COMMUNITY

BOOKWORM

FIVE THINGS YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE

The Unshakeable Myth Makes
for an Uninterestino. Man

Climb the Rocks,
Dino-Mania and More

J.D. Salinger's guarded life keeps biographers
at arm's-length — even after his death.

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

By Yoni Apap

D. Salinger spent the final 45 years of his life an
elusive recluse, refusing interviews and fiercely —
"J litigiously — guarding his own privacy. The first
biography of Salinger to hit stores since his death a
year ago, Kenneth Slawenski's uneven J.D. Salinger: A
Life (Random House) never digs deep enough to pin
down the mysterious author.
To his credit, Slawenski meticulously researches his
subject, making ample use of the scant material avail-
able. Salinger's correspondence has been largely lost,
due to fiercely loyal friends and family who followed the
author's instructions to burn his letters. As a result, Slaw-
enski was forced to color in the lines of his subject's life
through scattered — and largely unrepresentative —
documentation, including Salinger's school and military
records; early exchanges with periodicals like Story and
the New Yorker; and just a few hundred extant letters.
Following the young author as he bounced between
private schools and colleges before joining the mili-
tary, this biography eventually finds its footing when
Salinger takes up writing — and Slawenski uses that
literature to contextualize its author.
Interesting, if not revelatory, Slawenski is able to
detail his subject's life fairly well during the war years
through 1965. Yet, the chapter detailing The Catcher
in the Rye will likely prove unsatisfying to those who
have read the novel deeply, especially compared to the
insights yielded by Slawenski's reading of lesser known
early stories. Photographs, usually a staple of biogra-
phies, are also frustratingly sparse.
Oasis alert: The biography does unearth some
genuine gems. Salinger's mother, for example, who
converts to Judaism and was often reported to be from
Ireland, was actually from Iowa. Slawenski also man-

ages to breathe
life into Salinger's
first wife, Sylvia
Welter, who was
an elusive figure
to previous biog-
raphers.
In addition, Slawenski's rendering of Salinger's World
War II military service tends to be vibrant and haunt-
ing; read alongside Salinger's war stories, the resulting
portrait of the author scarred by combat is compelling.
The war years, however, highlight the problems
reporting on this period: Since Salinger refused to talk
(or write) about his time in Europe, Slawenski's most
engaging section of the book, except for a handful
of personal details, is drawn largely from common
soldiers and military historians. (Salinger apparently
snuck through Hiirtgen one night to have a drink with
Ernest Hemingway, an acquaintance and war corre-
spondent.)
Ultimately, the search for salacious details of
Salinger's post-1965 hermitage yield next to nothing.
Slawenski meticulously avoids anything he considers
gossip — including well-known reports from the writer
Joyce Maynard or even Salinger's daughter.
Slawenski's deference to fact results in treating
Salinger with kid gloves — and is the book's greatest
weakness. His refusal to deal with sublimated issues
like Salinger's troubling attraction to teenage women is
ignored. In the end, the biographer wrote a book cater-
ing to the Salinger devotee.
As one who enjoyed Holden Caulfield's complexity
and disdain for fakes, the guarded tone of Slawenski's
biography strikes me as, well, phony. WIT

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single
moment before starting to improve the world,"wrote Anne
Frank in the diary that has come to be known the world
over. Let your children experience the iconic schoolgirl's
message of hope in Jewish Ensemble Theatre's annual pro-
duction of The Diary of Anne Frank, which will be staged
at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dear-
born; part ofJET/YES (Youth Education Services).
Donor-supported student matinees, primarily for school
groups, (although the public is welcome at $9 per ticket)
take place 10 a.m. Thursday, March 31; 10 a.m. Friday,
April 1; 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 4; and 10 a.m. Tuesday,
April 5.
A public performance is offered at 8 p.m. Friday, April 1;
tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for students.
Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801
Michigan Ave., Dearborn. info: jettheatre.org . Tickets: (248)
788-2900.

MICHIGAN ADVENTURE PASS

Not headed anywhere this spring break? Make your
staycation an exploration of Michigan adventures with the
fourth annual Museum Adventure Pass. Break out your
public library card to receive Pass access to more than 200
public libraries.
The Pass also grants free admission (for up to four people)
to 33 arts and cultural institutions. Take a day trip to climb
aboard Port Huron Museum's Huron Lightship, a floating
lighthouse, and visit the Thomas Edison Depot Museum.;
and the list goes on; valid through Sept. 30, 2011.
For details, participating organizations and current exhibi-
tion information, visit detroitadventurepass.org.

FOODIE

Unplug at Cork, the Hidden Jewel of Pleasant Ridge

Provisions, libations and ambiance align at Cork Wine Pub.

