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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2000)
10 A&E WEdNEsdAy, M ay 10, 2000 D e n a TAM OLIVER Staff Writer Ntozake Shange, novelist, poet, playwright and performer, will read from her award-winning writing Thursday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gregory Forum. The reading, free to the public, is brought to Clackamas Commu nity College by the English depart ment and the American Associa tion of Women in Community Col leges (AAWCC) as part of their “Connections” program. It is the seventh annual reading of the Clackamas Community College Writer-in-Residence Series. The Drama Queens Theatre Company will perform pieces of Shange’s choreopoem, For Col- Was there ever someone in your life whom you’d known for awhile, but never really had the chance to get to know? Well, that was the case when I went out with my friend of over two years, James. 5:00 pan. I took a bubble bath, shaved all the right places and lotioned the body. I slipped into black lacey push up bra and bikini panties. I wore black slack flooder pants, a hot pink tank top, some body glitter and a hot pink rose temporary tattoo on my back. I slid into my beaded thong flip flops (shoes). I threw some mousse in my hair, shook it out, put my make-up on and called me done. (Tip: Where TD e CI ac I camas P rint HANCE ored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf, rhe following morning, Friday, May 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Com munity Center, Room 127. This work was performed on Broadway for two years after it opened in 1976. Shange was nominated for a Tony award for the play and won an Obie and an Audelco award. The Drama Queens, who are re covering from addictions, feel that their performances are a way they can give back to the community. Following their performance, Shange will lead a discussion about the healing power of art. Shange, who integrates poetry, dance and music in her readings, 7:06 pan. God, I love the smell of has written four novels, five books of poetry, and four the atre pieces. Shange was born in Trenton, New Jersey. As a teenager, she at tended schools in St. Louis, where she was one of the first court-or dered students to integrate the schools. After graduating from Barnard College in 1970, she earned her master’s degree at the University of California, Los An geles. It was there that she adopted the Zulu name Ntozake, which means “she who comes with her own things,’’and Shange, which translates as “who walks like a lion.” It would appear, by her accomplishments, that she more than lives up to her African names. Ntozake Shange me to a guy is his eyes, you know they are a gateway to the soul? Well, espe cially, blue eyes, woo hoo!! 7:32 p.m. We arrive at Old Chicago. We go inside; the hostess asks where we want to sit We decide to sit at a booth; it is more secluded. I saw Paul Creighton, the vice president of ASG. After we walked past him James asked whoitwas. I told him. Then he asked if I dated him. Guysaresojunny! You say hi to someone of the opposite sex and they automatically assume you dated them. I told him no I didn’t. question to answer a question, not a good sign. I told him I’d heard he had and also that he had a daughter. He said no he’d never been married. He’d lived with agiri; o.k. no shocker, I think most people have. He said yes he has a daughter, she’s three years old. Wow! You’d think I’d know about that by now. Maybe, it’s not just information he wishes to divulge freely. Oh well. He told me her name and how he and her mom met He told me how they don’t get along very well. I told him a little about my life-my first serous rela tionship of really being in love. (Tip: leather. He just got himself a black leather sofa. There’s knock on the door. It’s his neighbor. She came to check out his new decor. Fabulous, we’ll be leaving even later. He asked her if she remembered Salena. She said "Is she one of those hog-sweat girls?" What the hell is that suppose to mean? I take it as an insult He turned her Diary is the (Tip: Try to give around to face me the date all your at and she turned a tention, avoid un beet-red and started busting up necessary ques tions.) laughing. O.k. it student's dating wasn’t that funny, 7:36 p.m. A waiter escapades. make-up is concerned find out what but I’ve got to say, came to take our season you are and get make-up that to see her embar orders. We defines your characteristics—in my rassment was weren’t ready. case I’m a Fall, the more earthy tones, worth it. She said she didn’t mean James went through the beer list be browns and neutrals.) that. Ofcourse,shedid. She then said cause he wanted a dark beer. He or 5:45pan. I’mreadytogo. (Tip: Never ' 'You’ve got to admit Chief, (what she dered a black port. UGH! I settled for a blue daquiri. UMMM Good! arrive too early for a date-you may calls James), you’ve brought home seem too anxious.) 