Forover16vran,theCoatingsE^ab.Inc.haswvedas a leading developmental laboratory which manufacturesindustrialcoatings,productfinishes andcwtomizedpaint.Thecompanyabodistributes paintsprayequipment.
sulky husband, pick my way around dumpsters, giant vents, and unhappy littleconifersamidwoodchipsuntilI findanotherstore,anotherentrance. Unfortunately,it’susuallyJ.C.Penney’s andanewmazeintheotherdirection. Thatblastofcoldairthathitsyou whenyou’vepeeledofftheMalllikea hotsweaterisgreatstuff—ahotfudge sundaeofthepsyche. Minotaurssulkthere,outsideinthe parkinglots,amongthelostpushcarts.
SeashellQuestions
Thisisanopenletter tothe product display designers at the Super Shaw’s and Super Shop ’n Save grocery stores, written at the request of a numberoffriends.
Pleasereadandheed,andifyougive usaseashellanswer,onethatturnsin onitselfincirclesuntilweforgetwhy we asked it, then we’ll know you’re dissembling and condemn you to walk throughthelabyrinthofPorteousatthe Maine Mall, where clever product designers like yourselves have con¬ trivedtodesignaspacewhere,once you’veentered,it’svirtuallyimpossible tofindyourwayout.
SometimesI’vebeensoangrywalk¬ ing, coruscating round and round in search of the way out of the Mall Porteous that I’ve imagined sales clerksscurryinginandcamouflaging theentrancebehindwhereImusthave entered with bins of sweaters, per¬ fume, and signs advertising store creditcards.InahuffI’llbustoutan unmarkeddoortothedarksideofthe moon, stroll through cool real air outsidethemall,and,likeatypical
Which brings us to Shop ’n Save, Shaws,et.al.Thecasehereisjustas perplexing.“Why,”afriendasks,“are thenewgiantstoresdesignedsothat youencounterallofyourlightlittle pretties(flowers,salads,takeoutsoup, andotherfripperies) first, onlytoput them in the bottom of your cart and latercrushthembeneaththeweightof the heavy, dripping fish, meat, and canned goods you buy in the later aisles. Who came up with this new aisle plan? And why? Why not the heavy stuff, which should be at the bottomofthecart,first?Youstart suspecting that the swordfish you’veboughtfordinnerisdripping intothesaladyou’rehopingtoeatfor lunch. I’ve got a slice of salmonflavoredlemonmeringuepieforfirst personwhotriestotellmeit’ssome¬ how for our own good.
Mail
Kim BlockReplies
Asajournalistwhopridesherselfon gettingthefactsright,I’mwritingto correct a statement made during my recentinterviewwithElizabethPeavey. Atthetime,Iwasundertheimpression there had never been a female news directorinMaine.Well,wakeup,Kim! Asitturnsout,SueBernardhasheld that exact position for 11 years at WAGMinPresqueIsle.Myapologiesto Suefornotgivingherwell-deserved credit for an achievement few women in America, let alone Maine, have realized.
It was such a pleasure working professionallywithElizabeth,whois notonlyoneofmyclosestfriends,but also an extremely talented writer. Thanks, PortlandMonthly, for con¬ sidering me an interesting enough subjectforacoverstory.Speakingof cover,IalmostranforitafterIsawthe sizeofthephotograph!
Continued success to your maga¬ zine.
Kim Block NewsChannel 13 Portland
Export ChinaLecture
Yourmostinformativelecturetothe Chinese-AmericanFriendshipAssocia¬ tionofMaine(generatedasaresultof thecoverstory“IntotheBlue:Maine and the China Trade,” July/August 1991) was fascinating. It is fun to realizethehistoryoftheheirloomswe have and to become more educated on thesubject.
1 look forward to your magazine each month.
PattyWilliams Portland
Humble Farmer
Enjoyed your cover story on Kim Block (February/March 1992). I openedtothemiddleofthemagazine and,startingtoreadinthemiddleof thestory,gotthroughtwopagesofit beforeIrealizedIwasreadingadif¬ ferentinterview—theonewithPhilip
Levine (“Portland’s Cosmic Window,” by Loren Coleman).
FortherestofmylifeI’llbewillingto swearthatKimBlockwasaverysmart kid who went to Hebrew School. 1 knowit’struebecauseIreaditinthe PortlandMonthly.
Robert Skoglund
The Humble Farmer, St. George
Single Peaks
1amalongtimesummerresidentof PeaksIslandwholovesPortland.Ilook forward especially to seeing your magazinecarryapieceoftheisland backtomeinthelatefallandwinter. Keep up the good work.
Robert H. Rose Worcester
SchoolroomCopies
Weareenjoyingtheeightsubscrip¬ tionsof Portland Monthly you have donated for classroom use by the studentsatReicheSchool.Thank-you!
VirginiaBeal Portland
We are proud to make Portland Monthly availabletoMaineschoolsfor useinclassrooms;formoreinforma¬ tion,writetousat578CongressStreet, Portland,ME04101,careofJohanna Hanaburgh. —Ed.
