Newspaper Page Text
8 I Wednesday, December 6, 2006 | The Red & Black
VARIETY
The Collegium
ensemble to sing
Performs Renaissance music
By COLBY DUNN
For The Red & Black
Have you ever heard of a
rebec? How about a
gamba? When was the last
time you played a lute?
For the members of the
University’s Collegium
Musicum, these ancient
instruments, with the more
than 300-year-old musical
compositions they perform,
are a regular part of their
week.
The Collegium, a small
choral ensemble composed
of both faculty and stu
dents, is devoted to per
forming music written
exclusively before and dur
ing the Renaissance.
Led by Dr. Mitos
Andaya, associate director
of choral activities in the
Hugh Hodgson School of
Music, the ensemble per
forms a wide range of early
music, and usually with the
original instruments —
some of which have been
out of popular use for hun
dreds of years.
While the Collegium per
forms complex period
pieces, which Andaya
described as “challenging
but wonderful,” the ensem
ble is not exclusive to
music majors or faculty. In
fact, many of the members
have no other connections
to the school of Music.
Dr. Leigh Holland, an
academic adviser in
Franklin College, has been
a member of the Collegium
for the last three years and
said she joined because she
just “liked the old stuff bet
ter.”
For Holland, the music is
“like a puzzle” — it takes
time to put together.
A short, eight-minute
motet may take five to six
weeks to reach perform
ance quality and even
longer to fully perfect.
Andaya is committed to
tirelessly rehearsing a piece
to achieve the original qual
ity.
“One of the goals of
Collegium is to try to per
form the music as it was
meant to be,” Andaya said.
That means not only
perfecting the notes, but
also teaching members to
play unusual period instru
ments like the rebec (a
three-string, medieval pre
cursor to the violin), gamba
(a large instrument similar
to a cello) and the guitar
like lute.
When modern instru
ments are used, they are
augmented to remain true
to the original sound.
Ashley Garofalo, a senior
music major from
Woodstock, joined the
Collegium in Fall 2005.
“I really enjoy the oppor
tunity to perform such clas
sic works,” she said. “There
is so much to learn from
this music.”
That is exactly what
Andaya said she hopes the
Collegium can provide for
its members and its audi
ence: exposure and under
standing of the early mas
terpieces that get less
attention than their mod
ern counterparts.
“There’s a whole world of
music out there still waiting
to be heard,” Andaya said.
S795
PHILIP STEIN’
-0- TESLAR*
Downtown Athens
706-543-3473
Mon.-Sat. 10am-5:30pm
Experience the Teslar* Effect and let yourself
feel more relaxed, more rested and less tense.
Try it. Wear it. Live it. Feel rt.
OTolv 'sdBCorpomifl2006 MnarM• wwwptacsfeifflHtt'.cari
‘Chick lit’ authors angry at book
By KRISTA DERBECKER
kderbecke@randb.com
“Chick lit: A genre of Ac
tion that often recycles the
following plot: Girl in big city
desperately searches for Mr.
Right in between dieting and
shopping for shoes. Girl gets
dumped (sometimes repeat
edly) . Girl Ands Prince
Charming.”
With this deAnition on the
back of Elizabeth Merrick’s
collection of short stories,
“This Is Not Chick Lit:
Original Stories by America’s
Best Women Writers,”
Merrick makes it clear that
she’s forgoing the world of
makeovers and blind dates
for something more substan
tial.
This anthology, published
in August 2006, features more
than a dozen female literary
authors such as Jennifer
Egan, Francine Prose, Curtis
Sittenfeld and Jennifer Davis.
With its black cover and
bright pink title, the book
grabs attention from across
the bookstore, making a
statement about a new kind
of female writer.
At least, that’s what it
attempts to do. Many of the
same issues of love and loss
that occur in chick lit books
still are present in this collec
tion.
But unsurprisingly, the
stories that focus on those
banal themes are the weaker
ones, almost not even worth
reading.
