musicians. We are looking at the
stars of tomorrow."
Nomura said his long-term ca
reer goal is to incorporate the con
cert and recital performances he is
doing now with a schedule of op
eratic performances.
The singer was in the middle of
an opera commitment when he
won the audition. Getting a mix
of solo and group experience is
important to gain flexibility and
perfect one's artistry, he said.
"I'm really enjoying going out
on my own now, Nomura said.
'I've always been an individualist.
at the University.
Since then, the series has grown
from one performance a year to
six, including local talent and in
ternationally recognized artists
like Nomura. This year the Music
Program has hosted the St.
Lawrence String Quartet, Western
Arts Trio and pianist Jean-Efflam
Bavouzet, and on March 23 will
bring An Yao, performing on the
zheng, or East Asian long zither.
Nomura said an important ele
ment of his career is bringing his
message to a wide range of people
from schoolchildren to college stu
dents to seasoned music buffs.
"I can really bring the music to
the people," Nomura said, "and
that's really my main theme."
By JOE LEIH
Carroll
The Battalion
"Hunter: The Strange and Savage Life of
Hunter S. Thompson"
By E. Jean Carroll
Penguin Books
$25.00, hardback
Finally, someone has written a biography of
Hunter S. Thompson that gives a lucid picture
of the bizarre personality and actions of this
famous journalist and author.
Thompson, known for his boisterous and
sometimes shocking antics,
was a major contributing
political journalist to
Rolling Stone magazine in
the 1970s and is the author
of such classic novels as
"Fear and Loathing in Las
Vegas" and "The Great
Shark Hunt."
E. Jean Carroll, a contrib
utor to Esquire and Playboy
magazines, tells Thomp
son s story by alternating
between biographical infor
mation and the fictitious
narrative of the "scantily clad" Laetitia Snap,
imprisoned in Thompson's abandoned
cesspool and forced to write his "shocking
and disgusting" biography.
Carroll's brilliantly unique style of compil
ing the perceptions of Thompson and his ac
quaintances gives a tremendously vivid pic
ture of the abnormal life of one of the
strangest and greatest writers of the twenti
eth century.
Snap, a respected ornithologist, journeys to
Thompson's /,000-acre estate in order to in
spect nis amazing collection of cocks - pea
cocks, that is.
The shy and prudish woman is then sub
jected to witnessing Thompson's ungodly de
bauchery. She looks on as he consumes more
cocaine, marijuana, clove cigarettes, and acid
than any mortal should be able to subject his
body to.
She is astounded as Thompson places co
caine on his "virile member" and persuades a
Republican speechwriter to snort it off.
She nearly swoons as he frees her nipple
from the confines of her clothes with a snip
from a pair of scissors.
After several days of these disgusting
events. Snap 1 is held captive in Thompson's
cesspool being pelted with frozen burritos
and an amazing amount of sanitary napkins.
Snap's depiction of the episodes leading up
to her unfortunate incarceration is the most
ridiculous, unbelievable and absurd series of
events ever put on paper.
It's perfect.
The biographical sections of the book con
taining quotes from Thompson's friends,
lovers, and co-workers give evidence that the
scenes she describes are far from improbable.
In fact, the accumulation of these quotes
depicting stages in Thompson's life show that
the eccentric writer has always been ridicu
lous and unbelievable.
Her sources range from Ralph "Sonny"
Barger, president of the Oaklana Chapter of
the Hell's Angels, to Thompson's childhood
friends.
Carroll ends up giving a brilliant overall
impression of the writer instead of a boring,
chronological listing of his life history.
According to Carroll's research, Thompson
was a wild and unpredictable teenager in
Louisville, Ky., who began drinking when he
was fourteen and was involved in many other
anti-social activities. He robbed a gas station
three consecutive nights in a row and once
put twenty bottles of beer through the super
intendent of schools' window.
The young Thompson also went to jail sev
eral times. His last prison sentence kept him
from graduating from high school and result
ed in nis enlistment in the United States Air
Force.
After being discharged from the service,
Thompson worked on an assortment of news
paper and magazine assignments until he fi
nally completed the novel "Hell's Angels: The
Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Mo
torcycle Gang."
In order to research his book, Thompson
became a pseudo-member of the bloodthirsty
motorcycle gang and was eventually beaten
by the burlv hrutes.
In 1970, Thompson came to national atten
tion by running for sheriff on the Freak Power
ticket in Aspen, Colorado. Changing the
name of the town to Fat City and installing a
set of stocks for dishonest drug dealers were
only part of his political agenda.
Michael Solheim, a close friend of Thomp
son, said Thompson's conservative opponent,
Carrol Whitmire, "was a crew cut-wearing
sheriff from the old school."
Thompson shaved his head so he could refer
to Whitmire as "my long-haired opponent."
His unbelievable antics continued as he be
gan working for the music magazine, Rolling
Stone. He stole his editor's stereo amplifier,
threw typewriters out of windows, and ac
cording to David Felton, a former Rolling
Stone editor, reduced editors to tears by forc-
Controversial journalist Hunter S. Thompson
stands in his descriptively decorated kitchen.
ing them to receive his faxed writing for a
continuous 72 hours.