WalterCoreyChairs
Weenjoyedyourrecentarticleon Walter Corey chairs (“The Furniture RevolutionofPortland,Maine,”Decem¬ ber 1992, by Ed Welch) and enclose anotherarticleonthesubjectforyour readers’ consideration—a 1982 story on Walter Corey’s Exchange Street “manufactory” that appeared in The MagazineAntiques.
Vie. own some plank seat chairs by Corey—with plain finishes, probably maple. We also have a second set of chairspaintedblackwithstencils.
In addition, we just shipped four chairsthatmatchthepairfeaturedin yourstorytoourdaughterinCalifornia.
761-2150 538 Congress Street 10am to 5:30pm • Mon - Sat DebutinginMayintheHayBuilding Rare and Used Books Maps and Prints Bought & Sold Highest Prices Paid Search Service Tax&InsuranceAppraisals Singleitemsorlargecollectionswanted BROWSERS ALWAYS WELCOME
PORTLAND
Founders. Colin And Nancy Sargent
This magazine is printed on Maine-made paper pro¬ duced by Champion International. Bucksport. Maine. Laser Cover Separations a nd image assembly by Cham¬ plain Color Service. (802) 658-6088. Cover printed by Franklin Printing, (207) 778-4801.
PORTLAND Monthly Magazine is published by Colin and Nancy Sargent, 578 Congress Street, Portland. ME 04101. All correspondence should be addressed to 578 Congress Street. Portland. ME 04101.
Advertising Office: 578 Congress Street, Portland. ME 04101 (207) 775-4339
Subscriptions: Inside U.S.: $20 for 1 year, $32 for 2 years, $40 for 3 years. Outside U.S.: add $6.
Newsstand cover date: April 1992, publ. March 1992, Vol. 7, No. 2. copyright 1992 PORTLAND Monthly Magazine is mailed at third-class mail rates in Port¬ land. ME 04101. (ISSN: 0887-5340). Opinions ex¬ pressed in articles are those of authors and do not represent editorial positions of PORTLAND Monthly Magazine. Responsible only for that portion of any advertisement which is printed incorrectly, and as compensation we will run a correction in the following issue. Nothing in this issue may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publishi ers. Submissions welcome, but we take no responsibil| ity for unsolicited materials.
PORTLAND Monthly Magazine is published 10 times annually by Colin and Nancy Sargent. 578 Congress Street. Portland, with newsstand co ver dates of Winter¬ guide, February March, April, May. Summerguide, July August. September. October. November, and December.
BUCKSPORT, U.S.A
AhandymaninHoustonchoosesatoolfromhisSears’catalog...amother inKansasCitycooksdinnerfromarecipein GoodHousekeeping. ..anoil riggerinAlaskafindsoutaboutthelatestmiddleeastconflictinthepages of Newsweek...and anavidfaninNewJerseyanalyzestheprospectsof ourOlympicrowingteamwithhelpfromthepagesof SportsIllustrated.
Our 1,200 employees and four paper machines produce almost 450,000 tonsofpaperayear,continuingtheinnovationsthathavemadeusleaders inlightweight,coatedpaperproduction.
FrankAkerssaysitbest.“Peoplein the 1980s wondered how we acquiredsomuchpropertyforso littleinthe1970s.Theyalways wished they could have been therewithus.”Butnow,hesays,you don’t have to wish for that 1970s feeling anymore. The recession has moved 1970s prices, like the oftlampooned Carpenters’ song, “Close To You.”
Extremelyclose.“Justlookoutthe window,” Akers exhorts. “These are definitely1970sprices.”
Yes,pricesarelow,butformany,it’s agooddealmoredifficultpayingthem now than it was paying high prices during the boom. In this time of extremevolitility,theunthinkablehas become the rule rather than the exception.
Unthinkable: SabreYachtshasjust been snapped up by an investment group led by a Florida businessman. Theseller?CascoNorthernBank.
Unthinkable: thatacompletecom¬ mercialbuildingonCongressStreet, the former KARATE building near MonumentSquare,hasrecentlysoldat auction for $30,000. This is not a
misprint.
Unthinkable: thatalltheequip¬ mentinthevauntedBlueMoonnight¬ club/restaurantthatdazzledussoin the eighties could be picked up by clever,steadyArchieGiobbiofGiobbi’srestaurantonerainydayonthe 21stofFebruary,forjust$25,000.
Somebody’s got to run all these abandoned businesses!
And 1 guess we all know what’s unthinkable—just about everything that’s happening right now—a sorry confusionofDickensandSteinwhich spews out dada homilies like “the worstoftimesandtheworstoftimes.”
Thereishighartinthistypeofgrave¬ digging,though,becauseitcantakeus down to the bedrock sincerety that might pull us out of the recession. Somewhere, somehow, say Portland’s business brokers, the crocuses of a new economy will appear when le¬ gionsofSincereSellersareintroduced tolegionsofSincereBuyers.
