6A — Monday, September 14, 2015
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

‘Go Set a Watchman’ 
is OK as a standalone

By ALEX BERNARD

Daily Community Culture Editor

All right, two things.
1. The publication of this book. 

Harper Lee is a sight and hearing-
impaired 
89-year-old 
stroke victim. 
In November 
2014, 
her 

protector, her 
sister 
Alice, 

passed 
away. 

Since 
then, 

her 
accounts 

have 
been 

taken over and seen after by the 
same woman who “discovered” 
the manuscript of “Go Set a 
Watchman.”

Whether or not Ms. Lee 

gave 
publication 
consent 
or 

was even in a position to give 
definitive consent is unclear at 
best. At worst, as Joe Nocera 
of The New York Times wrote, 
“...the publication of ‘Go Set a 
Watchman’ constitutes one of 
the epic money grabs in the 
modern history of American 
publishing.” You can read more 
about the novel’s unsettling road 
to publication in Nocera’s article 
and by reading any review of the 
book.

2. According to Ms. Lee’s 

former editor, Tay Hohoff, “Go 
Set a Watchman” is the first 
draft of the book that would later 
become the classic race novel, 
“To Kill a Mockingbird.” In 
fact, Hohoff described “Go Set a 
Watchman” as “more a series of 
anecdotes than a fully conceived 
novel,” but that “the spark of a 
true writer flashed in every line.” 
Indeed, many passages from 
“Mockingbird” are replicated in 
“Watchman,” of which you can 
read more about at qz.com.

With these facts in mind, we 

belatedly review the book. Not 
because we approve of the way 
Ms. Lee’s work has been treated, 
but because “Watchman” has two 
covers and pages in the middle, 
and so it should be discussed. 
Onward.

“Watchman” 
takes 
place 

during the civil rights movement 
and follows Jean Louise “Scout” 
Finch as she returns to Maycomb 
two decades after the events of 
“Mockingbird.” In the novel, 
we’re re-introduced to Calpurnia, 
Uncle Jack, Aunt Alexandra and 
Atticus and meet Henry “Hank” 
Clinton, a young 30-something 
local lawyer/war hero/Maycomb 
darling who’s been pining after 
Jean Louise since his senior 
dance. Immediately, the novel 
adopts a grim tone when we learn 
that Jem, Scout’s brother, passed 
away some years ago.

Hohoff was exactly right when 

she said that Ms. Lee showed 
“the spark of a true writer” in 

“Watchman.” What the novel 
lacks in focus, it makes up for in 
depth. Ms. Lee’s descriptions of 
Maycomb, while ill-placed, are 
specific and clever. Told through 
a somewhat limited third person, 
Jean Louise’s observations are a 
bright spot, exhibiting glimmers 
of 
that 
unique 
perspective 

from 
which 
“Mockingbird” 

was written. Ms. Lee colors 
Scout with a shade of cynicism, 
carefully coated over a youthful 
optimism that rings true in her 
attitude and her humor:

“Her favorite game was golf 

because its essential principles 
consisted of a stick, a small ball, 
and a state of mind.”

Unfortunately, 
where 

“Watchman” swerves off course 
are the exact places where 
“Mockingbird” earned its status 
as a classic. Characters, while not 
entirely flat, are predictable and 
insincere. Like politicians, you 
know what they’re going to say 
and you know it’s (usually) going 
to be condescending.

Not 
to 
suggest 
that 
an 

unlikable character can’t be an 
important or a well-developed 
one, 
though 
most 
of 
the 

characters in “Watchman” do 
deserve a brick in the face. But 
that fact alone doesn’t make the 
book not-so-great.

What makes the book not-

so-great is a lack of cohesion 
and a fumbled approach to a 
significant question: How do you 
deal with the fact that someone 
you love has done (or is doing) 
something utterly, unfathomably 
unforgivable? Is it unforgivable? 
Or is it merely reprehensible?