My personal favorite was a
humorous and poignant
story about Almmakers docu
menting the life of Joan of
Arc. “Joan, Jeanne,
LaPucelle, Maid of Orleans,”
by Judy Budnitz is innovative
and unique, a stark contrast
from the cookie-cutter chick
lit novels, and even from
some of the other works in
the book.
Despite the book’s noble
intentions of raising female
readers’ standards, there has
been some opposition, espe
cially by chick lit writers
themselves.
Lauren Baratz-Logstead,
author of “The Thin Pink
Line,” and “A Little Change
of Face,” even came out with
a retaliatory work soon after
Merrick’s, called “This Is
Chick Lit.”
In a particularly nasty
online response to the origi
nal collection, Baratz-
Logstead, said Merrick’s
anthology is “bitch-slapping
the subgenre of chick lit.”
Maybe it is. I’ve never read
BOOK REVIEW
THIS
IS NOT
CHICK
LIT
“This Is Not Chick Lit”
Grade: C+
Verdict: Good idea, not the best
execution.
any of Baratz-Logstead’s
books, but I have read and
enjoyed some Jennifer Weiner
(“Good In Bed,” “In Her
Shoes”), who also responded
negatively to Merrick’s
anthology.
Weiner cites a letter that
petitioned Oprah to include
more contemporary litera
ture in her famous Book
Club.
The letter was signed by
numerous authors around
the country, including some
of the authors featured in
“This Is Not Chick Lit.”
“So on the one hand, it’s
‘Oprah, do your part for
women writers! We’re all in
this together, and we’re all
lost without you!’ And on the
other hand, we’ve got the
country’s (self-proclaimed)
best women writers turning
up their noses at their fellow
women author’ more com
mercial efforts,” Weiner wrote
on her Web log.
She does bring up a good
point. What makes these
writers “the best?” If this is
the absolute pinnacle of
female writing, I have to
admit, I’m a little disappoint
ed in the lack of creativity,
and also in the overall
somber feel of the collection.
Can a novel or short story
have a happy ending and still
be considered a serious
book? Are readers more
interested in breezy beach
reads than insightful works
of literature? Is it possible to
have a light-hearted book
that addresses deeper issues
(“Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya
Sisterhood,” for example)?
I may not put “This Is Not
Chick Lit” on the shelf with
my favorites like Margaret
Atwood or Isabel Allende,
but being a book nerd who
reads both literature and
chick lit, I’m just grateful for
the discussions this collec
tion has fostered about
female authors and their
works.
Greg Giraldo crude but amusing
By RUSTY BAILEY
rbailey@randb.com
Greg Giraldo is rude,
crude and doesn’t care what
comes out of his mouth.
In his new comedy CD,
“Good Day to Cross a River”,
he’ll Are at will at every type
of person he can think of.
Some of the most talked
about people are “fat, stupid
Americans.”
In one part, he mentions
how waitresses always ask if
you “have room” for dessert.
As if Americans eat so
much during their main
course that they have to
make room for a slice of pie.
But of course, we don’t
just eat a slice of pie; we have
Death by Chocolate. And he
just goes on and on about
how obese and moronic
Americans are.
However, he doesn’t stop
there. He pokes fun at
blacks, gays, couples, differ
ent religions and even burns
himself about being middle-
aged.
He mentions such things
as his balls dipping into the
toilet water, and how he gets
stares as he walks into an
Abercrombie and Fitch.
Many of his jokes will
make your jaw drop. You’ll
think to yourself, “I can’t
believe he just said that,” but
at the same time you’re grab
bing your side while laughing,
because you know it’s just
funny.
Greg Giraldo’s new CD is
deAnitely worth a listen. He
knows how to make you
GREG GIRALDO
Grade: A
Verdict: Don’t miss out on this
hilarious take on today's American
culture.
laugh and never misses a
beat with his in-your-face
humor.