Happily,areabrokerssaythattimeis
closeathand.SaysAkers:“Whenthe climate, the atmosphere is exactly right,then—barringbureaucraticinter¬ ference—out come the entrepreneurs, gamblers, and risk takers who could bringthecitybackthewaytheOldPort wasbroughtbackinthe1970s.”
idgery Thomas, Jr. of Cor¬ porate Finance Associates, 477 Congress Street, also hopestoseethe‘robinsofre¬ covery.’“Thisyearwesoldthe Harris Co.’s industrial and marine divisiontoEasternFireandSecurity, which is owned by John C. Axelson, who is always called Chris Axelson. Chris had been a sales manager at SabreYachts(thatnameagain)inthe past, and the Harris Co. was hav¬ ing financial difficulty with Casco
NorthernBank.JoeO’DonnellandBill DarlingofthePilotGroupwantedusto come up with a buyer, and we did, within a three-month period. There weregoodbitsofsynergy”forAxelson, who, in addition to his maritime background with Sabre also had recently“acquiredalargebuildingat RiversideIndustrialPark.”
Talk about low-hanging fruit! Thomas,inalevelvoice,saysthatyes, thelargebuildingatRiversideIndus¬ trialParkwasabout10yearsoldand acquiredfor“averyfavorableprice.It usedtobeownedbyA.W.Hastings,a hardwood distributor. They left the areaorliquidatedorboth.”
Thomasnexttellsthestoryofthe sale of a local company, Very Best Checkwriters to Reynolds and Rey¬ noldsofDayton,Ohio,aFortune500 company.InordertowinVeryBestas anexclusivelisting,“webroughtJim Anderson,whohasexpertiseinselling printingcompanies,infromourCor-
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porate Finance Associates office in Indianapolis.”Soundsokay,butthis one ends sadly. “Reynolds and Rey¬ nolds decided not to continue oper¬ atingthebusinessinMaine.Basically theyboughtthecustomerlist,equip¬ ment, name, and inventory. Forty peoplelosttheirjobshere.Theun¬ favorable workman’s comp structure inMainewasafactorintheirdecision toleavethestate.”
Thomas sees the pace of sales quickening up. “I would think we’re goingtoseemorebecausethesellers haverealizedthattheyhavetoreduce thepriceandalignthiswithexisting conditionsoutthere.”
Asked about the Blue Moon, pos¬ siblythesincerestsellerintheregion, Thomas hastily says, “We don’t do brokerageonthehospitalityindustry.” Blue Moon? “We’ve sold that twice inthelasttwoyears!”laughsCliff ColbyofColby&Nelson,3Canal Plaza,afewminuteslater.“The lastonewasaforeclosure."
Colby says there’s a nickname to describe the buyers of many bunches of low-hanging grapes and plums: “CorporateDropouts.”
“Theyhaveanestegg,”heexplains. “Forsomereason(goldenparachutes, retirement rollovers, downsizing, being fired, dream of coming to Maine) they’ve lost their present position and are now asking them¬ selves‘Who’sgoingtohiremenowat my present salary?’ They come from largermarketslikeNewYork.Sothey come here and buy a business.”
“Usually,mostofourtransactions areowner-financed.Wetrytopullthe real estate out of the transaction whereverwecan.Weliketogetalot ofmoneyupfrontfortheownersothat hecantakebackpaperfortherestof it.”
Exampleofaspectacularcorporate dropout?WilliamHaggett,formerCEO ofBathIronWorks,voluntarilyleftthe company earlierthisyearamid a storm ofcontroversyaboutfederalbidding procedures;monthslater,he’soneof
thenewownersofSugarloafskiresort. InColby’sscenario,banksarevir¬ tuallyleftoutofthepictureinmanyof thesmallertransactions.AgreesWil¬ burPhilbrookofVRBusinessBrokers, 449ForestAvenue,“Thesellertakes backapromissorynote.Thebanksare of absolutely no use to us now, or damnlittle.In90%ofoursales,”he says, “people (corporate dropouts)
“Theonlythingthat’sdifferentnow thanduringaboomisthatthereare more buyers looking for an under¬ capitalized company. Brushing in detailonthese“CorporateDropouts,” headds,“It’ssomeonewho’stakenan earlyretirementbecauseoftheecon¬ omy—say, from sellingstocks orworkinginmarketing—whoisabletotakea long-established family business whichisundercapitalizedorlacksthe skillsthatheorshehastotakeittothe nextlevel.”
Arethesesincerebuyersoroppor¬ tunistsorboth?
“Some of these people don’t have entrepreneurialbloodtotheextentof somebody who’s started the business upfromthebackofhistruck,”Colby says.“Theyarenotalwaystakingthe fullmeasureofrisks”thattheoriginal dreamer took.
on Giancola of Country Bus¬ iness Inc., 1 Union Wharf, is familiarwiththeCD(notcom¬ pactdisk,certificateofdeposit, butrather corporatedropout) term.
