JAMMIN' WITH JUAN COLE Notorious prof's iPod playlist, page 6B. struts his stuff. Fashion, page 7B. B THE MICHIGAN DAILY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 p Redeem thysel ay what you want about the cruelty of Hollywood criticism - few industries ever give such big welcome- back hugs. Consider the sad case of Ben Affleck, h once, a big- league star, now a piti- ful one, habitually KRISTIN associ- MACDONALD ated with such non-big-league terms as "washed-up," "craptastic" and - worst of all - "done." The beauty of Hollywood, however, is that the door is always open for a second act: Earlier this week, Affleck took top male acting honors at the Venice Film Festival for his portrayal of real-life TV Superman George Reeves in "Hollywoodland." It's quite a surprising turnaround for the star of "Gigli," "Jersey Girl," "Daredevil," "Paycheck," "Sur- viving Christmas" (et cetera, et cetera, crap ad infinitum), nor is the award small potatoes, either. Affleck joins the lofty ranks of greats like Toshiro Mifune ("Yojimbo"), Albert Finney ("Tom Jones") and Jack Lem- mon ("Glengarry Glen Ross"), a far different company to keep than, say, Jason Mewes. The celebrity comeback has long been a notoriously popu- lar trick, although often with television as the medium. Just look at the deserving triumph of such limelight returns as Kiefer Sutherland ("24") and the once- Radioshack-bound Teri Hatcher ("Desperate Housewives"). By now, however, the comeback is such a valuable device for driv- ing industry buzz that television has gone ahead and set up a (very successful) "celebreality" comeback machine - "Celebrity Fit Club," "The Surreal Life," "Dancing With the Stars." Hey, it worked for Jessica Simpson. And Flava Flav. Ben's bounce back to the A- list acting fold would be a much harder trick than merely party- ing or cheating his way onto the gossip page. After all, if a true "comeback" meant simply returning to the public eye, it would always be just a mea culpa away, no matter what the initial deterrent: Self-imposed isolation (Demi Moore, Jane Fonda). An extra 150 pounds (Kirstie Alley). Continuous, rampant coke addiction (Rob- ert Downe Jr). Hookers (Hugh Grant, Eddie Murphy, Charlie Sheen). Ben's particular vice, other than a few tabloid-noted inter- ests in booze and gambling? Bad movies. Admittedly, there's some bad acting here and there as well, but I'm of the school that Affleck is usually better than his material. If there's one thing that's truly wrong with bomb-prone Ben, it's either his luck or his agent, as the direc- tors he's signed up for have been, largely, as phenomenally See AFFLECK, page 3B ILIST Sept. 14 to 17 A weekly guide to who's where, what's happening and why you should be there. Arts editors recommend this week's best bets. Naomi Long Madgett will appear at The Detroit Scarab Club for a poetry reading Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. WHERE TO FIND POETRY IN ANN ARBOR The University is known for its creative writing pro- grams and awards, but sometimes it's hard for afi- cionados to find poetry readings and the like in this busy, saturated town. Here's how you can get your fix this month: The next stop for the Wave Books Poetry Bus Tour is in An L IE Arbor on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Residential College Audito rium. The Poetry Bus is currently on a 50-day tour of all of 50 states. Tuesday's event will feature RC Prof. Ken Mikolowski ant n - 0 d Aging Detroit poet laureate reflects on past By Caroline Hartmann I Daily Arts Writer enied seating at the local ice-cream parlor and ushered to far-flung the- ater balconies, life in the 1920s for African-Americans in East Orange, N.J., was far from the idealized vision of equal oppor- tunity that America so boldly trumpets. But East Orange meant home for Naomi Long Madgett, albeit a lonely one. She had little com- pany growing up beyond the pen and paper she used to scrib- ble down "silly rhymes." Her precocious pursuits bloomed to unveil the wordsmith within; Madgett emerged a preeminent poet of the 20th century and went on to become an English teacher, journalist and founder of her own publishing company, Lotus Press. She has held the title of Detroit's Poet Laureate since 2001. Madgett has published nine books of poetry since 1938 - "Pink Ladies In The After- noon," "Octavia And Other Poems" and "Midway" among them - an accomplishment few others can hold a candle to. And in an effort to celebrate African-American poets, the Long Poetry Foundation estab- lished the Naomi Long Madgett Award in honor of her lasting dedication to poetry. Madgett absorbed the con- tents of her minister father's extensive library at an early age and learned the art of com- position from his sermons and spiritual hymns, all of which bolstered her literary impulses. By the time she was 12, Madgett had written exactly 100 poems See MADGETT, page 2B many others. The Zell Visiting Writers series continues to bring a steady flow of established poets and writersto campus. Susan Stewart isgiving a poetry reading on Sept. 21 at the Rackham Amphitheater at 5 p.m. and a lecture on poetics on Sept. 22 in 3222 Angell Hall at 2 p.m. Keith Taylor will hold a poetry reading Sept. 28 in the Residential College Auditorium at 5 p.m. You may have heard of the Hopwood Awards for creative writing, but when was the last time you visited the Hopwood Room in Angell Hall? On Thursdays from 3to 5 p.m.. tea, coffee, cookies and conversation await students, faculty and staff who drop by. Stop by to browse the countless poetry and fiction publications that cover their huge table while you eat. Distinguished writers have also been known to drop in on these days and talk with the students who are lucky enough to catch them. Regular poetry slams are held at the Michigan Union U-Club during the year. The first slam of this term will be Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. A open-mike session begins the night, and the slam proper starts at 9 p m. Try your hand at reading something aloud - or even slam, if you've got the guts. - Caitlin Cowan Renowned stand-up comedienne MargaGomezcomestotheMichigan Theater today at 5 p.m. "Everything I Know About Comedy, Theater and Cooking" is part of the Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitor Series. Gomez has won numerous awards for her work and has appeared on HBO, Showtime and Comedy Cen- tral. The event is sponsored by the School of Art and Design. The event is free and open to the public. Arts on the Hill is offering a free figure drawing workshop tonight from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Alice Lloyd Hall art studio. Ses- sions meet Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the semester and are always free. The sessions feature live models in a relaxed studio setting. Instruction and limited supplies are available. No prior experience? No problem - beginners are always welcome. IN CONCERT The Blind Pig presents Dylan- fest, a tribute to (you guessed it) the one-and-only Bob Dylan. Featuring Dirt Road Logic, Chris Bathgate, Maggie McCabe, Corn- daddy, Hummingbirds, Derek Daniel, Horse Cave Trio and many more. The tribute is 18+ $10 Cover / Under 21 $13. Doors open at 8 p.m. Friday. All proceeds from the show benefit the Mary Beth Doyle Foundation. ON SCREEN Tonight and Sunday the Michi- gan Theater will show "Roger & Me," controversial director Michael Moore's 1989 film, as part of their 25 films from the Sundance Film Festival series. In this early work, Moore tracks down General Motors CEO Roger Smith to grill him about the harm his downsizing did to the economy of Flint. The film will show tonight at 7:15 p.m. and Sunday at 6:15 p.m.