7:45 pjn. We ordered chicken fettucini some real winners." Ilovethe sarcasm. alfredo. We found out it was our fa 6:15p.m. IleftmyhouseinMolallain They then got into this conversation vorite food. A common bond. Yes! I my 1987 Mitsubishi Galant and drove about the Shakespearean Era. Are we out to 82nd rocking to Jammin 95.5. love it when I find I have things in going to leave in this lifetime? O.k. common with guys. I love sports, so 7:02 p.m. I walked down the sidewalk She’s leaving. does he. Football and softball are my as James walked out of his apartment., 7:20 pm. Now, I have the chance to two favorite sports. We started talk He greeted me with a hug. We went check him out He looks fab in those ing about our lives because I never into his apartment to create a plan of slacks not to mention the blue eyes. really had the time to talk to him be action on what we wanted to do. (Tip: I’ve known him for a little over two TYy to have a plan, before the date if years, like I said, but you never really cause there was always someone else crunched for time; if not, being spon notice someone you consider a friend. around. I asked him ifhe’d ever been taneous always works for me.) So any way the first thing that attracts married. He asked why I asked that A Date true account of Clackamas M aster of sonnets Vikrem Seth, a world-renowned novelist from Calcutta, In dia, is set to read at Clackamas on Wed. May 17 in CC127 from 1-3 p.m. He will share selections from his latest novel An Equal Music. Born in India in 1952, Seth attended Oxford University and Stanford University. He left Stanford to become a Stegner Fellow in Creative Writing from 1977-78, and in 1980 began to study classical Chinese poetry and languages at Nanjing University. Seth's first novel The Golden Gate is composed of 690 satirical son nets about the romance life of young professionals in 1980's San Francisco. Seth has been compared with the literary likes of George Eliot, Goethe, Tolstoy and Dickens. Seth's work will be avail able for purchase at the reading. Try not to bring up the past, it may hinder the future. However, some things you may need to know.) 8:30 p.m. The meal was excellent. He paid. (Tip: Just in case, make sure you bring some extra cash.) I’ve paid for so long it’s a nice change to have some one treat me. We went to a store to bring some drinks home. Wegotsome Blackberry Heffenweiser, which he paid for. Damn, he was really earning some brownie points. We went to Fred Meyer because he wanted a DVD movie. He asked if I’d ever seen it. I saidno. He made it his mission to en- sure that I did. But to no avail because they didn’t have the movie and nei ther did Hollywood Video. He took my hand as we walked out the doors. Oh how sweet. 9:12p.m. We’rebackathisplace. He turns on the T. V. TTiere is this show on that is like a documentary on erotic shows all over the world. Oh my God, I was busting up. I was laughing so hard. There was this show in England that had 600-pound guys doing strip teases. TTiere were women that were just going wild over it. I couldn’t help but laugh. James wanted to turn it, but he said he couldn’t it was just too funny. 9:30 p.m. We were slowly scooting closer. Eventually, he took my hand. He brought his fingers to my lips and kissed each individual one. That is so prime. Sensual, sweet things like this are so much more to me as a woman than anything else. Then we kissed. 000HHH, that was nice. Heaven help me. 9:45 pan. He asked if I wanted to stay the night. This was no big deal be cause my friends and I always kicked it there, after parties. However, this was different, we were alone 10:00 pan. Things started to get a little hot. Conscience started invading. To stay or to go, that is the question. I decided it was time for me to go. He kissed me one last time and I left. We got to know each other a lot more that night and even found we liked each other. We have a lot in com- monandmaybethatcangrow.butl’m leaving my options open for now and I know he is too. Once hurt by people of the opposite sex, which we found we both had been, you no longer trust them as easily. Any way, James and I see each other often and talk still. Un til next week...Enjoy life...Be happy...Havefun. (Tips are meant for entertainmentpurposes only and are advice from my real life experiences.)