D“We’ve recently sold New England Barricade. You know, the company thatmakesallthoselittleblackand white sawhorses you see on highways withflashinglightsontop?Itisa fabulousbusiness,likeano-brainer,”
he says. “It was purchased by Warren Frank of Massachusetts, a corporate dropout from Stanley Hardware.” A formerseniorexecutive,infact.Gian¬ cola also reports the “S.D.S. Safety Products of South Portland has been soldtoSchoonerIndustrialProductsof Canada. We have seen an influx of Canadians wanting to buy businesses here.”
Anotherrecentsaleis“Quicksign,in Portsmouth,N.H.,whichwasboughtby a husband-and-wife team of corporate dropouts from Long Island, New York. Both have MBAs, both worked in con¬ trollerpositionsorabove.”
Giancola’s company has earned recognition in recent issues of Inc. magazine, the Harvard Business Re¬ view, andKiplinger’snewsletterforthe formula Country Business Services, Inc.usesinordertodetermineabus¬ iness’s value. Condensing the steps from Inc., they are: “1) prepare a stabilized income account; 2) deter¬ minethevalueoftangibleassets;3) determinethe‘costofmoney’(annual investmentcostoftangibleassets);4) determine‘excessearnings’(earnings asdeterminedinStep1less‘costof money’); 5) calculate a multiple for excessearnings;6)calculatevalueof excess earnings (excess earnings as determinedinStep4timesthemultiple derivedinStep5);7)determinetotal business value by adding asset value (Step 2) to value of excess earnings (Step6).’’
Here,thefirststepreallyhelpsyou gettowhatyour“realearningpower” is.“Realearningpower,”saysthe Inc. story, “is defined as what you think earningswillbeovera12-monthper¬ iod...this...figurecannotbebasedon wishfulthinking...”
Basically,it’saciderpress.What comes out when you’re finished is a SincereSeller.
GiancolanotesthatevenCorporate Dropouts aren’t what they used to be becausetheymaynotbeabletoderive cash from selling their homes before movinguphereforthegreatadventure /
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“Upuntiltwoyearsago,mostofour business was done with outside peo¬ ple who wanted to move here—golden parachuteorpensionrollovers.Now, home equity loans have hurt us be¬ causethey’vealreadyspentit.”
Relatively speaking, that means “more locals.” As an example, Gian¬ coladescribestherecentpurchaseof Dougherty Travel in Yarmouth by DonnaLittlefield,untilthen“ahouse-
Country Business Services is the agentofrecordfortheinnthatplayed hosttoTV’smostcelebratedofcor¬ poratedropouts,BobNewhart.
The place has an eerie magnetism. “Wehavesoldthatinnthreetimesin thelast12years!”Giancolalaughs. Wilbur Philbrook, of VR Bus¬ inessBrokers,hasastoryto tell about The Place, a con¬ venience store on 425 Forest Avenue. “The person who has boughtitwasrelativelyseniorinthe comptroller department of Bath Iron Works before being laid off. He’d workedinagrocerystoreasayoung manandwantedtotryitagain.Signof the times—his kid was unemployed whenhelosthisjob,sonowhecould bringhimin,too,whichwasgreat.”
Philbrook says, “The guy at The Placebeforehadowneditfor16years. He was flat-out tired. He wasn’t keeping it up, sweeping The Place, keepingitbrightandshiny.Thenew ownershavebeenthereforthirtydays. Walk in and see The Place now. You can see the change. Walk in 30 days from now and there’ll be that much more of an improvement.”
Heleansintothetelephonetoim¬ partagreatsecret.“Ninetypercentof these people," he says, “are buying themselves a job.” ■
YOU MAY NOT realize it, but you’ve been very much in touch with Maine decathlon legend JeffBannisteroverthepast20 years.“Ididsixorseven‘White Shadows,’ (remember the TV show, starringKenHoward?)playingarefer¬ ee,”saysJeff.1workedforNike(shoe company)forover10years,”wherehe, among other accomplishments, devel¬ oped the now-rampant practice of subtlyintroducingNikeshoesontothe feetofHollywoodactorsandextras,a not-so-subliminal mode of implicit product endorsement that won Ban¬ nisterrecognitionandfriendshipwith
Hollywood production teams who in turntookalikingtohisactingand includedhimforahostofminorroles thathavethecapacitytosurprise.
“Do you remember Stephen Spiel¬ berg’s'TwilightZone?”’
Do I? You weren’t one of those creepylittlegargoyleguyscrawlingout thereonthewingsofthatairlinerat 30,000feet,wereyou?
“That was the second part,” Ban¬ nisterlaughs.“1wasinPartI,theone where the kid turns everyone into cartoons?I’mtheguywhoknocksthe kiddownatthebeginning.”
remember him!
That giant, mean guy was you? I
Jeff’svoice,stillbooming,athletic, andtingedwithlong-hairedUniversity of New Hampshire irony, gets even morejocularashesays,“Iwasalsothe Nikeshoesalesmanin‘BestFriends,’ withGoldieHawn,BurtReynolds,and RonSilver.”