THE WEST OF BOTH WORLDS
UNIQUE TQWNHOME FLOORPLANS
TANNING SALON Sand volleyball court
Residents tan for free!
Tennis courts
Swimming pool with
sun deck Computer lab
Basketball court On-site community
Barbeque grills assistance staff
‘WWlT RIVER WALK
TOWNHOMES
706.548.0600
400 Timothy Rd
riverwalktownhomes.com
1
Fitness center
Lighted tennis,
sand volleyball and
basketball courts
Washer and dryer in
each unit
river club
APARTMENTS
706.543.4400
1005 Macon Hwy
riverclubapts.com
Pwwd jprJ pvtmtMlty P? JH AMERICAN CAMPUS COMMUNITIES
Whistlebuiy • Whistlebury Walk
4 BR/4 BA 2,3,4 F>&/4 BA
♦
CONDOMINIUMS
u
in
Townhouses & Flats
Pool
Ceiling Fans
Laminated Hardwood Floors
Stone & Stucco
Monitored Alarms
Energy Efficient
Washer / Dryer
& Microwave
GEORGIA >
POWER
Consider Athens' Best Address for
Your Future Home!
Como Visit Us or Call Today!
Whistlebury Whistlebury Walk
543-0320 353-2977
NOW SHOWING APARTMENTS FOR FALL 2007
JEWELRY • ART
125 EAST CLAYTON STREET
DOWNTOWN
Student Notes™ is NOW HIRING!
Student Notes™ is now accepting applications for SPRING SEMESTER
If you are an execellent notetaker and a superior student, WE WANT YOU!
For info. Call 546-1440, or go to www.studentnotes.com
ACCT
2101
CHEM
1212
GEOG
1113
LEGL
2700
PHIL
2200
ACCT
2102
DRAM
2000
GEOG
1125
LEGL
4400
PHYS
1010
ADPR
3100
ECOL
1000
GEOL
1121
MARK
3000
PHYS
1111
ADPR
3850
ECOL
3500
GEOL
1122
MARK
4000
PHYS
1112
ANTH
1102
ECON
2100
GEOL
1125
MARK
4100
POLS
1101
ARHI
2100
ECON
2105
HACE
2000
MARK
4250
POLS
2000
ARHI
2200
ECON
2106
HACE
2100
MARK
4500
PSYC
1101
ARTS
2000
ECON
2200
HACE
3100
MARS
1010
PSYC
T> O T/T" 1
2101
ASTR
1010
ECON
4000
HACE
3150
MARS
1020
PSYC
RF AT,
jzoU
4000
ASTR
1020
ECON
4030
HACE
3200
MGMT
3000
RELI
lUU VJ
1001
BCMB
3100
ECON
4040
HACE
3300
MIBO
2500
RELI
1002
BIOL
1103
ENTO
2010
HACE
4100
MIBO
3500
RELI
1006
BIOL
1104
ESPY
2020
HACE
4310
MIST
2090
RMIN
4000
BIOL
1107
FDNS
2100
HACE
4400
MSIT
3000
SOCI
1101
BIOL
1108
FINA
3000
HACE
5100
MUSI
2020
SOCI
1600
BIOL
3500
FINA
4000
HACE
5150
MUSI
2040
SPCM
1100
CBIO
2200
GENE
3000
HIST
2111
MUSI
2060
SPCM
2300
CBIO
2210
GENE
3200
HIST
2112
NMIX
2020
STAT
2000
CHFD
2100
GEOG
1101
HIST
2701
PBIO
1210
STAT
rpTPT T7 1
3000
o n i n
CHFD
2950
GEOG
1103
HORT
2000
PBIO
1220
j U 1 u
CHEM
1110
GEOG
1111
JOUR
3310
PHIL
1000
■ Call
H MMA p J A afl J 4 A
CHEM
1211
GEOG
1112
JRLC
5040
PHIL
1500
|706-546-1440
NOTES FOR FINALS ON SALE NOW!
We are located inside Baxter Street Bookstore