ARTS Thursday, January 8, 1987 The Michigan Daily Pate:7 __ _ Alumnus Judy Lopatin courts success By Lisa Magnino University of Michigan graduate f Judy Lopatin's first attempt at publishing her writing occurred when she was ten and sent a manuscript to Viking Press. She remembers, "I received a rejection letter, but it was encouraging, the kind you would send to a ten-year old." From this early start, she continued writing and has published short stories in literary magazines such as The Mississippi Review, Benzene, Zone, and Diana's Alma - nac. Lopatin recently released her first collection of short stories entitled Modern Romances. It has. garnered consistently good reviews, and Lopatin has been recognized as a young writer of extremely strong promise. Lopatin was born in Detroit and came to the University of Michigan to study English. She was espe - cially interested in creative writing and took several courses but admits, "I never did win a Hopwood." However, she did publish stories in Generations, a student magazine, and wrote film reviews for The Michigan Daily. Lopatin was an excellent student, graduating in 1976 with a cumulative grade point average of 3.96, but she was also a regular at the Village Bell, a now- defunct bar. Ten days after graduation, Lopa - tin moved to New York City where she worked for a year before attending Columbia to earn her M.F.A. Lopatin believes Colum - bia strengthened her writing because "the other students wrote tradi - tionally, while I was very untra - ditional. I worked to show off this difference, my individuality." Out - side of school, her time spent at CBGB'S, then the main source for punk music and culture, influenced her writing. In 1980, she lived in France for several months, where she gathered more ideas. These background sources and influences culminated in Modern Romances, a collection of seven - teen short works. Lopatin offers her idea of modern romance in the first sketch. "That is the fun of modern romance, nothing can ever be a terrible mistake, so over and over again you can look over your shoulder and see the arms of your past, see them encircle your waist with comfort so cold you don't feel a thing." Obviously, Lopatin's conception of romance includes more than the conventional love story. As Lopa - tin stated, "I wanted to give a much broader interpretation of romance involving the supernatural and adventure, generally thought of as the medieval form, but in a modern context." "Krystal Goes Mystical," in which Lopatin uses the super - natural element of romance, explores this broader meaning. Krystal, an ordinary young woman, shares a traditional relationship with her fiancee, Nathan. However, she tells him, "I have the feeling we're both facing something dark and mysterious, some force beyond our control." Even within a com- mon love story lies another, more eerie dimension. Lopatin hopes this alteration of traditional romance causes readers "to play on their expectations, to lead them to question what is normal and what is not normal and to ask what epitomizes normality." To bring this question to the forefront, Lopatin places these stor - ies in a modern context. Involving cult figures such as Jean Cocteau, the filmmaker, Viviane Romance, a French film star of the 1940's, Weegee, the famous photojour - nalist, and Joe Dassin, another University of Michigan graduate who became a famous singer in. France, Lopatin provides a basis in the twentieth century. To further involve modern culture, she describes brutal forms of relationships. In the first sketch, "Modern Romances," Lopatin por - trays Lucie, a new wave singer and"" guitarist and her string of sado- masochistic love affairs. Another similar sketch is "Dominica," the main character of which, as Lopatin explains, "beats men for a living,' Lopatin hopes that, through her use of this modern context, "The reader will look for romance where he doesn't think there would be any."w Overall, Lopatin has success- fully combined conventional romantic elements with modern characters and relationships to create an interesting if somewhat cynical study of modern society. This slightly askew view is what Lo patin hoped to achieve. She explains, "If it makes people think. and wonder about preconceived notions, that's good." There is little doubt that Modern Romances does just that. Modern Romances, published by Fiction Collective, is available in- area bookstores for $7.95, paperback Author Lopatin: "The reader will look for romance where he doesn't think there will be any." Kll Records Bob James Obsession Warner Bros. Bob James, one of many fine musicians found by Quincy Jones, has been on the jazz scene since 1962. He's made thirteen albums, Obsession his latest, and worked in collaboration with such artists as Ron Carter, Grover Washington, Jr., Paul Simon, David Sanborn, and many other highly talented musicians and writers. In addition, he was named, "Jazz Producer of the Decade" for