The acting was only a sidelight whichevolvedcuriouslyfromhisjob. But producers then began to ask for himoccasionally.“IdidaTVseries called‘240Robert,’apoliceshow,with MarkHarmon,”hesays.“Obviously,it didn’tmakeit.”
He was the newspaper reporter in “Rocky111,"and“1gotagoodroleina TVmoviecalled‘Starflight1,’wherehe starredasthepilotof,well,Starflight1. Allasasidelight,youunderstand. HelivesoutsideSeattle,Washing¬ ton,andismarriedtowifeCandice, whom he met through mutual friends while living in LA. “We have a son, Troy.Heturned3onMarch4.”
HecomestoMainefairlyoftentosee hismotherandstepfather,wholivein BarHarbor.“She’ssemi-retired.She runsTheGrayElf,agiftshop,upthere. My sister, Dorian Bannister Chase, lives in Windham. My grandmother is 90andlivesinPortland.IwasinMaine thefirstweekinDecember.Igettothe Bostonareaclosetoonceamonth.”
Jeff’slastdecathlonwasinEugene, Oregon in 1975 “after my second achilles tendon surgery. But I was gettingtoooldandcreaky.I’vekeptmy originalshotanddiscusfromthe1972 OlympicTrials,though.”Hegoesout and throws them “once in a while. Theydon’tseemtogoasfarasthey usedto!
“Oddlyenough,IfoundIwasn’teven atrack-and-fieldfanafterawhile.It’s odd—I never believed it would hap¬ pen,butIjustdriftedaway.”Jeffenjoys Lakers games, plays basketball (he starredforCheverusandUNH)"twoto threetimesaweek,”anddoesn’t“even see (Bruce) Jenner too much any¬ more.”Jenner,theeventual1976Olym¬ pic decathlon champion, finished
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JeffgothisbigbreakhereinPort¬ landin1964.“Thatsummer,theyheld the national AAU Men’s Pentathlon championships at Westbrook. Bill Toomey, the 1968 Olympic champion, hadwonitthreetimesrunning.They wantedlocalcolor,so1wasaskedto compete.Isaidsure,I’lldoit.Itcaused quiteacommotionlocally.Icalledhim ‘Mr.Toomey’duringthecompetition.A few people didn’t show up, and I surprisedmyselfbytakingthird.”From nowhere,Bannisternowhadaninter¬ national ranking, even though “I’d
JeffBannistertoday,nearSeattle. neverpolevaultedorrunafullflightof hurdles”intheyearsprior.“Ithink FatherBresnehan,ourcoach,gotthe assignment because there was no one elsearoundtotakeit.Cheverusdidn’t evenhaveatrackforustopracticeon backthen!”
Or,unfortunately,now.
“Ididn’tdoadecathlonuntil1966,in Salina, Kansas. My parents gave me ticketstoSalinaformybirthday,"he says.AttheMen’sAAUChampionships inSalina,Jeff,stillateenager,scored anincredible7,009pointsinhisfirsteverdecathlon.
Howdidhegettoenterthenational championships if he’d never done a decathlon before?
Jeffexplainsthatthingswerealittle less formal then. For a qualifying standard,hejustsentinalistofhis personalbestsinthe10events.
Askedabouthisbest30secondsin trackandfield,hesays,“Ithastobe winningtheOlympicTrialsin1972,in thefirstmomentsafterfinishingthe 1500.I’dfinishedfourthinthe1968 Olympic Trials and missed the team, so this meant so much to me and my family. 1 remember walking around, looking up, and knowing I’d scored 8,120.” ■
Hildreth
City Hall’s economic director hopes to wake a sleeping city.
ByColinSargent
Congress Street at city expense to make that block more marketable, as well as publicly expressing disap¬ pointment that Recoil Management hasdecidedtotosstheformerMaine National Bank headquarters on the realestatemarketatsuchabadtime for the city—will become, in part, flutteringlyvisibletoyouthissummer whenthewholecitylightsupwitha very ambitious banner program that Ms.Darling,herassistant,describesin thisway:
The city will have “72 thematic bannersallalongCongressStreet,as well as a total of 52 institutional banners."Theseveryattractiveinsti¬ tutionalbannerswillbedesignedto graphicallytrumpetoutthenamesof theartsinstitutionsthey’reinfrontof. For example, the city banners will colorfullyidentifyPortlandStageon5 poles, both sides; Maine Historical SocietyandtheLongfellowHouseon2 poles,bothsides;CityHallAuditorium (natch) on 4 poles for a total of 8 banners;PortlandMuseumofArt,7for 14;andthenewChildren’sMuseumof Art,3for6total.
CitymanagerRobertGanleybusts unannounced into the begin¬ ningofthisinterviewtogive risingmunicipalstarVirginia Hildreth,35,sometipsonup¬ coming TV appearances.
Wait a second. The perennially short-sleeved,jacketlessBobGanley— our Bob Ganley—is handing out advice on imaging?
