Wednesday November 13, 2002 michigandaily.com/arts mae@michigandaily.com RgkTSmof 5 Author Fulton discusses 'More Than Enough By Marie Bernard Daily Arts Writer It is easy, if not natural, to compare John Fulton to J.D Salinger. Fulton does, after all, often write about adolescents - intelligent, wry, insightful adolescents - and he does so convincingly. Fulton's young narra- tors are genuine, caught in the crossfire of Raymond Carver-esque family conflict, and they give the same infallibility to a young voice that Salinger so aptly achieved decades ago. But much of Fulton's universe is one untrodden by Holden Caulfield. It is not the city or prep school - it is a world where kids dream of gro- cery shopping without coupons, where father is angry at his ex-wife for choosing his son's braces over the prized Mercedes, where a road trip to Montana with a reckless mother ends up in an erratic roadside crime. And Ful- ton's landscape is the American West - often Utah, where Fulton grew up. The landscape's vastness lends itself nicely to his remarkable stories of the conflict and emptiness of everyday people. Fulton, a graduate of the University M.F.A. program and current University professor, will be reading tomor- row night in Davidson Hall. He has published two books - "Retribution," his debut short story collection and "More than Enough," a novel. "What's compelling about the figures that I write about who are torn between mothers and fathers and this side and that side," Fulton told The Michigan Daily, "is that there is still some innocence looking on corrup- tion, and trying to figure out: How can I act in a way whereI can still feel good? And the answer often is:I can't. The dilemma of that situation is interesting to me." "More than Enough" is the story of Steven, a 15-year- old who is beat up by Mormon kids almost immediately upon moving to Salt Lake City with his family. When the Parkers receive a settlement from the accident, the upper-class life they always dreamed of seems within their reach. Before long, the money is gone and the JOHN familial conflict unearths itself - his sis- D1270 D ter Jenny wants to be Mormon and popu- lar; his mother is convinced it's time to Tomorro leave her unemployed husband. The family affirms its quiet agony upon Steven, and the result is a sharp and sensitive narrator that leads the story deftly through its honest realism. "The conflict of religion is a really interesting one, and I feel like characters dealing with it are more real. Salt Lake is a great stage for that," Fulton said. "One of the things that the novel is interested in is belief, and Michigan Pops offer alternative to redundant orchestra shows I Than Eno '., By Jim Schiff Daily Arts Writer i '~'John x t:; g; . conviction - to what the world is just what it is, and to what degree to which a belief in something can make the world more than it is." "Retribution," the award-winning and masterful col- lection that established Fulton as a new literary voice, is a stunning (and necessary) read. He released "More than Enough" only a year later, and has just completed The University is known for its wealth of classical music ensem- bles. From the Campus Philharmo- nia to the dozens of international orchestras that visit Ann Arbor every year, students have no short- age of concerts to attend. But a different sort of orchestra is playing at the Michigan Theater tomorrow night. Putting aside Bach and Beethoven for the Beat- les and the Beach Boys, the Michi- gan Pops Orchestra promises an evening of upbeat American favorites and modern classics. Comprised of students from LSA, nursing, engineering, busi- ness and music, the 55-member MPO is the only student-run and directed orchestra on campus. The ensemble's leadership, elected each fall, is in charge of choosing and arranging music, auditioning musicians, publicizing concerts, designing program booklets and keeping strong relations with its sponsor, the University Activities Center. On top of all this responsibility is music school senior Chris Lees, the ensemble's musical director. While conducting a group of musi- cians, let alone his peers, might seem intimidating, Lees finds that the MPO is highly cooperative. "The first rehearsal I went to I was stunned by the eerie silence that happened when I first got on the podium," he said. "They are very focused in rehearsal and we get some good work done that way - there aren't issues with talking, since we have very limited rehearsal time." Speaking of time constraints, the MPO rarely has over eight weeks to pre- pare for a concert. This semester, in par- MICHIG ticular, with the con- ORCHG cert before Thanksgiving, the At Thel orchestra has had to The pull together quickly. french horn player Tomorrov and program director $5 students Nora Dunlop, an LSA U junior, felt the pres- sure on her shoulders, but finds that the MPO's work ethic carried them through. "Everyone really pulled together and went home to practice," she said. "This