Page Two
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Sunday, February 15, 1970
Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY Sunday, February 15, 1970
Robert
By LARRY RUSS sciencea
Robert Bly (who will be this destructi
year's Writer in Residence, Feb. of us a
a confront
19-March 3) is "a hero of our co t
times." He has met the dilemma ciay.
of living in this time and place Bly liv
with an inspiring energy and houses o
humanity. sota wit
(If he has not had the fame It is a la
of, say, Ginsberg, it is because' solitude,
fame is most often a coinci- and box
dence of sorts. Ginsberg h a s else, wit
probably become famous less above 10
from the quality of his work -10 in
than because the media h a s the Bly'
found f this his homosexuality, only he
drug-taking, and nudity make ever he
good sensationalistic copy.) alone, i
A central dilemma of the in- to it, a
dividual. in our time is that urs, o.
of the artist, or any man, being What
faced 'with the need for soli- comes ou
tude and peace of mind and Bly's fir
with .the demands upon 1 con- Snowy
poetry and prose
Bly: Meeting of body and soul
and sanity of a violent,
ve environment. M o s t
re basically unable to
either solitude or so-
ves in a cluster of farm-
on the plains of Minne-
;h his wife and children.
and of great silence and
of vast plains of corn
elder trees and little
th temperatures well
00 in summer, well below
winter. Somewhere on
s land is a shack that
can find. Often, when-
feels the need to be
he'll say he'sgoing out
nd won't be seen for
)r days.
he finds in his solitude
ut in poems like those in
rst book, Silence in the
Fields. The voice is
stripped of ornament and
pseudo-poetic archaisms, t h e
imagery of a depth and original-
ity unmatched in contemporary
poetry in English. The poems
have the most intimate relation-
ship with the world around them.
But Bly is by no means some
kind of monk or pastoral re-
cluse. It was Bly who founded
the Writers Against the Vietnam
War and organized the now-
famous Poetry Readings Against
the War. He has been prominent
in Resistance, organizing a n d
leading benefit readings a 11
around the country.
In 1967, when Bly was given
the National Book Award f o r
Poetry (for The Light Around
the Body), he criticized even his
own publisher for not taking a
more definite stand against the
war, and concluded the speech
by handing over his $1,000 prize
MUSic
A Jani
By JIM PETERS
There are too many things to
say. An evening's performance
is supposed to give one some
idea of the quality of the group
performing, some idea of the
group's approach to their ma-
terial; but, last night at Hill
Aud. the Canadian Opera Com-
pany offered more questions
than answers.
I cannot say that their pro-
duction of Rossini's The Barber
of Seville was a complete dis-
aster, and yet the grape-munch-
ing cronies who inhabit La
Scala would have booed them
off-the stage. The basic question
is one of defining "opera." Is it
some classic form of theatre
which requires and is benefitted,
by continual up-dating and
slick packaging? Or is the jewel-
box music of Rossini with its
bel canto flourishes the essence?
The answer is obviously a com-
bination of both, but last night's
Barber was so severely divided
-- like Barber'
along these lines, that it barely
succeeded being anything.
The English lyrics became
burdensome only in spots, and
I have seldom heard so fluent a
translation from a major opera
troupe; and yet, such words as
"subsidy" do not belong on a
18th century stage.
The attitudes of the singers
best expressed the dichotomy I
felt between the operatic tra-
dition and the "playing it for
laughs" approach. Of the three
principals, only Cornelius Opth-
of's Figaro could be considered
musically-inspired; his voice is
free and smooth, but his heavy-
handed acting drained all fresh-
ness from the character.
John Arab as Count Almaviva
never got beyond singing to the
audience; he is a lyrical tenor,
but his poor annunciation placed
a strained vagueness on most of
what he sang. Shiela Piercey has
good coloratura range; but in
recitatives her timbre was often
irritatingly harsh and, slipping,
into arias, her vocal acrobatics
seemed forced.
In comparison, those of the
cast who preferred to punch-up
the script with laughs struck me
as being more at-ease. Peter
Milne's Dr. Bartolo was exag-
gerated to absurdity, and it
worked. His ranges in Act II, his
"umbrella" scene, and even the
subtle visage of cuckcold which
he wore provided a great part of
emphathy which was missing in
the principles' roles.
Conductor John Fenwick's
orchestra played well; sounding
like a music box in the over-
ture, they emphasized the light-
ness of the score without. the
lilting sentimentality which can
drown it. Fenwick's hand was
strong, but never oppresive, and
ensemble remained reasonably
tight.
Mechanically jumping through
Herman Geiger - Torel's gym-
nastic stage direction, the sing-
ers sang and the comics clown-
ed. And it, was as if neither
group cared what the other was
up to. This quizzical production
did, however, definitely prove
the uselessness of Hill Aud. as
a place of theatre productions;
with a smaller audience and a
less vacuous stage, a definitive
interpretation, whether good or
bad, might have resulted.