“I’vegottatellyoutostoprolling youreyes,”hebeginsinstructivelywith a laugh to economic development directorHildreth,whopolitelyreturns the laugh the way I’ve seen people return an improperly cooked salmon. HildrethwasonTVagainlastnight,her increasinglyhighprofileduetothe ongoing implementation of the Down¬ townPortlandCorporation,theentity recentlycreatedbythecity“tostim¬ ulate growth and development in Downtown by improving (the) image of Downtown, strengthening business enterprise,andcreatinganincentive forprivateinvestment”
You have to wonder if a senior femaleexecutivewouldhaveintruded
onamaledepartmentheadinjustthis way. Undaunted, Ganley jokes and mentorssomemorebeforethefrosted glass door of Room 205 swings shut and Hildreth resumes her discussion aboutthenew“CulturalLiaisonPer¬ son”thatthecitymanagerhasrecently committed to. This person is really goingtobetwopeople,sheexplains, “Phil Meyer coordinating and Liz Darling(theassistantEconomicDirector) assisting.” The CLP is tasked with helping all of the area arts organ¬ izationscrystallizeintoastronger, interdependentsinglecityimage,and with the arrival this summer of the Children’sMuseumat142FreeStreet andtheoutstandingstridestakenthis year by Portland Stage and Portland MuseumofArtinparticular,thenew CLP could, with energy and purpose, makeanincredibledifferenceinthe city’shistory.
Doyoudesireproof?Hildreth,who has a gift for making concrete im¬ provements to the city that others might shy away from—among them pulling down the KARATE sign on
VWTTith the city sagging in the ■ ■ / stra Ps “deinvestment,” as Bl/Hildrethcallsit,thiswillbea WWwelcomesignoflifefortravelJflers,animmediate,short-term improvement.
“The planning department is look¬ ingatwaysofbetterlightingupareas ofCongressStreet,”saysHildreth,who majoredinpoliticalscienceatWestern Washington University. “Alex Jaeg¬ erman’sheadingthatup.”
Also, look for “one-on-one coun¬ seling,"withcitystaffworkingasa liaison between business owners and businesscounselorstoprovidetech¬ nical assistance as well as help in developingbusinessplans,costcon¬ trol,andfinancialmanagement.
If we don’t have the answers yet, Hildrethseemsdeterminedatleastto start asking the right questions. M
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Janwillem vande Wetering
InterviewBySanfordPhippen
TanwillemvandeWeteringlikesthewintersinMaine;infact,hehas Ispentmostofhisprofessionalwritingyearsathishomeonthe IcoastnearEllsworth.ADutchmanbybirth,hecameheretosettle Ipermanentlyin1975asthediscipleofaZenmasterwhomhehad met in Kyoto, Japan, where he had spent two years studying VBuddhism.HisexperiencesinaJapanesemonasterycametolifein hisfirstbest-sellingbook, TheEmptyMirror (1972).Hissecondbook, AGlimpseofNothingness (1974), was a work that he now regrets Continuednextpage
KEVIN LEDUC
having written because of its tooidealized portrait of “American Zen days.”
Halffinishedwithhislatestnovel, MaineMassacreII, Janwillemsaysitis asequeltohis Maine Massacre, pub¬ lishedin1979,anotherinhispopular and critically acclaimed series of detectivenovelsfeaturinghisphilo¬ sophical characters Detective GrijpstraandSergeantdeGier,whoalways seem more interested in the motiva¬ tionsbehindcriminalactionsthanin solvingthecrimesthemselves.
This new novel is the first since SeesawMillions, publishedin1988.“I stopped drinking, and I stopped writing,”Janwillemexplains.“There have been short stories and several scripts,butIcouldn’tgetanovelout.I haveplentyofexcusesfornotwriting."
The Amsterdam cop series began in 1975with OutsiderinAmsterdam, later madeintoaDutchfilm,andhascon¬ tinuedwith10moretitles.Therehave alsobeensixothernovels,including onemysterytoldincomicbookform. Therehavebeenfourchildren’sbooks, threeofthemfeaturingaMainepor¬ cupine character named Hugh Pine.
The critics have been very kind, oftengenerous,andevenecstaticin theirpraisesofvandeWetering’swork. Hisstylehasbeencomparedtocaviar.
An anonymous critic for KirkusRe¬ views wrote,“Averyspecialsortof mysterywriter...mystical,exoticand moodily ironic.” He has been called ‘‘the inventor of the philosopher¬ thriller”and“oneofthegreatmystery writersintheworld”with“oneofthe bestseriesincopfiction.” Time maga¬ zinelabeledhim“asuperlativemys¬ terywriter,”andTheNewYorkTimes describedhiswritingasacombination of “cool prose, serene mind, impish wit.” Edgar Allen Beem of the Maine Times described van de Wetering as “irreverentwithborderlinenihilism... (a)suaveEuropeanartistinexileon theMaineCoast."
