10 Friday January 14, 2005 arts. michigandaily.com artspage@michigandaily.com RTleSmwdan tadu 5 I Political 'Bullet' hits and misses the mark By Jo Sasota Daily Arts Writer "The Bullet's Song," by distin- guished political columnist and writer William Pfaff, is a long argu- mentative essay on the causes of war in the 20th century. The book also features profiles on several prom- inent figures involved in wars over the past 100 years. With simple obser- vations and lighter analysis The Bullet's Song: Romantic Violence and Utopia By William Pfaff Simon & Schuster than a true academic Luther King Jr. Symposium. Based on postmodern African and African American move- ment structures, Evidence reflects socially conscious themes such as racism and the collective mourn- ing of communities destroyed and reborn. Founded in 1985 by Brown, the company seeks to connect ancestral strife to current experiences of loss. This pro- found message is coupled with optimism and a commitment to public education. Ronald K. Brown/ Evidence Sunday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. $18$40 Adults $10 Student Rush At the Power Center sdCourtesy of UMS Dancers engage in physical conversation In dance company Evidence's "Walking Out the Dark." In his mission statement, Brown declares his dedication: "To share perspectives through modern dance, theater and kinetic storytelling; to offer cul- tural exchanges that develop African contemporary dance ... to discuss issues of race, class, gender and assimilation, through workshops, readings and the production of new works." "This dance thing is connected to you," Brown insists. "It is connected to your past and your pres- ent culture." In order to make dance conversational and accessible to audiences, Brown chooses move- ment phrases that are instinctive and universal - a face covered in grief or humility, a naked torso that is expansive, defiant and courageous. Communicat- ing collective experience through body language, Brown is able to reflect upon some of history's most traumatic moments, while simultaneously commu- nicating a sense of resilience and renewal. Sunday evening's performance features "Walk- ing Out the Dark," a piece in which Brown draws on the experience of "bearing witness." In this pro- vocative work, two pairs of dancers, arranged in a square formation, engage in conversation. Impulsive movements proceed in an unpredictable sequence as one dancer provokes another. A compelling score of spoken poetry, aggressive drumming and vocal har- monies add another layer to the physical dialogue. The call-and-response nature of Brown's chore- ography is derived from West African dance, with contemporary manifestations in hip-hop and club dance. Deeply rooted rhythms and pulsating bod- ies depict the social dance of the Ivory Coast and Senegal, whereas the eclectic musical selections and lighting depict the improvisational environment of the Brooklyn club scene of Brown's youth. Both evenings will feature "Upside Down," in which Brown depicts a community in mourning. The piece reflects chaos and uncertainty: A whirl- wind of fierce bodies shows the energetic possi- bilities of the company's ten dancers. The sudden loss of a community member shakes the bedrock of both the performers and viewers. Brown argues that loss and grief are inevitable, "a process that keeps one rooted." Monday night will also feature two short piec- es. "Grace" chronicles the spiritual journey to acknowledge the promises of life. Originally cho- reographed for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, this piece is set to a collection of music. by Duke Ellington, Roy Davis and Nigerian com- poser Fela Kuti. Brown's final selection, "Come Ye," references revolutionaries and their pursuit of freedom. Brown raises the question, "To what extent are we to pick up the weapons of revolution- aries and continue their mission?" In reference to performing these pieces during the MLK symposium, Brown notes, "We need this opportunity to celebrate, to liberate each other ... Our connection is essential." He hopes audiences will gain "a feeling of empowerment and the desire to become one's highest self." Ronald Brown will also be featured in another symposium and artist interview, "African Roots in American Modern Dance," at the University Department of Dance Betty Pease Studio on Mon- day from 1 to 4:30 p.m. work, Pfaff's book is hampered by several flaws that prevent it from being truly compelling. "The Bullet's Song" is hopelessly marred by Pfaff's argument, which asserts that World Wars I and II were started and sustained by devo- tion to utopian visions of man. While emotionally moving, the argument is not rationally compelling, Pfaff would have been better off pleading ignorance about the origins of war than presenting his argument. With this overly encompassing claim, he underestimates the intelligence and perceptiveness of his reader, thereby weakening his position. Pfaff's book spans over 300 pages and, except for the first two chapters, rarely seems padded with unneces- sary material and language. "The Bullet's Song" is not an easy bed- time read; additionally, Pfaff is fond of arcane adjectives and little-known words. A major flaw of the author's work is the lax style of the first two. chapters, which concern utopian ideas and man's progress. Instead of the seriousness and specificity expected from these heavy ideas, one finds tire- some and unnecessary shifts into first person and reiterated topics on art and chivalry. Readers that get through the initial chapters (or skip them) are rewarded with impressive biographical repre- sentations of historically important men. The lives of T.E. Lawrence, rev- olutionary Andre Malraux, scientific journalist Arthur Koestler and sev- eral others are masterfully presented. Pfaff displays them as men who lived their lives dedicated to the roman- tic idea that violence has a place in an ideal world. Personal loss and the deaths of people close to them mark each man's life, and in the end they all share either disenchantment, apathy or an ironic death. Pfaff's best writing is found in these biographies, which (thankfully) make up the majority of the book. The exten- sive research is nimbly blended to pro- duce a coherent and enjoyable account of each subject's life. Pfaff's writing is simultaneously detached and intimate. He avoids senti- ment and is able to maintain his objective position. Surprisingly, his digressions in the biographies are borderline brilliant. Though these diversions are unneces- sary to describe the life of each man, they play an important role in the overall quality of the book. Despite its flaws, "The Bullet's Song" will appeal to history buffs and the politically savvy. The biographi- cal depictions are fantastic