TI he Q ac I< amas P rìnt
5
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Dangerous writing, drag queens, and passionate love
JEREMY STALLWOOD
Staff Writer
I am
taking
this
turkey.
Woman
From ‘Invisible
Monsters’
by Chuck
Palahniuk
“Dangerous writing” was the theme
for this term’s Author’s Night, and three
local authors—Joanna Rose, Tom
Spanbauer and Chuck Palahniuk, car
ried that theme well.
Rose, an organizer of Powell’s Book
Store’s famous readings and event se
ries, is also the author of a novel, Little
Miss Strange, her first. Rose has writ
ten since she was a little girl; her first
book was written “at age ten during
arithmetic class,” she said.
Rose said, regarding the term “dan
gerous writers” and what it meant to
her, “For me it is to put the reader on
the page with the language.”
Rose, who has been published in the
upstanding literary magazine Story,
quoted a Barry Lopez line about the
“sound of writing” and “the sound of
listening” and that “the chance to read
it [her story “Edge of the Kingdom”]
to you all is exciting.” She called the
piece a “work in progress” and began
reading. The writing was powerful, the
audience silent, as the story of a girl
and her dog, an Irish Setter named
Bullfrog, unfolded.
Rose read with intensity and at times
it was like she took backstage and the
story was telling itself to the audience.
There was a philosophy regarding “op
tical delusions” over “illusions.” Rose
read, “A delusion is your own,” and that
illusions were something that someone
else wanted you to see.
The girl in the story “likes what holds
hope” and dreamily went on about how
clouds hide things. Then came a clever
transition: Looking at a sunrise, the
pastel colors blending, reminds her of
envelopes and suddenly the story car
ries the girl back into her home as she
is sifting through letters in a drawer.
The audience applauded her enthusi
astically as Spanbauer took the podium.
Spanbauer immediately began read
ing, only briefly introducing the narra
tor of the story as a “western guy” and
that he was a lonely
man. The other
character, an Afri
can-American drag
queen named Rose,
was in the hospital
with “a touch of the
AIDS,” but it is
never confirmed
during Spanbauer’s
reading that the
character has AIDS.
Spanbauer’s im
agery of the hospital
was very haunting.
Walking down the
corridor, he ex
plained the people in
the rooms as “skel
etons” in a bed that
From left: authors Chuck Palahniuk, Tom Spanbauer and Joanna Rose were
is swallowing
showcased in this term's Authors' Night.
them up.
Rose had a room
alone and most of the reading took that the man’s phone number was ac page.
Spanbauer explained that in first per
place in this hospital room. During the cidentally printed in a “crisis help line”
reading, Spanbauer’s character shared ad in the newspaper and that this man son “you can say anything.” In first
person, he went on, the world looks as
the experiences he had while watching is literally “playing God.”
Palahniuk also shared a scene from it does because of the character’s per
over his friend Rose. From peaceful,
quiet moments during episodes of the a “book no one will publish.” Invis sonality. In third person, the reader and
Oprah Winfrey show, to a naked man ible Monsters was the name of the the writer is an outside entity, going in
jumping out of the window, many book and the reason no one would side and outside the story.
When asked about what “dangerous
publish it was beyond the audience’s
events kept the listeners entertained.
writing” meant to them, Palahniuk an
At the end of the reading, Rose was comprehension.
The story was told in first person, swered, saying that writing was to “do
well again and was discharged from the
hospital. The audience, to Spanbauer’s Palahniuk reading from a woman’s something for you” and to “have a great
delight, really felt something for his point of view. This woman was in an time at it.”
Palahniuk shared a scene from Fight Club
accident and her face was scarred.
character.
Palahniuk, 1997 Oregon Book Very powerfully portrayed, the woman where the two characters make passionate
Award recipient for his book Fight goes into a grocery store, where ev love for ten hours. He explained that he had
Club, read to the audience from his new eryone ignores her, and steals a tur to think of the most beautiful line for her to
book, Survivor, to be released next key. The only one who protests, even say to him, and that of course should be, “I
after she shouts that “I am taking this wanttohaveyourbaby.” Butthis isn’t good
January.
The story started with a man trying turkey,” is a little boy who says that enough for Palahniuk. He replaces it with
the line, “I want to have your abortion.” Ac
to bread veil cutlets when he receivs a there is “a monster stealing food.”
It was a privilege to hear a reading from cording to him, they have decided to keep
phone call from a distressed young lady
the line for the movie, which will star Brad
in a night club. She wants to end it all. a book no one will see on the shelves.
One audience member asked why Pitt and Courtney Love.
The man tells her to kill herself. The
When the discussion was over, the audi
man also thought his goldfish too ac each of the three stories was written
ence gave a final round of applause. The
tive and dropped a Valium into its tank. in the first person.
“First person gets the reader closer three writers had eloquently formed a rela
The character portrayed by Palahniuk
to the story,” said Rose. “Third per tionship between the reader and the written
was strong and harsh.
It isn’t revealed until later in the story son keeps the reader separate from the language.
Native American's poetry rages at injustice
MIKE GARCIA
Copy Editor
A self-described "Urban Indian,"poet Chrystos.
The newly-resurrected Gregory Forum will host a free
reading by one of the 90s’ most distinctive poets—the artist
presently known as Chrystos.
She is this year’s writer in residence at Clackamas and
will read Thursday, May 7, at 7:00 p.m.
As the winner of the Audre Lorde International Poetry
Competition in 1994 and the Sappho Award in 1995,
Chrystos has established herself as a prominent Native
American poet.
Chrystos, a resident of Washington, has had five volumes
of poetry published and has been included in three antholo
gies.
She was bom in the baby boomer age to a Native Ameri
can-descended father and a European mother. But a quick
browsing of her poetry will reinforce her claim that she is
not a spokesperson for Native American issues.
“Chrystos’ work has been described as ‘unflinchingly vio
lent’ in its theme and style,” according to a press release
from English Instructor Kate Gray. “Much like Audre Lorde,
she tries to break the language that has been used like tools
to keep the master’s house standing.
“She challenges conventions of grammar and typogra
phy just as she challenges the forces which have oppressed
Native Americans, women, homosexuals, and others,” Gray
continues.
“Her poetry both rages at injustice and brutality and sings
the sweetness of love. Often her poems reveal the deep con
nection she feels between her body and those of the people
who have suffered brutal colonization.”
The Clackamas Community College Foundation has sup
ported the Writer-in-Residence program for six years. Ad
ditional supporters include Coyote Circle and the English
department.
The program has always included nationally-recognized
poets, fiction writers and playwrights, and has featured
workshops in which aspiring writers get pointers from some
one who has sampled the sweet taste of success. This year
is no exception: a poetry workshop will take place Friday,
May 8, in M204. Ten students will work with her on their
poems. The time has not yet been set.
Chrystos will lead a discussion on the ethics of writing at
noon the same day. For more information about any of these
events, call Gray at ext. 2371.
I Walk in the History of My People
In the scars of my knees you can see
children tom from their families
, bludgeoned into government schools
You can see through the pins in my bones
that we are prisoners of a long war
My knee is so badly no one will look at it
The pus of the past oozes from every pore
This infection has gone on for at least 300 years
Our sacred beliefs have been made into pencils
names of cities gas stations
My knee is wounded so badly that I limp constantly
Anger is my crutch I hold myself upright with it
My knee is wounded
See
How I Am Still Walking
•
'.'hk- -* j .
.......
Wednesday, May 6, 1998