Page 2 - The Michigan Daily - Sunday, November 6, 1983 'RSsian madne By JODY BECKER When Carl Proffer first came to Ann Arbor in 1957, it was to play on the University's freshman basketball team. He never made it to the varsity squad but by the time he was a sophomore, it didn't matter. Proffer had discovered Russian. "I WAS PLAYING freshman ball and for some reason I don't even remember now, I enrolled in Russian I. Maybe it was the funny alphabet," he recalls. He's come a long way from first-year Russian. Today Proffer, a Slavic languages professor, operates the world's foremost publishing house of uncensored Russian literature. P........o....... PROFL Before coming to the University, Proffer said he knew almost nothing about Russia. "Reading Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky just isn't something you do in Bay City," he explains. PROFFER GRADUATED in 1961 with a degree in Russian. He earned a master's degree in Slavic language literature from the university about a year later and in 1963, became the first University student to receive a Ph.D in the same discipline. It was while working on his master's in Moscow through a University program that Proffer first contracted what he calls "Russian madness." Proffer and his wife, Ellendea, met the widow of Ossip Mandelstam, one of Russia's premier poets. "She was a remarkable person in all ways and really turned the literature from something academic to fire for us," he remembers. "We met authors of Russian classics who we thought were dead." PROFFER AND HIS wife brought back "stacks of material" form that initial trip to the Soviet Union. These works were eventually compiled in the Russian Literature Triquarterly which Proffer founded in 1971. It was not easy to get the materials out of the country, according to Proffer. "We did things illegal from almost the first minute we were there," he says. "Circumstances require it." During the 1960s, Proffer taught at Reed College in Oregon and later at the University of Indiana. It wasn't until 1970 that he returned to Ann Arbor as an assistant professor. "WE REALLY TRY to bring in new blood," explains Benjamin Stoltz, chairman of the Slavic languages department. "But Carl was the best available at the time.'" A year later, Proffer began publishing the Triquarterly - an alter- native to existing journals which Prof- fer calls "extremely boring." The Proffers have returned to the Soviet Union a dozen times since their first visit to acquire Russian literature which they print and eventually sneak back into Russia. "ORIGINALLY the notion was to bring Russian culture to America. but the reverse is probably much more im- !s Spurs portant - bringing Russian culture to Russia." ' The Proffers' business, Ardis Publications, puts out about 50 books a year. Among the works Ardis has published are volumes of Mandlestam's poetry, Sasha Sokolov's "A School for Fools," and reprints of almost everything written by Vladmir Nabokov. The firm is located on the bottom floor of the Proffers' spacious home where tyepsetting and composing machines whir through the night prin- ting manuscripts that might never be published if it wasn't for Ardis. "ANYBODY WHO knows anything about literature in Moscow or Leningrad knows about Ardis Press. People who have emigrated tell us that they have seen our materials," Proffer says. Proffer is evasive when asked how the manuscripts are spirited out of the Soviet Union then smuggled back in. "That's a secret," he says with a chuckle. But Proffer is candid about the Soviet government's criticism of his efforts. "THERE IS no doubt that they 'of- ficially' feel we're working against the Soviet Union. But Soviet officials are schizophrenic about that. Some of them are secretly interested in our books and must publicly say something that con- forms to party lines," he says. Since 1981, however, neither Proffer or his wife have been able to obtain visas to the Soviet Union. "We've been attacked in the press there pretty regularly," he says. "Always things with incredible lies. And they assume we're supported or on prof directed by the CIA." To the Soviet people, however, the Proffers are heroes. "It would be modest to say we're not heroes," he ex- plains. "It's partly because we do (make literature available and publish new material), but mostly because we aren't Russian. They question us like 'You're an atheist, why are you giving us bibles.' " Although Proffer is still a member of the University's Slavic languages department, he hasn't taught since the summer of 1982 due to an illness. But Proffer plans to return next term to teach two courses in Russian literature and spread his passion, "Russian madness." Dormitory re uldtons aren 't aluway enforced (Continued from Page 1) to privacy. But some rules, like the ones mentioned above, are so rarely enfor- ced that many students don't know they exist. WITH YOUR PLANS for an intimate evening shot down, perhaps you'll resort to making popcorn. That's O.K., but make sure you've got a hot air pop- per - the ones that use oil are con- sidered to be a fire hazard. Sun lamps, electric blankets, hot plates, and coffee makers (yes, you'll have to use instant for those all-nighters) could all be con- fiscated and impounded, according