University Daily Kansan, August 30, 1984
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 7
German organist to open KU Visiting Artists Series
The University of Kansas Visiting Artists series will begin tonight with Bernhard Marx, German organist, performing a free concert beginning at 8 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont.
Marx, who studied under Marie Clarie in France and Aton Heilner in Austria, is noted for playing both Germanic and early and contemporary French organ music.
"He is one of the most outstanding young organist in Germany today." said James Moeser, dean of the School of Fine Arts and Althaus Distinguished Professor of Organ.
The concert, sponsored by the department of music, will be Marx's second at KU. He will perform works by Buxtehude, de Grigny, Bach, Messiaen and Widor.
Classes to begin at Arts Center
The Lawrence Arts Center has begun enrollment for its fall classes and workshops for both children and adults. Enrollment will continue through Sept. 10.
Fall adult classes include ballroom dance, basic patchwork and quilting, calligraphy, ceramics, clogging, drawing, fiddling and other classes.
Fall adult workshops include gathering, drying and working with wild plants, rhythm and repeat, handmade paper and making clay ornaments.
For further information, call 843-9444 or ask at the Arts Center at Ninth and Vermont streets.
Symphony to perform at park
The Kansas City Symphony will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 3 at the Shawnee Mission Park Theatre.
The concert, sponsored by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District and the Sun Newspapers, will include classical selections from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the finale of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony and selections from films and Broadway shows.
Capote not ranked among great, teacher says
Entertainment Editor
By SUSAN WORTMAN
Truman Capote. He was the vogue of American authors but only for a short time. He said he invented a new genre, but many say he did not. He made gossip an art form but died without spilling the secrets of society in his last book.
in his last book.
And even though it is his most famous work, rarely is "In Cold Blood" used in the classrooms at the University of Kansas.
"I like to add the element of form, style and technique to my class," he said. "If you can show how the work is put together, you can tell what it says."
That is what distinguished Capote — his style.
Jerry Masinton, professor of English, is teaching Capote's most famous work, "In Cold Blood," in his post-World War II fiction class this semester. But his is one of the few classes that uses the book, he said, except for several introductory English classes. He uses it because of Capote's style.
"Conventional journalism will ask you to report the facts and be as objective as possible and exclude yourself from the story," Masinton said. New journalism allowed authors to venture down other paths.
Another aspect of the new journalism style was that the author did not have to write a non-biased, third person account of what happened. Capote included himself in his works. Masinton said, but ever so subtly. In
his novel "In Cold Blood," he was never mentioned by name, but the reporter in the courtroom can't be anyone but Capote, Masinont said.
Capote lauded himself with the invention of new journalism. He invented it, he said, because he didn't trust other forms and because he thought literature was stagnant.
"When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended for self-flagellation only." Truman Capote
Masinon said that, in reality, Capote was not the first new journalist.
the fiction "he was an expert and leading writer, but he claimed to invent the non-fiction novel and that is not true. However, he did bring it to the forefront. Maybe his was the first pure example of an American non-fiction novel," he said.
Gossip was another part of Capote's style, and that was his curse. Once, he was sued for libel. Yet he loved to use real names of real people. He loved to make them speak about unspeakable things. Gossip was his art form, and he passionately loved secrets, especially someone else's.
James Carothers, associate professor of English, also has taught Capote's novel in his classes. But he does not look at Capote as one of America's greatest authors.
His characters lack depth, Carothers said. That was one of Capote's weaknesses. "A good character has to be able to stand up on its hind legs and cast a shadow," Carothers said, and Capote's characters lack that ability.
Capote started writing when he was eight. When he started writing, he did so not knowing that he was locking shackles on himself, too. "When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended for self-flagellation only," Capote said. It was his talent and his curse.
He became unloved. He loved the jet-set society. It was the subject of his last book, "Answered Prayers," which he never finished
New journalism died, but Capote lived on. He became affluent in social circles.
"He was a self-promoter in his lifetime," Masinton said. "He was an inveterate talk show-geer. And he was in love with the rich, wealthy and famous."
wealthy and famous. Once Capace said, "I'm famous for being famous" Some accused him of making himself famous with his own genre.
"He wasn't just someone trying to make $100,000, though. He wasn't writing Harlequin Romances," he said. "Capote pursued his own course and it intertwined literary tastes. But he was a writer following his own instincts. He did have some integrity."
He has left his mark on the literary world, Carothers said.
Nothing except for the nonfiction aspect makes Capote's work stand out. Carothers said, "He is better known because of what happened to his novels after he wrote them," he said. "In Cold Blood" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" were both made into movies.
Hilary's were often Capote's death might cause a small resurgence in the popularity of his works, but nothing significant, Carothers said.
Randy Newman paints picture of mellow musician
By DAVID LASSITER Staff Reporter
Like any other husband and father of three, he comes home from the office and tries to relax. He asks how his son's punk rock band is doing and sometimes has to tell the 14-year-old not to shave his head. Randy Newman is almost like any other father. Almost
said Bo Jacob, the road manager for Newman.
For the past month Newman has been on the road playing concerts with singer-songwriter James Taylor. Both will appear at Sandstone Amphitheater Sept. 5.
Newman's music isn't like his son's. It music that reflects the slower, more mellow pace of life on the West Coast and usually attracts people between 20 and 39 years old
The Kansas City concert marks the midpoint of the tour. According to Jacob, the men will do 36 shows in 29 cities across the United States between Aug. 1 and Sept. 16.
Newman performs alone on stage, so he travels light. Because Taylor is doing a full production, including lights and back-up band, Newman is only hauling his road manager and a 9-foot Yamaha piano across the country.
The tour has given Newman press exposure, much of it favorable, Jacob said. But he has not become so familiar that he gets mobbed when he climbs off a plane. He hasn't needed any security while traveling from show to show.
He's just now starting to be recognized in
airports and public places, mostly because of his new video, "I Love L.A.". Jacob said. "But it's not like they're ripping off our shirts or anything."
Only then has been a fairly uneventful tour for Newman and Jacob. Since they have so little equipment to care for, they can go back to the hotel room right after Newman's set.
"We can be back in the room by 9:30," Jacob said. "After the show we usually watch TV. Randy was really into the Olympics." He is a big fan of all sports, Jacob said.
Newman, rarely goes out after a show,
especially when he has another show to do
the next day. "To do that you either have to
get chemical help or have your youth," Jacob
said. "Not that we're old or anything, but
well, you know."
and you know,
According to Jacob, Newman's music is
"He's so well read, and he knows so much about everything. He's a walking encyclopedia. When we go into a new city, he carries on conversations about the famous landmarks and things." Jacob said.
influenced by the amount of reading he does.
Before the tour, Newman worked on the soundtrack for the movie "The Natural," which was released last spring. When Newman gets a writing project, he usually rents out office space and takes his piano there. Then, he tackles the project in an eight-to-five manner, Jacob said. "He likes to work more in the morning. That way he can go home in the afternoon and unwind."
His musical ability has won Newman an Academy Award nomination for his work on the soundtrack for the movie "Ragtime."
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