The opinion this time is up
to the listeners. If you came
to be amused at slap-stick hu-
mor, the Canadian company's
antics were jovial. But if it hap-
pened to have mattered to you
that Barber is opera, you pro-
bably walked out before t h e
overwhelming applause began.
to Mike Kempton of Resistance,
saying:
"I counsel you not to enter
the United States Army, and I
ask you to use this money I am
giving you to find and counsel
other young men, urging them
to defy the draft authorities -
not not to destroy their sipirt-
ual lives by participating in this
war."
In his political poetry (most
of which is in Light Around the
Body. Bly does not respond to
the destructive world by letting
himself become desensitized in
defense. A Bly political poem is
truly subversive. "Counting
Small-Boned Bodies" is an excel-
lent example. The poem does
not stand outside in its armor,
pointing at the alien enemy;
that is how rhetoric is made,
and fails. Bly's poem crawls in-
side the Pentagon, inside the
mind that wants to simplify, de-
humanize, and possess, and
shows us what things look like
from inside the walls:
Let's count the bodies over
again.
If only we could make the
bodies smaller,
The size of skulls,
We could make a whole plain
white with skulls in the
moonlight!
in being absolutely
sure of no feminine
offense with
MY
OWN.
Hygienic beodorant
Spray for the outer
vaginal area.
Available also in
clesintowele J
If only we could make the
bodies smaller,
Maybe we could get
A whole year's kill in front of
us on a desk!
If only we could make the
bodies smaller,
We could fit
A body into a finger-ring,
for a keepsake forever.
The imagination, which is the
faculty of spiritual intimacy
with the beings of our selves
and others selves, is a true
guerrilla.
In addition, Bly has had a
tremendous freshening e f f e c t
on American poetry as a trans-
lator, editor, and critic. Through
his marvelous translating, his
essays, and his magazine, The
Sixties, (as well as his o w n
poetry), Bly has spearheaded
what has come to be called the
New Imagination, bringing a
rich surreal imagination in t o
American poetry. He has insist-
ed on the importance of the non-
rational, called for a more na-
tural diction, for greater poli-
tical concern, and for a greater
concern with things of the world
beyond the narrow bounds of
egotistical man.
Bly is a man attempting not
to lose the wholeness of life, not
to split into an outer and an in-
ner fragment and then lose the
inner half, as most people have.
He knows, and shows "us -he
knows, that the man who throws
over his deep solitude and be-
comes totally embroiled in strug-
gles with the public world, soon
has nothing new to bring to his
contact with others, burns out
his energy without renewing its
source.
On the other hand, he knows
the insanity of trying to ignore
the world outside, which w Ill
work upon us in most serious
ways even if we try to ignore it.
And, more important, the in-
timacy with experience t h a t
comes from his solitude makes
it impossible for him to remain
inactive in the face of the im-
mense cruelty and suffering of
other beings.
Robert Bly's courage a ri d
compassion shine through what-
ever he does. It is the shining
of "the light around the body"
where body and soul, the in-
ner and outer worlds, know
they are One and holy.
COLLEGE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ARE INTERESTED IN A CHALLENGE...
For the 20th year, the Vita Craft Corp. is selecting full-time
summer sales help for the Michigan area. Car necessary .
Experience helpful but not needed as complete training is given.
OPPORTUNITY FOR ABOVE AVERAGE EARNINGS, SCHOLAR-
SHIPS AND VALUABLE EXPERIENCE.
INTERVIEWS TO BE HELD IN ROOM 3529, STUDENT ACTIVI-
TIES BLDG., AT 4:00 P.M. AND 8:00 P.M. SHARP ON TUES
DAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1970.
Interviews on Campus
F FRIDAY-FEB. 20 (2-5 p.m.)
OVERNIGHT CAMP COUNSELORS
MALE AND FEMALE
some camping experience required. Counselors with
specific skills, particularly in the following areas:
SWIMMING, GOLF, NATURE and CAMPFIRE, DRA-
MATICS, and RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP (JEWISH)
BEGINNING OUR 41st SEASON
CAMP SAGINAW
OXFORD, PENNSYLVANIA
less than 1 12 hours drive from Philadelphia
Summer Placement Services, 212 S.A.B.
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Mon.-Fri.
7:10 and 9:05
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DAILY OFFICIAL
BULLETIN
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15
Day Calendar
Trombone Choir: School of Music Re-
cital Hall,' 2:30 p.m.
Music for a Quiet Sunday Afternoon:
Metro Kozak, violinist, Ballroom, Mich.
Union, 3:00 p.m.
International Center Film: Sweden:
Trouble in Paradise, International
Center, 7:30 p.m.
Degree Recital: Kurt Carpenter,
piano (Honors Recital), School of Mu-
sic 'Recital Hall, 8:00 p.m.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Alpha Chapter, Phi Beta K a p p a
Lecture:: John E. Bardach, School of
Nat. Resources, "Affluence and Efflu-
ents" Rackham Amph. (4th fl.), 8:00
p.m.
