ENTERTAINMENT Good News Continued from preceding page OF SOUTHFIELD VOTED BEST GREEK RESTAURANT BY DETROIT MONTHLY cA% "Our prime pick for Hellenic eating is at Dimitri's of Southfield. All the dishes you would expect to find are here. This place reminds us that there's more to Greek food than opa! cheese ... August, 1990 tVg. e r - c f,z6. FREE DINNER •■ •) WITH PURCHASE OF DINNER OF EQUAL OR GREATER VALUE No Carry Out GOOD 7 DAYS A WEEK I Excludes Holidays GROUPS OF OVER 10 EXCLUDED FROM COUPON USE Lambchops Excluded COUPON VALID FOR ENTIRE TABLE 15% Tip Added to Entire Bill • Does Not Include Tax or Liquor • Expires 9-6-90 • JN 1 SUNDAY BRUNCH GROUPS OF OVER 50 10 ARE EXCLUDED per person 15% Tip Added FROM COUPON USE to Entire Bill EXCLUDES HOLIDAYS Expires 9-6-90 JN 2080 SOUTHFIELD RD (1 Block Northof 10 Mile) 557-8910 Laura Berman works on a story. - I I I I I 31646 Northwestern Hwy., West of Middlebelt, Farmington Hills 855-4600 °° OFF ANY LARGE PIZZA or LARGE ANTIPASTO Of LARGE GREEK SALAD • Coupon Must Be Presented When Ordering • Not Good With Any Other Discounts or Coupons JN • Expires 9.6-90 I I I I I I I MME ta i Vta 1P1--' 24366 - GRAND RIVER 7 Mile 3 BLOCKS WEST 6 Mile OF TELEGRAPH 537-1450 ,04 , 11414 4 I FREE BANQUET ROOM AVAILABLE ,iggiic (44516,&.we Mexican or American Cuisine YOU DON'T HAVE MEXICAN SAMPLER PLATTER TO GO FOR TWO DOWNTOWN FOR AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD! INCLUDES: STEAK FAJITA, 2 TACOS, CHEESE EN- WE COOK ONLY ; CHILADA, EL PADRE BURRITO, TOSTADA, I GUACAMOLE DIP, RICE AND BEANS. WITH 100% VEGETABLE OIL I • • Dine In Only • One Coupon Per Visit INCLUDING OUR BEANS L With Coupon • Expires Sept.30, 1990 JN $9.95 . Serving Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri. 11 a.m.-12 Mid. Sat. 2 p.m.-12 Mid., Sun. 4 p.m.- 10 p.m. OUR MUSIC WILL HELP MAKE YOUR PARTY! ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ WEDDINGS BAR/BAT MITZVAHS CONFIRMATIONS ANNIVERSARIES PRIVATE PARTIES ALL YOUR HAPPY OCCASIONS (313) 544-7373 --5* 70 FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 1990 I her writing style made the transition reasonably smooth. "It might have been a little hard at first, but I also think that as a journalist, I always kind of was a columnist. I had a way of looking at things that was sort of editorial. I always tried to put a lot of personality in my feature writing and never really was a very straight, objective kind of writer. "Nora Ephron was an ear- ly (journalistic) model for me when I was 18 or 19, and she is someone who's written almost entirely from the first person." Another concern for the new columnist was where and how to find ideas to address. "I still worry about that on a constant basis?" Ms. Ber- man says. "I think there should be a columnist idea service, where you can just sort of subscribe and get your ideas. It's easy to have ideas, but it's hard to come up with ideas that are interesting or provocative or unique?' Whether at her office or at home, actively working on a column or enjoying some recreation, Ms. Berman is always looking for ideas. "You're more likely to find interesting ideas outside the office. You can react to the news from reading the newspaper, but I think the more your columns are based on what real life is and real people, the more interesting it is." Another way Ms. Berman gets ideas is to send herself on a story assignment. "The neat thing about jour- nalism is that you can sort of live out your fantasies on cer- tain levels, do things," she says. "If I wanted to go sky- jumping I would know that, at least I'd get a column out of it, even if it was a horrible experience. In fact, I often think about my life that way. If something's going to be really bad, I think, 'Well, if it's bad enough and sort of in- teresting, at least it'll be a col- umn: Nothing's ever a total loss. That's one advantage we columnists have over or- dinary mortals." While Ms. Berman writes many light-hearted columns, she also tackles serious sub- jects, including feminist issues. "I've always seen it as my responsibility, I guess because these are issues I care deeply about. Even as a feature "If something's going to be really bad, I think, 'Well, if it's bad enough and sort of interesting, at least it'll be a column. Nothing's ever a total loss." Laura Berman writer at the Free Press when I first started out, I covered the abortion issue a lot and tried to bring attention to it and its complexity. And I still feel that those kinds of issues about women and their place in the world are important." Ms. Berman occasionally receives hate mail, some of it anti-Semitic. Most of it she throws away, while threaten- ing mail goes to the police. Some, however, she keeps in a folder for curiosity's sake. "The hate mail that bothers me most is the hate mail that's anti-Semitic or the hate mail that says I'm ugly." Ms. Berman says she has few restrictions on the job. "When you're a columnist, so much of it depends entirely on you. You sort of live and die by yourself. You're not having editors telling you to go cover 'X' or 'Y' or 'Z.' And you don't have those argu- ments that reporters and editors always have about `This is a story"No, this isn't a story' I don't want to do that.' So there's a lot less possibility for conflict in terms of the job situation. Which is kind of a relief. There's a tremendous amount of freedom in my job." Away from the paper, Ms. Berman likes to cook, ski, at- tend movies and travel with her husband. The third member of their household is Max, the golden retriever who was once a regular in Ms. Berman's column. The best part of her job, Ms. Berman concludes, is "the freedom of it. It's a unique op- portunity to express yourself. I guess the other thing is that, when I'm curious about something, I can just go pur- sue it. I don't have to really get clearance. I can just go do it. And that's a lot of fun. "The hard part of it is that it's relentless." She compares it to going to school year 'round and having to write three essays a week. "I'd love a summer vaca- tion," she says. "A whole sum- mer off. Wouldn't that be great?" El Fisher Theatre Sets Season The Fisher Theatre will of- fer six shows in its new season. This year's lineup begins with the comedy team of Penn and Teller Sept. 25-Oct. 14. Singin' In The Rain will be presented at the Birmingham Theatre Oct. 16-Nov. 4. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express will be at the New Masonic Temple Nov. 6-25. Les Miserables will be at the Fisher Dec. 4 - 30. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof comes to the Fisher Jan. 29- Feb. 17. For information, call the Fisher Theatre, 872-1000. Players Set Dinner Theater Ridgedale Players will pre- sent its second annual dinner theater musical revue, The Melody Lingers On. The even- ing will include hors d'oeuvres, dinner and a trip through the golden age of Tin-Pan Alley. Dinner will be served at 6:30, with the show starting at 8 p.m. with show dates: Sept. 7-8; 14-15. To order tickets, call Donna Backus, 644-8328.