to the handbook. Want a little music to liven up the evening? Everybody knows you could blast out fellow residents with AC-DC until the walls begin to crumble, but housing policy dictates that "radios, record players, and sound systems are never to be played loudly or so as to disturb others." If you decide to risk the wrath of housing officials by inviting your guest for an overnight stay, most dorms per- mit you to have your fun on a waterbed. But don't do anything on a "water- chair" - the current designs are apt to break, according to the handbook, and are not allowed in dorm rooms. YOU CAN FORGET about an over- night stay for your flame (or for any guest, for that matter) if it's finals week or study days, however. Residents must obtain special permission tolet visitors stay in their rooms when the pressures of exams hit, according to the rules. If none of this gets in the way of your evening and you need to stock up for breakfast in bed the next day, just make sure everything will fit into a two- cubic-foot refrigerator, and see that you use "reasonable standards of sanitation and safety" if you want to comply with housing rules. Obviously, housing officials can't en- force all of these rules, since they would have to go undercover to enforce many of them. According to housing associate director John Finn, housing officials didn't intend to strictly enforce some of these rules, but have left it to students to watch out for their own safety. "The rules are there for studentsand it is up to them to abide by them," Finn said. Other rules are much more rigidly enforced, such as the sanctions against illegal drugs. "People have and will continue to be evicted for the use and possession of illegal drugs, although the University's main concern is with drug trafficking," said assistant housing director Dave Foulke. With all these little-known and seldom-enforced rules blocking the way to an intimate evening, you may decide to cancel your rendezvous and do your laundry instead. But remember to shut the door and pull the drapes - irons are off limits, too. IN BRIEF . Compiled from Associated Press and United Press International reports Chrysler has partial accord TWINSBURG, Ohio - Union officials said a tentative settlement was reached Saturday in the fifth day of a strike by 3,200 Chrysler Corp. workers that idled 20,000 other employees nationwide and threatened the company's new prosperity. The agreement came at 5 p.m. after a bargaining session stretching over 34 hours, said Warren Davis, a regional director of the United Auto Workers. "This represents a victory for the members of Local 121," Davis told reporters. Company negotiators were not present when the union agreement was announced and were not available for immediate comment. Davis would not give details of the, settlement, saying it would be ex- plained to the membership at a ratification meeting this morning. If workers ratify it, they will be urged to return to work on the midnight shift today. Workers at Chrysler's Twinsburg stamping plant walked out Tuesday alleging forced overtime and poor working conditions. Because the parts made at the plant are crucial to auto production, other plants in four states and Canada shut down in a chain reaction. Soviets tow sub from U.S. waters WASHINGTON - A Soviet tugboat reached a Soviet attack submarine stranded 500 miles off the South Carolina coast yesterday to make repairs or. tow the crippled vessel back to Cuba, Navy spokesmen said. The spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. Hank Neuhart also said a U.S. frigate on "anti- submarine exercises" lost a sonar tracking device and portion of the cable towing it Monday in the area where the Victor III nuclear-powered sub- marine became disabled. The surfaced submarine was spotted by a Navy patrol plane Wednesday. the spokesmen said the Soviet salvage tugboat reached the area from Cuba yesterday. They said the Aldan is capable of towing the 6,000-ton sub- marine, capable of carrying nuclear weapons and a crew of 90, back to the Soviet naval base in Cuba. "At the present time we can only speculate on what occurred with the Mc- Cloy," Neuhart said. Andropov rumored ailing, fails to attend Moscow gala MOSCOW - Soviet President Yuri Andropov failed to attend a nationally televised Kremlin gathering yesterday at the start of the country's biggest holiday, increasing speculation about his health. The 69-year-old Soviet leader has not made a public appearance since Aug. 18. He has been reported suffering from kidney, heart and other ailments, and is said to have given up plans to receive visitors in the Kremlin since then. His absence from a meeting to inaugurate a three-day' celebration honoring the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution was considered highly unusual. At- tendance is traditional and expected. Foreign diplomats said they assumed Andropov would have attended the speechmaking and concerts in the Kremlin's Palace of Congresses unless he was incapacitated. Government spokesman Leonid Zamyatin said after the Saturday ceremony that Andropov was absent because he had a cold, which he described as "not serious." Panel plans Medicare salvage WASHINGTON - A government'advisory committee is recommending