BOOKS The Michigan Daily - Friday, May 30, 1986-- Page 9 Desertromance The Book of Nods Jim Carroll 172 pages Penguin Books $7.95 Before entering the world of Jim Carroll's poetry, it is critical to leave one thing - expectation - behind. Following on the trail of the French symbolists, Carroll evidently shares Rimbaud's belief that "the poet makes himself a seer by a long, im- mense, and reasoned derangement of all the senses." The Book of Nods speaks for this modernist view which defies rationality in poetry. However, as the very nature of language ren- ders this stance problematic, so Carroll often falls prey to the confines of his own poetic vision. In the first section, with prose poems entitled everything from "Guitar Voodoo" to "One Hundred Years of Boredom," Carroll exposes a surrealistic world where the imaginings of the narrators and ex- ternal reality are fused. At times, when Carroll maintains this delicate balance between dream- like, evocative expression and direct narrative, the poems work well. In "Confederate Lake," Carroll wonder- fully captures a girl's memory of a childhood game: They swung from the slope with a running start, swallowing deep the danger of such still summer air. Out they flew to the peak, more and more breathless, hanging then in that moment of timelessness . .. However, the stylistics of these poems often becomes unwieldly. [The reader has little chance to identify with many of these characters, for the poet speaks louder, in a voice which only affirms their artificiality.] No one knows none of them could ever know, the narrator of "Lenses" proclaims. Indeed, there lies the crux of Carroll's problem. How can a belief in the absolute subjectivity of th imagination be resolved with the nee to engage thereader? B Kurt Serbus Although the collection offers no real solutions to this paradox, it does suggest an alternative stance. In th TN Desert Hearts, slightly uptight last section, comprised of much sho English professor, Helen Shaver, ter, often more traditionally lyrica decides to spend a summer at a quiet poems, Carroll is, ironically, at his ranch out West to get her head best. Perhaps these tightly-wrought together while the final curtain goes poems benefit from length and line down on her twelve year marriage. restrictions. It's like a poem, a There she meets Patricia Charbon- character says of cramped living neau as a rowdy, tough-but-tender quarters, The smaller the room/ young lesbian, and pow! - instant The neater it must be/ Once you're spark. Inevitably, most of the movie done with it. deals with the problems and the But, despite some shining momen- moral and social dilemmas (it's set in ts, the book, overall, is less than cap- 1959) unique to homosexual love. tivating. Undoubtedly, it presents a However, when the two women finally highly unique perspective on familiar cut through all the crap, their themes-love, death, survival, desire relationship is as tender and romantic - and raises crucial questions on the as Bogart and Bacall, Hepburn and nature of poetry itself. However, as Tracy, or you-name-it. potentially interesting as ideas may Desert Hearts isn't a perfect film, be, an audience must first be en- the major flaw being the dialogue. It couraged to listen. tends to be witty and realistic for long stretches, and then, without warning, -Sue Misencik kicks out some totally contrived clunker of a line. On the whole, however, director Donna Deitch works wonders with her $1.5 million budget, turning outa movie that is as slick-looking on the surface as it is substantial underneath, The focus is not on homosexuality, but love, and the aura of emanating from Desert Hearts is one of warmth. The western setting here is a place of true frien- dship and hidden romance, rather than the barren, aleinating landscape that Sam Shepard is quickly turning into a cliche. Deitch gets a lot of help on this end from the sympathetic en- semble acting of the cast, comprised mostly of unknowns (for now), with a few very good character actors thrown in. Audra Lindley-yes, Audra "Mrs. Roper" Lindley-shows a surprising range, playing Barbara Stanwyck playing the owner of the ranch. If you're looking for a light, roman- tic love story-and you've already seen A Room With A View-Desert Hearts is worth checking out. Records Kathleen Battle and Christopher Parkening - Pleasures of Their Company (Angel) Since her debut at the Met in 1977 as the Shepherd in Tannhauser, Kathleen Battle has become reknowned as a lyric coloratura soprano. Thus the new Angel release, Pleasures of Their Company, which Battle recorded with classical guitar virtuoso Christopher Parkening, is a treat among vocal recordings today. Against the impeccable playing of Parkening, Battle's voice is given its best showcase in an album of songs spanning five centuries and four languages. The album opens with three songs of John Dowland, the Renaissance composer/lutenist, transcribed for guitar by Patrick Russ. Parkening's own transcriptions for the guitar of traditional lute pieces separate the songs. Most lovely is his "Allemande" which, under his skill, sounds as if it had been originally written for the guitar. "Come Again! Sweet Love Doth Now Invite" recounts the emotions of love with the refrain To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die/With thee again in sweetest sympathy. Battle's subtle inflections and heartfelt emotions bring to life the world that Dowland wrote about. some of the finest examples of this Perhaps the most beautiful piece on most simple, yet most beautiful blend the album is Back/Gounod's enchan- of instruments and can only add to the ting "Ave Maria." With Parkening's great reputations of two of America's guitar providing the delicate and best performers in this field. yearning background, Battle's voice --Noelle Brower becomes a sublime instrument wor- thy of deification. This has to be the most beautiful recording of this Political Silence - Political traditional song that I have ever heard. Silence (cassette) Its pure beauty lies in its gentle sim- plicity, and it alone makes the album This foursome comes from Flint, worthwhile. MI's fertile hardcore scene, a regular Battle's aria from "Bachianas stopover for many of the genre's Brasilelras" is sorrowful yet leading lights, including the Butthole evocative of the beauty she yearns Surfers and 7 Seconds. Living up to for. Translation is not necessary to their name, Political Silence rant and see the pictures she describes; Bat- rave about numerous topical issues, tie's voice is description enough. running the gamut from such familiar Side two opens with a series of * .. .* * * twentieth century Brazilian folk songs. Especially beautiful of this sec- j tion is Jayme Ovalle's "Azulao" *f ("Blue Bird"). The last selection of songs are black MCDonald's spirituals. The first, Hall Johnson's * n "Ain't Got Time To Die," is an upbeat avowel of one's faith, Lord, Ikeep so. busy praising my Jesus, /....ain't got no time to die. Battle's voice ' evokes a lost era in American history with her renditions of these beautiful U hymns. The combination of guitar and voice has a long history together and has spanned many genres. The songs on Pleasures of Their Company offer ' U hardcore complaints as our corrupt seless violence, and our impending society, multi-death corporations, the path towards nuclear destruction. Not stupidity of white supremacism, the enough? The band also tackles military-industrial complex, sen- See RECORDS, Page 10 GRAND OPENING of our 2nd location 715 N. University, Ann Arbor (lower level, Hamilton Square) (% block west of Hill Auditorium) Phone 662-0886 GE -R'S-Men's and Women's clothing, shoes, men's designer suits, - women's designer purses, fine gym equipment, lamps, clocks, vacuum cleaners, watches and much more! SAVE UP TO 90% OFF original prices. We carry Guess, Calvin Klein, BARGAIN Anne Klein, Pierre Cardin, Gucci, Carrera, Reeboks. r-----------COUPON---------- I EXTRA 10% DISCOUNT off our already low bargain prices with this coupon. 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