is a much earlier date than we've ever had, so everyone knew that it was going to take work to play pieces of this cal- iber." Tomorrow's program ranks among their most ambitious in recent memory. Performing Gersh- win's "Rhapsody in Blue," Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Billy Joel's "Lullaby," the MPO dug deep into existing pops repertoire and in some cases, arranged pieces of their own. Lees added a few lines to the Cincinnati Pops' version of "You are my A [E M eal "w r , $ JA Lucky Star" from the musical "Singin' in the Rain" and commis- sioned another student to arrange "Lullaby." The two Beatles' tunes, "A Hard Days Night" and "All My Loving" were arranged specifical- ly for Michigan Pops by a fan in California. This year, beyond performing as a full N POPS group, the MPO N OPS began supporting STRA three smaller ensem- ichigan bles. After practicing ter for only three weeks, a string quartet, at 8 p.m. woodwind quintet and 10 general brass quintet played at C Tech Day, an event held last Saturday at the Media Union for prospective engineering students. Prior to tomorrow's concert, the brass quintet will play in front of the Michigan Theater as a prelude to the performance. Dunlop, who administrates the new ensembles, finds her partici- pation in the MPO rewarding. "It's just different than any orchestra I've ever been in," she said. "Everyone is there because they want to be and that creates a light- hearted and fun atmosphere." Lees, a choral education student, echoes Dunlop's sentiments. "We're all there for the music," he said. "There's an understanding that we're going to work hard and have a lot of fun doing it and the end result will be very very cool." FULTON avidson Hall w at 5 p.m. which is the place in Ann his obligatory book tour, all the while maintaining his teaching position. "It's get on a plane in the afternoon, read in front of 10 or 15 people if you're lucky, crash at the hotel, get up at 5 a.m., catch a 6 a.m. plane, and make a 9 a.m. class," Fulton recounts; "It's terrible." He is currently working on some "very long stories, one of first I've written outside the West; it takes Arbor." "Books are beautiful things, literature is beautiful stuff. In a very humble way, I would like to be a part of that," Fulton says. "When I sit at the desk and some- thing comes out - it's this thrilling thing; it's the most exciting experience I could ask for." Ba'se ment nabs alum or show By Marie Bernard Daily Arts Writer Jeremy Leiner, a B.F.A senior, was struck by University alum Andrew Lippa's musical, "John and Jen," and he fought for a year to get funding and clearance to produce the show through Basement Arts. Lippa eagerly returned to the Frieze Building to work with the ensemble. "When I first listened to John and Jen," Leiner remembered, "I felt like my life was transformed. I had fall- en in love with a musical." The play follows Jen's life from six to 44, showing her both as a sister and as a mother. It deals with many com- pelling issues - child abuse, losing a loved one and the Vietnam War. The play is done simply, with black box fur- niture, and all costume changes take place on stage. "We're living in such crazy times right now," said Leiner. "It's somewhat eerie how the issues that seem so distant from the '50s and '60s are creeping up again in our lives" Leiner says, "I hope that this show will create a significant impact on stu- dent life and learning at the University of Michigan. "John and Jen" uses music and the arts to tell this beautiful and complex story of a sister and brother, mother and son. It is my hope that audi- ences will be inspired by this story in light of the time we are living in." Interested in the ARTS? No transportation? GET ON THE BUS! the...... sponsored by (* (tUat Michigan bus "Dirty Little Stories 2" Friday, November 15, 2002 6:30 pm. departure UM Museum of Art (525 State Street) It's back! Wetter, wittier and dirtier than before! Walk and Squawk brings back Dirty Little Stories, which features a "ballet of bullets, blondes and bourbon" about the mysteries of love and our love of mysteries, using film noir imagery and iconography to explore time, intimacy and cooking. Enjoy a discussion with performers after the show! Admission Fee: $10 to students with ID (Arts at Michigan offers a special subsidy of $10 off the $20 ticket price!) register online at: www.umich.edu/-arts For more information call 734.936.5805 or email: An office of the University of Michigan Provost's Office, Arts at Michigan promotes arts opportunities for University of Michigan undergraduates. 1220 South University, Suite 208 . Ann Arbor, Mi 48104-2585. Tel. 734.764.5123 Fax 734.998.6301 www.umich.edu/-arts ... arts@umich.edu JOHN AND JEN At the Arena Theater Tomorrow at 7 pm, Friday at 7:30 pm, 11 pm, Saturday at 7 pm. Free Basement Arts FOOD F RTrUGHT THE AFTERMATH IV 12" IV I 1q9 JOAN OSBORNE MARK KNOPFLER How Sweet It Is the Ragpicker's Dream IV 12" i S--- ,.'.4.......-. .