that Congress raise the age of eligibility for Medicare benefits to 67 and in- crease premiums paid by beneficiaries to save the health care program for the elderly from bankruptcy. Those proposals are part of a package designed to produce $300 billion in revenue over the next decade, according to Thomas Burke, executive direc- tor of the 13-member panel. Burke said yesterday that the package is expec- ted to be submitted soon to Congress by Health and Human Services SoeitaryMargaretHeckler. The panel, headed by former Indiana Gov. Otis Bowen, also called on Congress to boost Medicare revenue by increasing federal taxes on alcohol and tobacco, raising insurance deductibles patients must pay, and taxing some private health insurance benefits employers provide for workers. Each recommendation was approved separately in a recorded vote Friday. "What we're saying to Congress is 'Look, now the Medicare program is projected to go belly-up in 1989 or 1990, here's the agenda that will put you over the hurdle." Burke said that because the system's projected bankruptcy is several years away and a presidential election will take place in 1984, he doesn't ex- pect congressional action in the next year. Hillside Strangler convicted LOS ANGELES - Angelo Buono Jr. was convicted yesterday of the second of 10 Hillside Strangler sex slayings, a ruling that could bring him the death penalty for the killings that terrorized Southern California six years ago. The Superior Court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Judith Miller, a 15-year-old runaway-turned-prostitute. The same jury earlier in the week convicted him of one of the other slayings but acquit- ted him of another. The seven-woman, five-man jury reached a verdict afterdeliberating onl 20 minutes. The sequestered panel then returned to ponder Buono's suspec- ted involvement in the seven unresolved slayings. District Attorney Robert Philibosian said in a written statement that he belived the jury would send Buono to death row. The 10 victims, who ranged in age from 12 to 28, were found dumped on hillsides throughout the city. Most had been raped, tortured and strangled before their bodies were discarded on isolated hillsides in Los Angeles and suburban Glendale during the winter of 1977-78. Sunday, November 6, 1983 Vol. XCI V-No. 53 (ISSN 0745-967X) The Michigan Daily is edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan. Published daily Tuesday through Sunday mornings during the University year at 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109. Sub- scription rates: $15.50 September through April (2 semesters); $19.50 by mail outside Ann Arbor. Summer session published Tuesday through Satur- day mornings. Subscription rates: $8 in Ann Arbor; $10 by mail outside Ann Arbor. Second class postage paid at Ann Arbor, Michigan. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE MICHIGAN DAILY, 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. The Michigan Daily is a member of the Associated Press and subscribes to United Press International, Pacific News Service, Los Angeles Times Syn- dicate and Field Enterprises Newspaper Syndicate. News room (313) 764-0552, 76-DAILY; Sports desk, 763-0376; Circulation, 764-0558; Classified Advertising, 764-0557; Display Advertising, 764-0554; Billing, 764-0550. Tom Ehr, Joe Ewing, Chris Harrison, Paul Helgren, Editor-in-chief.....................BARRY WITT Steve Hunter, Tom Keoney, Ted Lerner, Doug Levy. Managing Editor..................... JANET RAE Tim Makinen, Adorn Martin, Mike McGraw, Scott News Editor ..................... GEORGE ADAMS McKinlay, BarbMcQuade. Lisa Noferi, Phil Nussel, Rob Student Affairs Editor .................. BETH ALLEN Pollard, Mike Redstone, Scott Solowich. Paula Schip- Features Editor ...............FANNIE WEINSTEIN per. Randy SchwartzRich WeidisSteve Wise, Andrea Opinion Page Editors ................ DAVID SPAK Wolt. BILL SPINDLE Business Manager........... SAM G. SLAUGHTER IV Arts/Magazine Editors ............. MARE HODGESs Soles Manager........ ......... MEG GIBSON SUSAN MAKUCH Operations Monoger...........LAURIE ICZKOVITZ Associate Arts Editor ................ JAMES BOYD Classified Manager ................. PAM GILLERY Sports Editor ........................JOHN KERR Display Manager .... JEFF VOIGT Associate Sports Editors ............JIM DWORMAN Finance Manager .. . JOE TRULIK LARRY FREED Nationals Manlager .................. RON WEINER CHUCK JAFFE Co-op Manager................DENA SHEVZOFF LARRY MISHKIN Assistant Display Manager......... NANCY GUSSIN RON POLLACK Assistant Classif iyd Manager........ LINDA KAFTAN Chief Photographer..............DEBORAH LEWIS Assistant Soles Manager.........JULIE SCHNEIDER NEWS STAFF: Jerry Aliotto, Cheryl Boacke, Sue Bar- Assistant Operations Manager. TACEY FALLEK to, Jody Becker, Neil Chase, Stephanie DeGroote, Sales Coordinator................STEVE MATHER Laurie DeLoter, Marcy Fleisher, Rob Frank, Jeanette Circulation Supervisor ................ TIM BENNETT 11 4 Uof MISOFBl 4, IT IT Help U of M defeat Ohio State in the Annual Blood Donor Battle Join the Michigan team and donate blood: November 7--Bursley Hall 3-9 p.m. November 8--Couzens Hall 1-7 p.m. November 9--East Quad 1-7 p.m. 4 4 E u III H /11 t.,w