In a rave review of The MindMurders, John Leonard of The New York Times wrote, “Mr. van de Wet¬ eringislessamysterywriterthanheis a mystagogue. His odd-angled novels more and more resemble the sort of thing Simenon might have done if Albert Camus or Kobo Abe had sublet hisskull.Theymakeasinistermusic as they seek the true law. They are
Van de Wetering was born in Rot¬ terdamin1931andin1950heleftfor SouthAfricawherehelived,worked, and became a memberof a motorcycle gang. At the age of 25, he studied philosophyinLondonforayear.Then thereweretwoyearsinJapan.In1961, he moved to Peru and Columbia, wherehemethiswifeJuanita.There was a year in Australia and then a returntotheNetherlandsfor10years, sevenofwhichheserved,becausehe wasconsideredadraft-dodger,inthe Amsterdam police force as a student policeman.Here’swherehepickedup hismaterialforhisdetectivenovels.
All of this wandering about the worldwastheresult,hesays,ofacrisis in his youth when he lived through Rotterdam being bombed by the Ger¬ mans in World War II and the mur¬ deringofhisJewishclassmatesbythe Nazis.Wherewasthe“lovingGod”that hewasbroughtuptobelivein?What wasthepurposeoflife?Christianity didnotseemtobetheanswer.Neither didhisstudyofWesternphilosophy.“1 was always worried about The Ab¬ solute,”saysJanwillem.
So,isvandeWeteringanihilist?
Yesandno,hesays.Hedoesbelieve that all values are baseless, that nothingisknowable,andthatlifeitself ismeaningless.Buthedoesn’tbelieve inthrowingbombs,orthatthedestruc¬ tionofexistingpoliticalandsocial institutionsisnecessary.
“Ultimately,’’ he says, “there is nothingness,butweshouldstrivetodo theabsolutebestwecanjustforthe hellofit.Weshouldmaintainadetatchedattitudebutkeepstriving.”
free,”hesays.
Janwillem writes about accepting thechaosoflife.“Youhavetolearn how to be caught in order to become
Does the world have a conscience? “No,”saystheworldlywriter.“Every¬ thingishaphazard.Thingshappen.All we can do is adjust to whatever is happening and make the best of it. Intelligenceismakingoptimumuseof agivensetofcircumstances,butyou can’tchangethecircumstances.”
Another outstanding character¬ isticofvandeWetering’swork ishiswonderfulsenseofblack humorandhiswit.“Itrytowrite realistically,”hesays,“andthat often comes off as funny because people bullshit each other contin¬ uously.Idon’ttelljokesoranything.” Someofthemysterywritersheadmires are Graham Greene, Raymond Chand¬ ler,CharlesWilleford,andtheDutch writervanGulik.He’salsoaFrederick Exleyfan.“Beautifulwriting,”hesays, “withsomerealthoughtbehindit.It’s notlinear.He’sfunnyandintense.”
As for his own writing habits and style,heusuallywritesfirstinDutch andthentranslatesintoEnglish.“Eng¬ lish is a foreign language to me. 1 alwayslookupthewordsIdon’tknow. BeforeIusedacomputer,1carrieda dictionaiyaround.Iwriteinmyhead allthetime—backandforth,walking around.Ikeepthinkingofasentence orsomethingthatdidn’tfit,thatIdidn’t getquiteright.”Hepauses.“Iwritethe finisheddraft.Ineverunderstoodthis firstorseconddraftbusiness.Ialways writethefinalbook.”
Whenit’swarmer,hewritesinhis “writingcabin”downapathfromhis main house; but in the winters, he shareshiswife’slovelystudiowhere she does her sculpture and ceramic work.Allaroundhisestatearesculp¬ tures,statues,andunusualartobjects made by the van de Weterings from materialthattheypickupandfind.
“1 have to make something,” Jan¬ willemsays.“Itjustpopsupoutofme.I findtheobjectsandthenIseewhat theyaregoingtobe.Mystoriescometo meinasimilarmanner.”
Hedoesn’tmisshisnativecountry.He likesthespacehehashere—fortyacres onthewater.There’sessentiallyno industryandthewaterisclean.He’s justboughtalobsterboatthathasbeen convertedintoacabincruiser.Henamed itforhismother.Andheadds,inhis characteristicandwittyway,“Ourdog is named for my mother, too.” H
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hen1visitbeachesIviewthem as historical documents, pagesofageologicaldetective storyladenwithcluesofMaine’s maritime commerce from the 17th,18th,and19thcenturies.
Littledowerealizethatmanyofour favoritebeachesarelitteredwithmar¬ itimetrashaccumulatingoverthepast 300—400 years. This trash, ballast rocks picked up elsewhere in the worldtostabilizeshipsduringtheir voyages, was finally discarded in harbors and beaches along the Maine coast.