In 1990, Thompson came under national
scrutiny again, accused of tweaking the breast
of a former pornography producer, Gail
Palmer-Slater. Eventually all charges were
dropped.
Despite its brilliant depiction of Thompson,
this biography has one minor flaw. Carroll
does not include several vital pieces of infor
mation about Thompson's life. She never
states how Thompson received his discharge
from the Air Force. Was it honorable or dis
honorable? Did he receive it early?
Also Carroll never quite makes it clear how
Thompson acquired nis position at Rolling
Stone. She just abruptly starts recording dif
ferent people's perspectives of his days at the
magazine. It is cnoppy and confusing.
Still, Carroll has created an incredible biog
raphy. Her new style gives a more accurate
depiction of Hunter S. Thompson than a con
ventional biography ever would.
Just don't put the book down after "Laetitia
Snap's" first chapter. Keep reading and be
lieve!
Characterization, unpredictable plot make 'Crying Game' a winner
Movie Review
By JENNY MAGEE
The Battalion
"The Crying Game"
Starring Stephen Rea, Forest
Whitaker and Jaye Davidson
Directed by Neil Jordan
Rated R
Playing at Post Oak III
"The Crying Game
tears of ‘
g Game" should brings
to tne movie industry's eyes.
For the First time in far too long/a movie
that combines both detailed character de
velopment and an unpredictable plot is
gracing the screens of movie theaters.
Yes, make no mistake, as unbelievable as
it seems the word used to describe the
plot was UNpredictable.
"The Crying Game" is one of those
movies that if someone were to give away
the secret you would probably be inclined
to spike their Coke with Liquid Dran-o.
A few basic plot details will not give
away in vital secrets. Fergus (Stepnen
Rea) is a volunteer in the Irisn Republican
Army, and in an effort to retrieve one of
their captured men, the IRA have taken
Jody (Forest Whitaker) prisoner. The two
men develop a touching friendship while
Fergus is standing guard over Jody. Jody,
who knows his death is inevitable, asks
Fergus to find his lover, Adele (Jaye
Davidson), and tell her that he was think
ing of her. The shocking details of the
plot unravel from here.
"The Crying Game" is about human
nature - the people who are born to be
givers as opposed to the people who are
bom to be takers.
Jody tells Fergus a story about a scorpi
on who asks a frog for a ride across the
river. Halfway across, the scorpion stings
the frog and both begin to drown. The
frog asks the scorpion why he stung him,
ana the scorpion answers, "Because it is
in my nature."
Some people will do anything to help
another human being, while others will
destroy another even if they must be de
stroyed also because it is "in their na
ture." "The Crying Game" shows that
most people favor destruction.
Even taken at face value, the film is en
tertaining because it is not an ordinary
story of human relations slapped into a
generic Hollywood mold. Rea and Whitak
er are not the most glamorous-looking peo
ple in the world, and the average movie
goer has probably never heard or either of
them, but they are fantastic actors.
The first half hour of the film centers
around the fact that the two men, brought
together bv a desperate situation, connect
so well. The irony is that Fergus is hold
ing a gun to Jody's head while the two are
building a friendship.
The success with which the actors and
actresses define their characters almost
makes it seem like director Neil Jordan is
directing a theatrical production. Perhaps
Rea's performance in the Broadway pro
duction of "Someone Who'll Watch Over
Me" gave him experience in creating a be
lievable politically motivated character,
ist be said 1
It must
that it is not in the na
ture of the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences to nominate a movie
like "The Crying Game" for six Academy
Awards, including Best Picture. But they
did and should be applauded for their de
cision. It is definitely reassuring to see
the Academy recognizing a movie that
had to prove itself before even being ac
cepted into mainstream theaters. If the
Academy, usually prone to honoring films
that star popular actors and actresses, can
not overlook a filitv that is a monumental
achievement in originality and acting
quality, then there may be hope after all.
As a suggestion, fight off anyone who
tries to give away the secret of this movie
at all costs. Put your hands over your
ears and hum "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
real loud, but don't let anyone spoil the
one surprising movie of the year.
ray
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HEWLETT
PACKARD
Authorized Dealer
FACEs 1993-94
Freshmen Adjusting to College Experiences
Mentor Applications Available
"You can make a difference"
Qualifications t '
-must be a sophomore, junior, or senior by FALL '93
-must have a minimum GPR of 2.25
-must have a sincere; interest in helping an ethnic
minority freshman .. . • ’ V . :
Available*
Office of Student Affairs
(RM no YMCA BLDG)
A-2 Lounge •
(comer of Moses and Hughes Halls)
South Area.Office
For more information call:
The FACEs Office
845- 9804
Alisa Reyna, Mentor Sub-chair
846- 8812
Due:
March 26, 1993
r
me
Committee for the Awareness
of Mexican American Culture
’’Unity Among Latinos"
by
Dr. Emily Santiago
Wednesday March 10, 1993
Room 226 MSC
7:00 - 8:00PM
For more information^contact CAMAC at 845-1515
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