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MICH.ELLANY
A meter-beast! Quick! Start the car!
INTERVIEW
Anne Herrmann
English prof. explores literary treatments
of women, gays and transsexuals
Anne Herrmann is a profesor of English specializing in women and
literature. She taught a senior seminar this semester in Women's studies
called Transvestitism and Transexualism and Cultural Experiences. She
was interviewed by assistant Weekend Editor Rebecca Cox.
Daily: What do you talk about in your class this semester?
Herrmann: The idea was to think on some level more abstractly with
concrete cases about the construction of gender, and I think one thing that
has come up is that the difference simply between sex and gender is sort
of a minimal one... that the further differentiation would be gender
identity which has to do with transsexualism, people feel that they're
something other than what their body defines them as.
D: What motivates that feeling that you're not in the right body?
H: Partly I think that it often begins with cross-dressing as an adult and
then moves on to a greater sense of need to change one's sex. For
instance, just recently we saw the TV movie The Second Serve, which is
a film of the Renee Richards story. Which is very succesful in the end.
D: Do you think women writers are trying to redefine what a woman is?
H: They are writing for a more egalitarian role in society and I think,
depending on how feminst or political they are, they're thinking about a
role that is outside of what we traditionally call feminine or masculine.
D: Do you think feminism has had a large impact on these writers?
H: I think so, definitely.
D: Are other sexually oriented novels, such as romance novels, termed
women's literature?
H: It's interesting that someone from the New York Times took a
survey about a year or two ago, and found that women were still largely
reading romance fiction even on college campuses.
D: What does that say about how women feel about themselves?
H: I think in a way it says that on one level of consciousness nothing
much is changed, romance still seems most compelling to women.
It's partly an escape, and also a part of the socialization process. But I
also think that on some level, that kind of fiction hasn't really
disappeared, it has just been undervalued, since other kinds of fiction have
become experimental and you have to be taught how to read it.
D: Are the women in romance novels good role models?
H: My main concern is that with so much focus on romance the
socialization process for women still has to do with how to behave
properly in a hetoerosexual relationship, rather than thinking about
becoming an active agent in the world. It still has to do with a single
man. So things like being a politically active person, or even being an
active person in the workforce gets undermined so that romance becomes
the absolute main focus and function of a woman.
See INTERVIEW, Page 9
I DON'T PLAN on getting
married for many years, but already,
I am fairly certain that I will not
spend the rest of my life living
with certain types of people. I have
ruled out smokers, Reaganites,
anyone who wears as much or more
make-up than Tammy Faye Bakker,
and above all, meter-readers.
I must congratulate the Ann
Arbor Parking Batallion on their
efficiency. I personally have re-
turned to my meter five minutes
too late, to discover a ticket written
a split-second after the meter ex-
pired by a meter-reader who had
subsequently vanished. I wish this
S.W.A.T.-team-like efficiency upon
all city departments.
Expired meter tickets are terrific
because they encourage you to
tempt fate. The city offers people
who just miss the expiration a
substantial discount on their fines if
they rush down to City Hall to pay
the fine within two hours of the
violation. Many, many people take
the City up on this offer, later
finding themselves at the gateway
to a living hell.
They drive downtown only to
discover that every stretch of
available asphalt around City Hall
OFF THE WALL
This week, a sampling of romance-
oriented graffiti from the Graduate
Library:
Goddammit, Amy, I love you!
(in reply)
Tell her, not us!
MOUTHS ARE NOT CONSID -
ERED SEX ORGANS.
Who said?
LOOK IT UP IN AN ANATOMY
BOOK.
Mike M. -
Forget her - I love you!
I LOVE YOU, KATHY
You just think you do, Dave!
WHO IS DAVE? DAMN YOU,
KATHY -DOUG
Who is Kathy? Damn you, Doug!
-Jenny
I JUST GOT LAID THE OTHER
DAY.
(in reply)
Is that why you look like an egg?
Whatever happened to "saving it"
for one's wedding night?
(in reply)
"It?" Afraid to write "virginity"?
Over 50 percent of teenagers by the
age of 18 have lost it.
Lost what?
Their mittens, you cretin!
comes with its own parking meter.
First, the errant drivers get to wait
several minutes for a space to open
up. Then, they get to feed the
meter. They go inside, wait five
minutes to pay their fine, go to the
bathroom, return to their cars, and
discover that they slightly mis-
gauged how much feed the meter
would need, and the whole ritual is
repeated ad infinitum.
And if things weren't bad
enough already, Ann Arbor has
demonstrated an affinity for being
on the very edge of hi-tech meter
developments. Of course, the super-
powered gizmos don't help cus-
tomers any.
The Tally Hall parking lot was
free for a while. Now you drive in
and find signs which warn you to
remember your parking spot num-
ber, and head for one of the
conveniently located machines. You
mumble the number to yourself,
forgetting it just as you reach the
twisted cousin of a redi-teller. So
you jog back, get the number
again, and punch it into this
ancestor of HAL 9000 (of 2001
fame). Then you punch quarters
into the change-gobbler. It spits out
a receipt, your proof-of-purchase.
I'm sure there's a special button on
this thing which directs the meter-
cretins right to every car that's
overstayed its welcome. It probably
even encourages the meter-beasts to
stick around for a few minutes to
see if the guy driving the Volvo
makes it back in time.