I’ll explain.
At the book’s halfway point, 

Jean Louise sees her father 
Atticus at the Maycomb County 
Citizens’ Council, i.e. a white 
supremacy meeting. Their goal: 
Combat desegregation. Resist 
the Supreme Court and the civil 
rights movement.

This scene, perhaps above 

any 
other, 
highlights 
the 

ocean of difference between 
“Mockingbird” and “Watchman.” 
Jean Louise, after seeing her 
father 
as 
a 
Council 
board 

member, mistily remembers how 
he used to be, how she’d thought 
of him before this moment: 
“The one human being she had 
ever fully and wholeheartedly 
trusted.” To Jean Louise, Atticus 
“had 
betrayed 
her, 
publicly, 

grossly, and shamelessly.”

But 
before 
you 
too 
take 

up arms against a fictional 
character, remember: This is 
a different Atticus, a man who 
no longer exists or acts in the 
interest of a novel like “To Kill a 
Mockingbird,” but exists in “Go 
Set a Watchman” one moving 
part in a machine with different 
priorities. 
Those 
priorities 

demand that a hero be villain. 
But we lose that hero for the good 
of a book we don’t love, and that 
hurts.

But no matter how much 

we 
think 
about 
reading 

“Mockingbird” in eighth grade 
or watching ol’ Gregory Peck 
lean back in his rocking chair 
to spin a monologue, Atticus’s 
racism is not poor writing. It’s a 
complication of something that 
matters a great deal to a great 
many. But it’s not inherently bad.

Other stuff is.
Where a later draft might’ve 

navigated 
Jean 
Louise’s 

corrupted 
idolization 
of 

Atticus with a certain degree 
of misdirection, “Watchman” 
plows full steam ahead, like a 
train hitting a brick wall. In 
the final third, Jean Louise 
has three separate, yet nearly 
indistinguishable conversations 
with Uncle Jack, Henry and 
Atticus. The talks are harsh 
and difficult. At one point, she 
screams at Atticus for not raising 
her like a bigot, for not bringing 
her up in prejudice, for not letting 
her be ignorant, dumb, happy. In 
moments like these, one sees the 
seeds of brilliance that would 
later grow into “Mockingbird.” 

But 
these 
climaxes 
are 

repetitive, full of ramblings 
and intangible debates. The 
result is a numbing series of 
chapters that could’ve been 
better spent with action and 
concrete stakes.

Where 
“To 
Kill 
a 

Mockingbird” soars in its pace, 
action and concision, “Go Set 
a Watchman” is in need of 
grounding, especially in its 
final third. It’s got the pieces, 
the wit and something to talk 
about, but it’s too shapeless 
to stand on its own legs. 
“Watchman” is a compelling 
read with a compelling voice, 
but, ultimately, a first draft. 
Worth reading, yes. Worth 
re-reading, no.

But 
can 
“Watchman” 

tarnish Harper Lee’s legacy? 
I doubt it. It’s the first pass at 
the work that would become 
one of the capital-G Greatest 
novels in American literature. 
For that reason alone, “Go 
Set a Watchman” is worth 
every page, every word, every 
moment of your time. It is an 
artifact, and like any artifact, it 
should be studied.

Go Set a 
Watchman

Harper Lee

HarperCollins

July 14, 2015
Colbert off to smart 
start in series debut

BOOK REVIEW

Comedy Central 
host brings smart 
humor to network 

TV

By MATT BARNAUSKAS

Daily Arts Writer

In recent years, late night 

TV has undergone a paradigm 
shift, 
with 
longtime 
hosts 

departing and 
new 
blood 

livening up the 
landscape.

NBC 
has 

seen 
Jimmy 

Fallon, 
with 

his 
open 

demeanor and 
viral-friendly 
segments, 
successfully 
reinvigorate 
“The 
Tonight 

Show” 
after 

taking 
the 

reins 
from 

Jay Leno in 2014, and Fallon’s 
replacement, Seth Meyers, has 
experienced 
growing 
pains 

with a more traditional “Late 
Night” format.