the seventies and "Number One Jazz Artist of the Year" by Cashbox . Unfortunately though, he's probably known to most as the composer of the music for the now defunct television series Taxi. :4 song on that side, and the only one on the album with any lead vocals, sung by Lisa Fischer. Like, the five songs that follow, it has an easy feel to it. It's very smooth. It also features a crisp guitar solo by Steve Khan. Perhaps the best song of all is the one immediately following "Hollywood," entitled "3 A.M." James's keyboards are polished and his backup, including the Brecker brothers, Michael on sax and Randy on trumpet, sparkles.. The second side is more con- sistent than the first, with nothing as splendid as "3 A.M." but nothing as bad as the near-travesty "Hollywood." From "Rousseau" to "Feel the Fire," the four songs seem to blend into each other. Ob- ession is not Bob James's best album, but it's a fine accom- plishment on its own, and rec- comended for everybody. -Akim D. Reinhardt Fetchin Bones Bad Pumpkin Capitol The recipe for a good emerging young pop band: 1) Take five talented, original players from North Carolina (they can be from anywhere, but the South is in these days, right?). 2) Let 'em record their debut LP on a small but fairly respectable independent label (DB).. 3) Watch the record earn good marks on the college radio charts. 4) Impress a major record label (Capitol), and release second album on major label, continuing to record good music which can benefit from a bigger recording budget. If you heard Cabin Flounder, that debut album in question, then you've heard the Fetchin Bones trademark: quirky guitar-laden sync- opation marched by the equally unique punctuation of lead vocalist (wailer) Hope Nicholls. Flounder was a fresh blast from some bright newcomers whose songwriting offered thickly outlined pictures as seen through their small, selective windows of life. Bad Pumkin, the band's new record, is a little warmer and "bigger" than that debut, and it takes all of their high-strung energy and channels it into a slightly more refined groove. Fetchin Bones's humor con- tinues to shine through, as on the country romp of "Bed of Seems," and they kick up a storm on "Greensburg." But while the band's wonderful spontaneity is preserved, as on "Leaning on the Horn"- which wraps a fuzzy guitar line and Nicholls' shriek over a businesslike acoustic guitar - they've gotten less raw as a whole, experimenting with their new recording studio freedom. "Little Red Lines" lets the band take a slightly psychedelic turn, with spacey guitar lines and guitarists Gary White and Aaron Pitkin singing along in back like dreamy addicts. And the band does their version of rap on the sparse but fueled "Wine." All in all, this disc is as colorful as the band's clothes, which resemble something found in an old "Partridge Family" wardrobe unit. 5) Hope this new record sells. - Beth Fertig The Grapes of Wrath September Bowl of Green Capitol This Canadian trio writes some very pretty, acoustic guitar-based melodies which are at times rem- iniscent of the Cure or a dehydrated Echo. They get indulgent with their fine instrumental breaks, which of- fer a nice counterbalance to Kevin. Kane's often whiney lead vocals. The Grapes's song writing isZ kind of fragmented, but pleasantly: so. The effect places them in that: huge conglomerate of "pseudo- intellectual-pretty-sounding-guitar- k pop-bands for thecollege audience"' (aka R.E.M. spinoffs) - but we're' all suckers for it when it's wellt done. September Bowl of Green is a quiet album; its main flaw is its^ lack of excitement. But from thee, stealthy strut of "Breaks My Heart'! to the gorgeous strumming of* See RECORDS, Page 8 mmmm§W- Look 0- IIMIML- . I into the - -- rested in writing about film, theat music, books or dance? JOIN THE DAILY'S ARTS STAFF James's latest--a mixed success Obsession -is a mostly instru- mental venture, combining vintage James keyboard compositions and high-tech wizardry. The net result is six solid jazz tunes and one watered- down song of the pop/jazz variety. As a matter of fact, that, the only blemish on the album is the very first track and the title song. It R sags, is repetitious, and almost sounds like it belongs on some Madonna-infested pop station, not any self-respecting jazz station. But thanks to its placement you don't need a C.D. player to skip over it without getting up from your lay-z-boy. Simply start with "Gone Hollywood," the second Inte zter, The University of Michigan Career Planning & Placement 1 ON-CAMPUS RECRUITMENT PROGRAM AN INTERNSHIP IN LONDON - in the Spring, Summer or Fall Quarter could help your career prospects 1987 dates:- Spring - April 13-June 21 Summer - June 1-Aug 9 Fall - Sept 7-Dec 13 MASS MEETINGS JANUARY JANUARY JANUARY 8 14 22 - 4:10 pm. - 4:10 pm. - 4:30 pm. All Meetings in: MLB - Auditorium 4 U. f 1 5 tmd,. .4...-U, . A LMU ...,+..a.aaaa J )a+... r . t I...I:J_.. I wI_ .L