ROCK CLIMBING

By Jeffrey Hermann

have to believe that Cork Wine
Pub is something special — it's the
only restaurant in Pleasant Ridge
to be granted a liquor license by the
city; and that small feat only took three
years of cajoling by its owners before
officials signed off.
Partners Joel Rubin and Jeff Mar spent
years traveling, researching and tweak-
ing precisely what they thought would
embody a welcoming and successful
hot spot — from the wine and spirits
to the food — and, especially, the
hospitality.
The pair settled on a
stylish space, previously
home to an architectural
firm along a mostly residential
section of Woodward Avenue.
Since opening its doors last Novem-
ber with an impressive — and reasonably priced — wine
list, creative cocktails and well-executed menu, Cork has
quickly become a favorite among locals.
The wine offerings are diverse, and the owners like
adding special finds from Spain, Australia, Argentina,
Lebanon, Michigan and Oregon to their stable of selec-
tions from California, Italy and France.The cocktail menu
is also varied — without being overwhelming — and
blends the traditional with the uncommon (Vodka Gimlet
with agave syrup and lime? Yum!)
The menu caters to all appetites, from snacks as accou-
trement to your cocktail (like the devilish and crispy J.M.'s
Chick Peas or fingerling potatoes with chipotle sauce) up
to a full-sized dinner.
Cork currently offers five entrees — with plans to
expand over time — including pan-seared chicken with
Champagne risotto and a hearty grass-fed Cambridge
filet with a delicate red-wine sauce.
In between are small plates, like Grammy's Knishes
(stuffed with potatoes and sour cream) and luxurious
Brick Roll wraps (wild mushrooms, goat cheese and cara-
melized onion), and third courses (several lovely salads,
roasted beets with brown butter yin and smoked fish).
And the last course, desserts, is well worth a visit for

/ - 'ou

6 April 2011 I

IUD TIMID

Cork Wine Pub
23810 Woodward Ave.
Pleasant Ridge
(248) 544-2675; corkwinepub.com
$$ (moderate) out of $$$$

Hours:
Closed on Monday
Tuesday-Thursday: 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-midnight

Here's a great way to challenge the whole family (ages 5
and up) to an adventure — while subliminally teaching your
kids to listen to you! Schedule a visit to the rock climbing
wall at Life Time Fitness. Courses include bouldering, top
rope, lead climbing and more, all offered in instructional
courses, or open climbing hours, so families can have a blast
together while developing communication and teamwork
skills. Not a member? No worries. Come try it out with a
$25 day pass or as the guest of a Life Time member. Rock
climbing is available at Life Time Fitness in Novi, Troy and
Commerce Township.
Life Time Fitness, Novi (248) 735-0100, Troy (248) 267-1000
and Commerce Township (248) 960-0955; lifetimefitness.com .

MADAGASCAR LIVE

their own sake (Butterscotch Pudding, made with Dewars,
covered with warm toffee sauce and accompanied by a
dark gingerbread financier for dipping, is a standout; so,
too, is the Banana Espresso Tart with a frozen caramel
parfait).
End the night with the best cup of dark-roast Sumatra
(from Great Lakes Coffee) you can imagine, served cafe
gourmand style with an assortment of petite pastries by
resident pastry chef Tanya Fallon.
Cork is intimate but encourages wandering and social-
izing, seating just about 80. A couple of large tables
accommodate special occasions in the main dining area,
while after-work cocktail drinkers and those just gearing
up for the night fill out the bar space and adjoining high-
table seating area.
Despite the low-key neighborhood charm, it's clear
that Cork is run by serious people. Rubin, Mar and pro-
prietor Nancy Crutchfield have informed opinions about
taste — in wine, cocktails and dining.
Rubin also takes hospitality seriously, a trait he picked
up busing tables at the iconic Irving's Deli in Southfield as
a teenager — and where he met his future executive chef,
Bree Hoptman, who was the proprietors' granddaughter.
Hoptman would later complement her family-provided
training with a formal culinary-school education.
Rubin has worked hard to hone the hospitality skills
learned since his days at Irving's."We created Cork for
adults. A place that would be fun and sophisticated —
something we thought was missing from the area;' Rubin
said.

Like to move it, move it? Move it to the Fox Theatre,
where Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe
and Gloria the Hippo have escaped the Central Park Zoo
and hit the stage en route to the wilds of Africa.
Our favorite funky friends from the Madagascar mov-
ies are going wild in Madagascar Live, an action-packed
adventure with vivid costumes and sets, original songs and
a host of plotting penguins. Friday-Sunday, April 29-May
1. Tickets start at $15.50.
Fox Theatre, Detroit. (800) 745-3000; olympiaentertainment.
corn; ticketmaster.com .

DINOSAURS UNEARTHED

They roar! They move! They're prehistoric! And now
they've come to Detroit. The Detroit Science Center — has
debuted Dinosaurs Unearthed, the largest dinosaur exhi-
bition to ever come to the city.
Including more than 20 life-size animatronic dinosaurs,
five full-size skeletons and almost 40 fossil replicas and eggs
from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, the ex-
hibit will thrill dinosaur-fanatics and the uncultivated alike.
While you're there, check out Dinosaurs Alive! in the four-
story-high domed IMAX theater and the Dinosaur Planet
planetarium show, both included in the price of admission
to the exhibition. Through Sept. 5, 2011. $17.95/children
2-12 and seniors; $19.95/adults.
Detroit Science Center, 5020 John R Street, Detroit. (313) 577-
8400; detroitsciencecenter.org .

— By Lynne Konstantin

www.redthreadmagazine.com