Meanwhile, Meyer’s 12:30 

p.m. rival, “The Late Late 
Show” ’s James Corden, only 
took over for Craig Ferguson 
six months ago. Taking a 
page out of Fallon’s playbook, 
Corden has adjusted well to 
the position with a laid-back 
persona and atmosphere.

Now with David Letterman’s 

exit from “The Late Show,” the 
world of late night variety has 
been altered yet again with the 
debut of Stephen Colbert as the 
show’s new host.

Colbert is himself a part of 

another late night exodus — 
this time at Comedy Central — 
that saw the departure of “The 
Daily Show” ’s Jon Stewart and 

the subsequent rise of Larry 
Wilmore and Trevor Noah, 
replacing Colbert and Stewart, 
respectively.

Known 
for 
his 
satirical 

skewering 
of 
Republican 

pundits 
on 
“The 
Colbert 

Report,” 
there’s 
been 

speculation 
about 
how 

Colbert will adjust his acerbic 
personality to fit “The Late 
Show.” 
While 
Colbert 
has 

removed some of the more 
extreme elements of his former 
shtick, 
he 
maintains 
the 

personality that endeared him 
to so many on his former show. 
The man’s played-up egomania 
is readily apparent in the 
renovated Ed Sullivan Theater 
with Colbert’s face enshrined 
in a faux-stained glass ceiling. 
In 
addition, 
Colbert 
still 

isn’t afraid to throw punches 
on political targets, jabbing 
Donald Trump and Hillary 
Clinton, in his first week on 
the job.

Sketches and a surreally 

comedic tone round out the 
hour. In the first episode, 
Colbert argues with a cursed 
amulet over product placement. 
While some of these segments 
work and are mostly enjoyable, 
there’s also timing issues with 
some bits going far too long, 
notably when Colbert makes 
dictatorial declaration while 
wearing 
a 
Genghis 
Khan-

esque hat. More successful 
was the shorter pre-filmed, 
advertisement for “Yesterday’s 
Coffee,” featuring Colbert and 
Laura Linney (“The Truman 
Show”).

Musically, 
Colbert’s 
house 

band, Stay Human, led by Jon 
Batiste, brings a dancing-on-
the-piano energy to the early 
episodes. The big-name musical 

acts have brought a usual variety 
including Toby Keith, Paul Simon 
and Kendrick Lamar (the week’s 
highlight performance).

At the core of most late night 

programs are guest interviews, 
and glimmers of higher ambition 
mark these segments. While there 
are the usual celebrities (George 
Clooney, 
Scarlett 
Johansson 

and Amy Schumer), Colbert’s 
opening week was marked by the 
addition of writer Stephen King, 
CEO’s Elon Musk and Travis 
Kalanick, Presidential candidate 
Jeb Bush and Vice President Joe 
Biden. These guests bring a new 
spectrum of opportunity for 
Colbert, a chance to become the 
thinking man’s Late Night talk 
show.

Guests like these are rare 

on other shows but Colbert is 
making a point to have these 
types of guests become regulars 
as his show goes forward. But the 
content of these interviews are 
just as important as who Colbert 
brings. Questions on Bush’s 
political stances and the effect 
Kalanick’s Uber has on the taxi 
industry are necessary inquiries 
that won’t necessarily be asked 
by other network hosts. This 
isn’t criticism of the rest of late 
night television, but rather an 
observed need that Colbert can 
potentially fill.

Nowhere 
is 
this 
more 

apparent than Colbert’s must-
see 
interview 
with 
Biden. 

Touching on the tragedy of 
the death of Biden’s son, Beau, 
in June of this year, Colbert 
exemplifies how to handle a 
sensitive interview. As Biden 
talks 
about 
his 
son, 
there 

are a few moments when it 
looks like Colbert is ready to 
comment, holds back and let’s 
the Biden continue, improving 
the interview by, in a sense, 
doing nothing. Colbert, who 
lost his father and two brothers 
in a plane crash at age 10, is an 
empathetic host who still injects 
humor into the conversation 
when he asking Biden about his 
future plans.