and are good second-hand references. They alone, however, cannot save the book from a sloppily planned argument and poor stylistic choice in the opening chapters. Thoughtful restructuring or truncation would greatly improve Pfaff's writing. Sightings r don't do Justice to genre By Chris Gaerig Daily Arts Writer In 1977, the post-punk music scene was jolted to life with the inception of one of the most innovative albums of the time, Suicide's self-titled first Witty novel 'Citizen Girl' lacks focus By Bernie Nguyen Daily Arts Writer Bo* REU W**k With their best-selling release. Suicide was not the archetypal post-punk group. Their inclusion of ambience, minimal- ist spasms and near psychopathic atti- Sightings Arrived in Gold Load tude changed the structure of music for years to come. In recent history, bands such as Black Dice, Lightning Bolt and Michigan's own Wolf Eyes have continued the evolution of the rapidly growing noise-punk scene. These three have endured criticism, mockery and anonymity; however, with the current expansion of the genre, more bands are becoming key players and moving to the foreground of the genre. Unfortunately, Lightning Bolt label- mates, Sightings, fail to produce on their latest release, Arrived In Gold. The album is seemingly devoid of the ingenuity, vigor and integrity of other records in the genre. Sightings appear unable to decide what direction to ulti- mately take Arrived In Gold. Their attempt to integrate songwriting into the spastic nature of their music comes off more as an identity crisis than something original. In an envelope-pushing genre like noise-punk, one of the selling points is cohesion through anarchy. In most substyles of music, this concept would seem absurd; however, the main prob- lem with the majority of these tracks is the presence of structure. Not only does Sightings fall short of this ideal, but the jangly, harsh guitars, combined with the cryptic vocals, create nothing more than confused guitar-rock. Another problem is the singing and its presentation. Noise-punk vocals often assert themselves into the fore- ground of the song. The screeches and moans are an integral part of each song's atmosphere. On Arrived In Gold, the incomprehensible screams just clutter the tracks. Sightings once again fall short; often, the lyrics seem forced and out of place. Although Sightings generally miss the mark, they show promise on the stellar track "One Out of Ten." The pitter-patter of fingers tapping on a microphone precedes sparse, shrill feedback and muffled croons. The song crescendos and recedes several times, creating tension rarely to be repeated on the record. "The Last Seed," the only other standout track, creates the same ambience. Harsh electronic noises and jumpy, sparse bass line give the song the minimalist essence indicative of the genre's ringers. The album would be greatly improved if Sightings were able to reproduce even an iota of these tracks' nature. Noise-punk is by no means an unorigi- nal genre, nor does it lack musical quality. However, Arrived In Gold is not a testa- ment to the power and ability of Sight- ings' colleagues. While the album has its bright spots, Arrived In Gold would be an unfortunate introduction to such an innovative and interesting genre. novel "The Nanny McLaughlin and debuted as clever, intelligent young women who wove their real-life experiences into witty satire about upper-class Man- hattanites. "Citizen Girl," their second book, follows the same model: The novel is driven by social observation and turns a critical eye on the absur- dities and hypocrisies of today's cos- mopolitan working world. The main character, Girl, is on the lookout for a life of her own. Two years out of Wesleyan University and working for a nonprofit activist who has turned her life into hell, she is fired (or quits, depending on who's telling the story). After a grueling search, she takes a job at My Com- pany, a web portal whose interests at first seem to mesh perfectly with DAILY ARTS. PUBLISHING OBSCURE NOISE-ROCK REVIEWS SINCE .004. Diaries," Emma Nicola Kraus Citizen Girl By Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus Atria her principles, as well as her need for a salary. However, the job later leads her into dangerous waters, and she finds herself conflicted between her ethics and her desire for success. With the voices of people who have been there, McLaughlin and Kraus imbue Girl with the idealistic traits of a fresh college graduate looking for a life of her own in the increas- ingly hectic and unforgiving environ- ment of metropolitan business. "Citizen Girl" is humorously writ- ten, and the authors successfully maintain a witty voice as they chron- icle Girl's mishaps and emotional ups and downs. Her nail-biting wor-. ries drolly and accurately reflect the concerns hitting college graduates as they enter the workforce today. How- ever, Girl always seems to exist in a perpetual haze of action. Though McLaughlin and Kraus are understandably trying to replicate the dizzying pace of twenty-something metropolitan life, the book seems too fast-paced and harried. Where Girl's character should be the strongest focus of the book, the writing con- centrates instead on the rush of events that surround her. Simply detailing a character's reaction to outside events does not create a three-dimensional identity for that character, and the novel's impact is considerably less- ened because of this central flaw. Aside from Girl, McLaughlin and Kraus's other characters also appear strangely flat. Girl's frenzied, unpre- dictable new boss Guy and her lov- able but undependable new boyfriend Buster somehow lack the presence of fully formed characters - not sur- prising in a novel without a sharp focus on its protagonist. The novel's oddly abrupt finish is another flaw. The authors leave issues unresolved, and despite the entertaining writing, the novel's cli- max is, unfortunately, unsatisfying. Its ending is insufficient to fulfill the expectations set forth by the authors' use of such sophisticated and cosmo- politan prose. The main strength of "Citizen Girl" is undoubtedly the writing. McLaughlin and Kraus pinpoint their audience, using a voice that will appeal to young women in the world of employment today. Its weakness, however, is due to overambition. In trying to include all the aspects they see as relevant to Girl's life, McLaughlin and Kraus spread the plot development too thinly over a storyline that would benefit from a sharpened focus. Despite its weak- nesses, however, the book retains its appeal. It is good fiction, if not good literature, and puts a new face onto the legions of young women emerg- ing from college full of hope and ready to take on the world. 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