Placement Service;
GENERAL DIVISION4
3200 S.A.B.
Interviews at General Division, week
of Jan. '23-27: Make appts. and get
info, at 3200 SAB, or call 763-1363.
John Hancock Mutual Life
Union Carbide, Linda Division
Iran Nat. Manufacturing Company
Nat. Center for Health Statistics
Mead Johnson
~Office of Education
p.m. Counselors specializing in tennis,
golf, fencing and scuba.
Vita Craft Corporation, Oakland Pk.,
Kansas, 4 and 8 p.m. Summer and part
time work, good pay.
Feb. 18:1
Camp Lynnwood, Va., coed, 10 a.m.
- 5 p.m. Openings for cabin couns., in-
structors for swimming, canoeing, ten-
nis, riflery, riding, gymnastics.
Camp Mataponi, Maine, girls, open-
ings in waterfront, land sports, arts &
crafts, and dance. Interviewing 9:00 -
1:30 p.m.
Feb. 19:
Detroit Edison, 9 atm.-5 p.m. Stu-
dents who have completed Jr. year in
Soc., Communic.," Indust. Educ., psych,
math, econ, data processing.
Feb. 20:
Mohawk Airlines Utica, N.Y., 9 a.m.
- 5 p.m. Mgt. Dev. Program open to
students who have completed 'soph.
year or more.
I
DUSTIN HOM~AN MIA FARROW
JOHN AND MY
s rmnum
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"One of the year's most pleasant 8th
movie experiences.'
"'The Reivers' fills one with a
joyous sense of life and laugh-
ter. A 'arvelous time is had by
all."-New York Magazine.
Steve McQueen
"The Reivers
-Time Week
DAVIDACKLES
Elektra
"I heard everything from Recording
Jelly Roll Morton to>« . Artist
Kurt Weill and Charles
Ives in his piano"-Vil-
loge Voice FINAL
sTheater rather than just NIGHT
song .., revelation ::v .:},. . , ,y{.>: w: . :>, : .: :;:;:
through entertainment ::Doors Open
If that sounds too -- . 8 P.M.
strong, you haven't heard
David yet"-Cash Box $2.00
Caterpillar Tractor
Xerox
Wisconsin Bureaurof Personnel I_
Detroit Civil Service aim
Allstate Insurance Eventually: "VIVA MAX"
Bureau of the Budget
Campbell Soup
Irwin Mgt. I .?) )a~ ) })G C ) G
U.S. M. School of Publ. Health, pro-
gram in Health Planning, MA.
SUMMER PLACEMENT SERVICE LADY SHOW WIGS
212 SAB, Lower Level L DYGVE'I VA SH W VIR~L I
Interviews at SPS, week f Feb. 16:
Camp Maplehurst, Mich. Coed, 1-5 20-30" LONG
$129-$149
REMEMBER !!! achine-made or hab'd-tied stretch wigs from $39-$89.
You can eat at Choice of colors, first cutting and styling free.,
DELI 5-Day delivery on any hairpiece ordered if not in stock.
HOUSE 24-hr. styling and setting.r
every Sunday La Viva Wig Salon
109 E. LIBERTY
THE HOUSE 7
1429 HILL
Hueys Birthay arty
Chili OUfILD
Feb. 14, 15, Sat., Sun.
THE 400 BLOWS,
+r*
Dir. FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT, 1958
Jean Pierre Leaud stars in this Truffaut
masterpiece. Sensitive story of a young
boy in France.
"One of the most beautiful films that l have ever
seen" " Akira Kurosawa
7& 9 7cArchitecture
662-88775cAuditorium
ANNUAL GUILD HOUSE
MID-WINTER RETREAT
Saturday, February 21, 12 Noon to Sunday, 5 P.M.
at the
U. of M. FRESH AIR CAMP
THEME: "Life Styles in Transition"
Some rationale, (student reflection), for informal
search in a retreat setting on the Theme:
. . . after the seeming futility of all types of political in-
volvement,
. . disenchantment with various attempts at types of com-
munity living,
.. . questioning the basic concept of the Nuclear Family, of A
monogamy...
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Informal talk sessions with outstanding U of M
Faculty: Prof. Anatol Rapoport, Prof. Robert
Sklar, and others, with emphasis on lifestyle.
tb~~lr%^^D AbkjnA1TNADD DC~A TIn, (tikrnn
i
3 P.M. HILL AUDITORIUM SUNDAY FEB. 15
ONE APPEARANCE ONLY
Author: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
The Pumphouse Gang
The Kandy-Colored Tangerine-Flake
Streamline Baby
Tickets $1.25 1st Floor Union
COMING
THURSDAY, FEB. 19
JOHN BIGGERS, Black Artist
We demand that Huey P. Newton, Minister of Defense of the Black
Panther Party, be set free immediately. Profits from this benefit will
be given to the Black Panther Party and will be used
fense fund.
SUNDAY -Union Ballroom - 7:30
for Huey's de-
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