State Street, between the Union
and Steve's, is lined with thuggish
machines, too. These Star Wars-
inspired updates on the standard,
mechanical meter feature both a
gray-and-black LCD readout (which
is virtually impossible to read on a
sunny day) and a frightening ability
to count backwards. If you're late
getting back to your car, they start
tallying negative minutes: "-1, -2,
-45, -367..." I don't know, but I
think how long I've been gone is
my business. And I'm always
nervous when on Monday mornings
I pump the first quarter into a meter
See LOGIE, Page 9
MUSIC
Three top country voices take some risks wi
Dolly Parton, Linda Companion" and one of Trio's two Sheila E. drew you near to me... Too young
bids for a hit, "To Know Him Is To to know better, too old to refuse...
Ronstadt, and Love Him." The Phil Spector Sheila E. (Paisley Park I Warner Should we pass or should we
Emmylou Harris classic never sounded so sweet and Bros.) play... You better look twice,
Trio(WarnerBros.) swoony, and David Lindley's there's someone under her dress...
Hawaiian guitar gives the dreamy Several cuts on this epinymous It's just that I'm so curious... I'll
What a coup: teaming three of ballad a surprising tangy twang. LP are mired in (almost) cliched
country's most distinctive voices Ronstadt handles the other Prince production antics. Well,
for one album. Dolly Parton, the possible single, a powerhouse there are worse places to be. When
Queen of Country Crossover; Linda version of Linda Thompson and this album is at its best, though, it
Ronstadt, who left the country Betsy Cook's "Telling Me Lies," in really smokes.
scene some ten years ago to sing which her typically understated There are plenty of upbeat dance
everything from Gilbert and vocal builds slowly in intensity. grooves but the ballad-like "Hold
Sullivan to Elvis Costello; Em - When Parton and Harris jo n her on Me" is likely to command your
mylou Harris, who has remained the gorgeous chorus, the result is attention. "Boy's Club" is sexy fun
true to the down-home sound. It worthy of awe. Similar magic is that reminds me how much I
might sound like a slick way to sell worked on the hertwrenching I ve laughed at (and loved) the first
a record; thankfully, the record Enough, one of Kate Vanity 6 album.
sounds neither slick nor contrived. McGarrigles saddest and prettiest
While the campy retouched songs, which Ronstadt interprets "Hon E Man" is a dose of
photo on the cover and the enclosed with sensitivity, serious eighties funk with an
paper dolls might suggest a sly In an era when recycled enter - ecstatic horn section. Tie these
send-up, Trio is in fact a heartfelt tainment prevails and so many LPs guys down!
ode to the kind of traditional sound are simply slight variations on past
that's largely missing from the successes, it's refreshing to see Are you wondering if the album
contemporary country music mar- three established stars taking a bit is as sexy as its cover photo of
ket. The packaging may be a joke of a gamble. If Trio does not pay sultry Sheila might indicate? Well,
but it quickly becomes obvious tha' off at the sales counter, it won't be check out these single lines from
these ladies take their music very for lack of quality, but rather the the selection of songs:
seriously. The largely acoustic unwillingness of buyers to take a
backing given such country classics chance themselves. "I'm gonna turn you on (hot)... I
as "Rosewood Casket" and "Farther Rest assured, Trio is a safe bet. gave you the key to my virginity...
Along," as well as such a James Sanford I'm captured by my senses... And
charmingly offbeat selection as the
Depression-era "Hobo's Medita - des 9
tion," is not only beautiful and " g Eand H+ET 'nac
inspired, it's brave too, at a time'
when nearly everyone is electric. Complete
As with Dan Fogelberg's sur - a Contac
prising bluegrass LP High Country -
Snows a couple years ago, youSCruvenC
spend the first few playings of theaft
album waiting for the producer to plt
step in and gloss everything up to A UAC MUSKET PRESENTATION a Contact
met the demands commercia
disc, Trio is largely free of con -
cessions. This is a straightforward
country record, movingly sung.
When these three voices blend
toges, t he whole is much greater
than the sum of its parts - which MusicyRichard Rogers
is considerably potent in itself. 0
While there are some exceptionsarneesize pas'
along the way, Parton generally odS
takes the high end, while Ronstadt 'Icud nyadiiimtedtm*ot
handles the low, and Harris' light s nge oed hsi
vibrato nestles comfortably inh m
between her more dramatic friends.
"The Pain of Loving You," which Book, yOscar Hammerstein 2
opens the LP, and "FartherAlong," OPTOM
the closer, showcase the group
hamnewhile the rest of the eye c
tracks tend to spotlight a particular
member of the trio with the other ARBORLAND CO
two lending support.973-7
Parton takes the lead on the
lovely "Rosewood Casket," "Mak -April 2,3 8:00p April 4 2:00 & 8:0 0
ing Plans" (a hit for her as a duet
with Porter Wagoner) and her self- POWERC TE $,5
penned "Wildflowers." Harris gets
to carry the plaintive "My dear Frmore info,c' 763-1107
PRINT FROM THE PAST
DAILY FILE PHOTO
September 13, 1972: Students chat with city police officers on the Diag.
THE DAILY ALMANAC
15 years ago - April 1,
1972: "Cops stand by as kids get
high," read the headline. It was the
first annual "Hash Festival" (known
in subsequent years as the "Hash
Bash"). Despite freezing tempera -
tures, intermittent snow showers,
and the possibility of arrest, some
500 hardy pot-smokers gathered in
the Diag for the event, which
coincided with the effective date of
Michigan's new marijuana law
lowering the penalty for possession
to a misdemeanor. A small, "poorly
disguised" police presence simply
observed the proceedings.
"The Hash Festival should be -
come an annual affair," one organi -
zer said, "and we hope to see every -
body out here again next year."
"Next year?" another answered.
"What's wrong with tomorrow?"
-,PA~GE 81 'EEDARL, 8
~WEEKE D/APRUL,i98F