A ccen t
1 8 The It hacan
Th ursday, Ja n ua ry 2 4 , 2 0 1 3
Short stories offer sharp social satire
thursday
by SHEA O’MEARA OPINION EDITOR
If the creative muses of “Catch 22” author Joseph Heller and “A Clockwork Orange” author Anthony Burgess got pathetically drunk and had a one night stand, the result would be something like George Saunders’ new book “Tenth of December.” Mark Twain would make a fitting godparent. “Tenth of December” is a collection of 10 short stories that create a timely social satire and a nearly complete “The Tenth of guide to being a decent moral December” person. In the book, Saunders George Saunders tackles the basics: love, patrioHHH tism, fear, relatives that don’t care enough and friends who care less. He attempts to drive home the flaws of the American characteristics with short words and simple characters — a tall task to say the least. Saunders doesn’t waste time creating thick, intricate plots. For the most part, his characters are easy-to-digest silhouettes of the stories we all know. In “Victory Lap,” a suburban daughter is abducted and then saved. Her story includes all the violence associated with modern search and rescue missions. In “Al Roosten,” a former high school loser struggles with unyielding envy of the richest man in town. The narratives, in their predictable simplicity, provide a base for a collective idea of what’s right and wrong. Saunders allows the reader to insert context and build personal meanings from the stick-figure characters he uses as puppets to illustrate human shortcomings. Even the characters meant to represent the moral downside of typical American life, like the jealous neighbor, have a tragic element that inspire more sympathy than disdain. Rather than encouraging his readers to hate the people who fall short of moral goodness, Saunders gives a reminder that moral flaws are human and natural. One exception to Saunders’ trend of creating simple stories is “Escape from Spiderhead,” a futuristic story in which scientists develop drugs that produce overwhelming emotions of love, lust and despair. The narrative calls into question the ability for science to triumph human emotion and the legitimacy of love and loss. The story ends in a voluntary emotional breakdown of its main character. Saunders managed to write a full book without
The Whipping Man, a Civil War drama set in Richmond, Va. The play will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Kitchen Theatre Company. Tickets cost $23.
friday
book Review
Bert Scholl and Friends, a Honky Tonk performance with country singer Bert Scholl, will take place at 9 p.m. at Booker’s Backyard. Admission is free.
Winter Village Bluegrass Festival, a concert featuring bluegrass performers, will take place at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at La Tourelle. Tickets cost between $25 and $30.
saturday
Winter Garden Tour is a Random House published George Saunders’ book Jan. 8. The New York Times best-selling author has contributed to The Guardian, the New Yorker and GQ. He is a professor at Syracuse University.
courtesy of RANDOM HOUSE
producing one possible plot spoiler. Nothing shocking happens and nobody is worse-off for it. The war veteran loses his temper with his dysfunctional family, a suicidal man is inspired by the opportunity to save a youngster and a neighbor acts on his jealousy of the rich former high school bully that now lives in a mansion in town. Because we’re not waiting around for something to go bump in the night, the narrative begs the reader to fill in the gaps and realize these stories act as the cultural backbone of American moral behavior. In “Home,” war veterans gather to talk about their time in combat. One former soldier admits he accidently hit a dog with a forklift. He assures his friends the dog survived and forgave the soldier enough to ride alongside him again in the forklift. The soldier then admits he was the reason a comrade was hit with shrapnel — he again assures his friends no lasting harm had come from his accidents. His friend
responds he’s glad the wounded comrade survived and says, “Probably he even sometimes rides up alongside you in the forklift.” By calling attention to the soldier’s trivial approach to violence and forgiveness, Saunders highlights a flaw in the American mindset regarding the social treatment of people in combat. The desire to deem injured soldiers healthy when it may not be that simple is examined. Though “Tenth of December” is a worthwhile read, Saunders fails to produce a work that will leave a new mark on the face of good satire. The book is more of the same sharp, dark humor Saunders is known for. While it shows traces of the genius inspired by writers like Heller, Twain and Burgess, this book isn’t likely to become a quick classic in an already cluttered genre. George Saunders’ “Tenth of December” was published Jan. 8.
