$I r ARTS The Michigan Daily; Wednesday, October 3, 1990 Page 9 -t ,mwI Canin : not coke, The Last Show was better but the real thing by Carolyn Pajor Texasville dir. Peter. Bogdanovich 1 - N - - JF .. . -B-. The truth is that Ethan Canin does not really consider himself a writer. Others would definitely disagree. When Canin visited the University last year, English Professor Nick Delbanco introduced him with a quote from writer Cyril Connolly, "Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first call promising," and gave him the podium saying, "Ethan is a promise delivered... this is the real thing." Still, Canin says, "When I stop feeling that at the end of each story - no, at the end of each page - that this is going to be the last thing I'll ever write, then I'll think I'm a writer." These are modest words from an accomplished man. Not yet 28, Canin's first short story col- lection, Emperor of the Air, was published to much critical ac- claim and popular success. Now 30, he has almost finished medi- cal school, is wrapping up a novel and currently teaches cre- ative writing here. Canin's admir- ers are a diverse lot: not only did his short stories appear in Best American Short Stories of 1985 and again in 1986, but he was also featured in Mademoiselle in an article about hunks who write. Has publicity changed him? "People began listening to me at parties," he says. "But once the publicity fades away, it really makes. you more doubtful - it is the difference between height and the reality of having to write. At- tention like that is like cocaine - the more you have, the more you need." But Canin likes the rush: he plans on going into emergency room medicine. "It has all the things I like," he says. "You meet people, you get to be the r hero, you know when your shift is over. I like the adrenaline, I'm an adrenaline junkie." Even though he may like pressure in the emergency room, Canin defi- nitely feels the pressure to pro- by Brent Edwards The Last Picture Show was released in 1971 and starred the then- unknown Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shep- herd, Timothy Bottoms and Randy Quaid. It established the careers of not only these actors but also the di- rector Peter Bogdanovich, whose stark vision created a ghost town which these actors haunted. Bog- danovich followed with more hits in the '70s, including Paper Moon and What's Up, Doc?, but his career came to a halt after the murder of his fiancee Dorothy Stratton in 1981. Texasville is a sequel to The Last Picture Show and Bogdanovich has reassembled the old cast in an at- tempt to re-launch his flagging ca- reer. The story takes place 30 years af- ter the events in Picture Show. All of the characters have grown up. In- stead of teenagers experiencing the death of their innocence, they're middle-aged adults experiencing fi- nancial collapse. Picture Show 's black and white accentuated the hopelessness of the town and its people; Texasville is in color, its more humorous tone showing that the people have grown out of hope- lessness. They now grapple with canin duce a novel as good as Emperor. "Everything that doesn't kill me will make me stronger," he con- cedes. Writing, teaching, being a doctor: Ethan, what else do you do? "I play basketball... I love softball," he says. "In fact, I'm looking to play on a softball team. Will you put that in the ar- ticle? Anyone who knows any- thing can contact the English de- partment." Ask Canin how he writes a story and he'll tell you the pro- cess is ineffable. "I'll start with anything - a character, a plot, a line. But the closer I am to figur- ing it out, the farther away I actu- ally am." His advice: "Write what is true, not what is likeable." Canin's last words on his writing is that he hopes he "can keep this up." His many followers - this one and those at Mademoiselle included - believe that he can. ETHAN CANIN will be reading today at Rackham Amphitheatre at 4 p.m. Karla (Annie Potts) checks that Jacy (Cybill Shepard) isn't wearing the same earrings as her in Texasville. family troubles and find solace in sexual promiscuity. Only Sonny Crawford (Timothy Bottoms) seems lost in the past, looking at the sky, and thinking he's watching a movie. He makes the audience wish we were watching the movie with him - The Last Picture Show. Nothing in the film really grabs the audience's attention or heart. Jacy Farrow (Cybill Shepherd) has returned to town 30 years after she left to become a movie star. Her high school sweetheart Duane Jack- son (Jeff Bridges) is now $12 mil- lion in debt. has a troubled marriage and brats for kids. Bridges is one of the film's few saving graces. As the swaggering cowboy Mvo's lived in that small town for far too long, he captures some of the audience's compassion, as does Annie Potts as his temperamental wife Karla. The See TEXAS, page 11 HE DOESN'T WRITE FOR ARTS. You can. Call 763-0379. " Wide Selection of Fashion Eyewear C for Men, Women, * ' & Children f. " Your Prescription Filled *Opticali and Sun4g(asses 123 E. LIBERTY at FOURTH AVE. On the Corner ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 48107 t 662-6552 Don't Get Sacked at the Kickoff...TW Check out the MCRS A '* ' Fall lineupl! :PA Some of the Key Players: # W VW, Am,* 4444 Amw ; - .4- "= Join the Daily Arts staff .. Look for announcements about our general meeting. work here: The Wall Street Journal The New York Times The Washington Post The Detroit Free Press The Detroit News NBC Sports Associated Press United Press International Scientific American Time Newsweek Sports Illustrated USA Today Because they worked here: 11 11 TURBO XT $1,155! 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