Late 
night 
television 
is 

changing, and mostly improving 
— and Colbert’s new approach 
will 
hopefully 
continue 
to 

grow as the years go on.

B+

Late Show 
with 
Stephen 
Colbert

Series Pre-
miere

CBS

Weeknights 

at 11:30 p.m.

MUSIC NOTEBOOK
Back-to-school jams

By CATHERINE BAKER

Daily Arts Writer

Welcome back, friends. While 

those four months of lovely sum-
mer bliss were much appreciated, 
I’m sure you’re just as thrilled as 
I am to wheeze your way to the 
fourth floor of Mason Hall or hunt 
down that paper you printed in the 
Fishbowl. The first few weeks of 
school often dictate how the rest of 
the semester goes, so let’s start this 
year right (or at least with minimal 
tears) with some new tunes to get 
that pep in your step.

Over the course of the summer, 

I have come across a few funky 
fresh, hip artists whose music 
make that walk to class just a bit 
more bearable.

First up is Coleman Hell, a 

Canadian 
producer/singer/song-

writer whose sound has trans-
formed from default electronic 
noise to alternative pop songs dur-
ing the last four years. By utiliz-
ing his raspy voice and weaving 
in syncopated beats, Hell creates 
an unconventional genre of dance 
music that is sure to have you nod-
ding along as you write that paper 
due in two hours. His most recent 

singles, “Thumbalina,” “Take Me 
Up” and “2 Heads,” embody this 
new shift in Hell’s music and have 
rightfully gained popularity on 
social media with “2 Heads” com-
ing in second for Alt Nation’s Song 
of the Summer.

Shifting away from the world 

of alternative pop, Odessa is a 
folk singer with little exposure 
but a lot of personality. Perfect 
for those rainy, overcast days 
(much like Saturday’s game day), 
Odessa’s bluesy introspective lyr-
ics transport you to a place far, 
far away from responsibilities 
and homework. After a near fatal 
bike accident inspired the bud-
ding singer-songwriter to pursue 
a solo career, Odessa has since 
traveled the world as a musician 
and part-time model and incor-
porates these experiences into 
her music. Though she travels 
now, most of her childhood was 
spent near the ocean and the 
swelling of the waves is evident 
in her pulsating music. With 
hushed reverb and echoing fal-
setto, Odessa is an artist to watch 
and to admire.

Sticking with the indie and 

adding some pop, Hippo Campus 

(I see what you did there) dishes 
out some nostalgic Sunday after-
noon music. Kick back, relax and 
allow this Minnesotan “kinda 
pop” band to clear your mind 
and fill it with upbeat guitars 
and catchy hooks. After receiv-
ing outpouring of support from 
the Twin Cities, Hippo Campus’ 
debut EP, Bashful Creatures is 
creeping its way onto Spotify 
playlists across the nation.

Finally, Vinyl Theatre moves 

back towards the same electronic 
dance genre as Hell, but adds its 
own ’80s twist to the sound. The 
four-man band is based out of 
Milwaukee and has been likened 
to bands like Two Door Cinema 
Club, Twenty One Pilots and the 
Killers. With lyrics like “Passion 
running wild / Dancing in denial 
/ We are the sum / The lifeblood 
of / The city’s lights,” Vinyl The-
atre creates a story of restless 
youth and endless future.

And now, armed with this 

music, I send you out into the 
world of deadlines, pop quizzes 
and essays. Get out there and get 
educated.

Happy vibes, everyone. You’ve 

got this.

“Like any 

artifact, it should 

be studied.”

CBS

“My kind smile belies racist immigration policies.”

Colbert delivers 

emotional 

interviews and 

solid jokes. 

TV REVIEW

“Glimmers of 
high ambition.”