Eclectic folk-rock musician debuts with lyrical album by JARED DIONNE SENIOR writer
Six months after announcing his departure from indie rock outfit Girls, Christopher Owens debuts his solo album. “Lysandre” showcases Owens’ adherence to his musical style but Christopher throws in some Owens eclectic touches. “Lysandre” Fat Possum Owens transiRecords. tions easily to his Our rating: new role as a solo HHH artist. The album’s first full-length track, “Here We Go,” is about as close to a typical Girls song as one could get. The only twist is a flute line that gives the song a borderline medieval feel. Soft guitar strumming is paired with
Album Review
hot dates
The Godfather, a digital
projection of the classic mafia film, will screen at the Willard Straight Theatre at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $8 for general admission, $5.50 for students and $5 for graduate students.
sunday
Book and Ephemera Auction, a public sale of a catalogue of rare and antique books and artwork will begin at 10 a.m. at the National Book Auctions. The event is free.
Punk band rocks rowdy sound by AMANDA HUTCHINSON CONTRIBUTING Writer
cascading arpeggios as Owens sings in a caressing whisper. “Lysandre” acts as a concept album with one continuous melodic theme, aptly titled “Lysandre’s Theme,” woven throughout the record. The theme finds its way into every song and is reworked with varying instrumentation. Through this, Owens explores musical styles, such as Caribbean, garage-rock and folk music. Without the theme, the album would seem relatively out of control given the vast array of instrumentation. Owens’ tracks hop around between harmonica, organ, lap-steel guitar and the flute. In “New York City,” Owens incorporates a rollicking saxophone line, something that seems to have gone extinct in modern rock music. The sax makes another appearance
Check out theithacan. org/spotify to listen to the songs featured in this week’s reviews!
guided walk through the gardens at the Nevin Welcome Center in the Botanical Gardens of Cornell Plantations. The tour will take place at 1 p.m.
Courtesy of FAT POSSUM RECORDS.
on the tropical-tinged cut “Riviera Rock.” Waves roll in and syncopated guitar strums kick the song into motion. Sax and piano pick up the album’s theme and offer a light, groovy perspective on the otherwise somber motif. With “Lysandre,” Owens makes it easy for his fans to make the jump from Girls’ material to his new tunes. He keeps the same sentimental folk-rock feeling but puts enough of a spin on it to give listeners something interesting and refreshing.
Despite having churned out its Irish punk rock ruckus for more than 16 years, the Dropkick Murphys show no sign of slowing down. The group’s latest album revisits many themes seen in the band’s previous albums. The first track, “The Boys Are Back,” begins the album in a marching style. As the song Dropkick opens up, more Murphys instruments in “Signed and Sealed in the group are Blood” incorporated, Born & Bred in particular the Records. Our bagpipes to give rating: it their signaHHH ture Irish flair. Subsequent tracks, including the titular track, “Rose Tattoo,” exhibit an almost pirate-like lilt
Album Review
inspired by the use of banjo, accordion and body percussion. The album closes with “End of the Night,” a soft ballad that offsets the rowdiness of the album but stays true to the instrumentation and lyricism that the group is known for. It ties the album together into a package that will satiate fans and introduce new listeners to the style this Boston collective has been churning out since 1996.
Courtesy of BORN & BRED RECORDS.
quickies “ARC”
“LOVE SIGN”
Everything Everything Sony RCA
Free Energy
DFA Records
This British indie rock band has received critical acclaim after the release of their second studio album. The 13 new tracks are filled with punchy drums and electronic vibes to win new listeners and satisfy any fans of the band.
Fans of this four-member, power-pop rock band will enjoy the band’s return after a nine-month break from recording. The new 10 tracks feature fast-paced beats and catchy lyrics in a new album worth celebrating. courtesy of DFA RECORDS
courtesy oF SONY RCA
Compiled by ROSE VARDELL