InMaine’sriversattheentrytoearly southern ports such as the Isles of Shoals. York, Kennebunkport, Bidde¬ ford Pool, Saco, Portland, and Yar¬ mouththere’sdiscardedcoralfromthe Rum Trade that of course does not
flourishnaturallyalongtheseshores. InadditiontotheWestIndiesbrain coralpicturedabove,whichwasfound in the Kennebunk River, there are considerablequantitiesofstarcoral (solenastrea hyades) discarded in heaps along the coast—mostly from the17thand18thcentury,alongwitha gooddealoflimestonefromtheWest Indies,allofwhich,inshadesofwhite orcream,areinhighcontrasttothe fragmentsofdarkEnglishflintor,still darker,nativeigneousrockthatgotto ourriversonitsownaccount,orwith thehelpofaglacier.
Even on the island of Monhegan thereissomeveryearlycoralwhich may date back to trading vessels working for Capt. John Smith—who venturedintotheWestIndiesTradefor a time—very early coral because
there’s little documentation of any subsequent trade with the BermudaAntigua-Nevisareafromthispredom¬ inantlyfishingisland.
The coral at these southern dumps waseitherloadedontothevesselsina fossil state or brought onboard as piecesofunabradedlivecoralcutright offthereefs.
The starkness of Caribbean coral considerablybrightensupthecanvas ofwhatweexpecttoseeatlowtide along Maine’s beaches—a Magee painting.
Each piece of ballast is a late¬ comer—a calling card from ports of the world, while the earlier native rocks are solemn, distinctive. The colorandtexturesofigneousgranites and the banded metamorphic rocks speak eloquently as to where in the northernpartofthestatetheybegan theirlongjourneytothecoast.Bytheir shape, you can tell that some were carriedquietlywithintheiceofthe greatcontinentalicesheet,amileor moreinthickness,thatflowedeverso slowly toward the sea, while others were embedded in the bottom of the ice, as cobbles that abraded the underlying landscape, while still others were shaped in the rumbling turbulenceofgreatmeltwatertunnels thatcoursedundertheice.
Isthereavaluetoballastthatwas discardedbyourforebears?1feela record of Maine’s maritime history existsnotonlyintherottinghulks groundedalongitsshorelines,neatly executedship’spaintingswithstern¬ facedDownEastseacaptains,wooden half-models, and nautical memor¬ abilia arranged in marine museums, butalsoinitsballastrandomlyscat¬ tered in long overlooked open-air galleries—itsbeaches.
The great parade of ships which sailedacrossthecenturiesleftaper¬ manentyetsubtletrailofgeological trash. The common practice of dump¬ ingballastoverthesideintoharbors and channels began to hinder nav¬ igationevenintheColonialperiod. Laws were soon enacted designating offshoredumpingsites,andlogcribs were constructed around the harbors sothatshipscouldtieup,discardtheir ballastand,intheprocess,createnew wharf space. In remote areas of the coast,majorrepairsandevenroutine hull maintenance required that the
vessels be careened on a protected beach and in the process the bilge soaked ballast was replaced with cleanrocks.Atscatteredsettlements, vesselswerehauledoutonprimitive marinewaysandtheballastdiscarded. Shipwrecks also served to scatter ballastalongthecoast
Northern Maine ports have sig¬ nificantquantitiesofEnglishflintfrom our Colonial period, some types so unusualtheycanbeattributedtoin¬ dividual English seaports such as Portsmouth. Rough lumber ports like Bath, Wiscasset, Newcastle, Thomas¬ ton, Rockland, Rockport, Camden, LincolnvilleBeach,Searsport,Belfast, and Machias ended up with tons of British-speakingflintnotverydifficult to stumble upon. English brick was alsousedasballastonshipscleared forMaine;somebrickswererecovered andusedonearlycoastalhomes.
As a geologist and diver I have collectedballastthathastalestotell.A small pocket beach on a remote Pen¬ obscot Bay island yielded scattered pilesofblack,highlypolished,egg¬ sizedpiecesofflintwhichsuggests thatanEnglishfishermanofthe17th18thcenturycareenedhisvesselhere forrepairs.Anotherprize—asampleof white Caribbean limestone from the Ship Whidah, captained by Bellamy the Pirate, which foundered with treasureoffWellfleetontheeastern shoreofCapeCodinanortheasterin 1717withcannonfiringindefianceof the storm. Two crewmen survived.
On one hand it’s only a piece of stone.WhatI’vebeenshowingyouis theotherhand.
Close-up ofstar coral. Braincoral specimen atfarleft foundat the mouth ofthe Kennebunk River weighs about 15 pounds and isone footlong.
MainePlates
“There’s No Hidin’ Place Down There.”
ByJohnTaylor
FIVEYEARSofcross-countrytravel have convinced me that the Maineplateswhichadornmycar possess the magical properties of a safe-conduct pass. Wher¬ everIgo,theyassuremeofawelcome, no matter how remote my wanderings. Whataccountsforthisapparentpar¬ tialitytowardMaine?Tenyearsagotwo British journalists, Edmund Fawcett and Tony Thomas, asserted in The American Condition that“...America has always been of two minds about NewEnglanders,balancingtheirsup¬ posedYankeevirtuesofthrift,artless integrity,hardwork,andunderstate¬ mentagainsttheirsupposedhypocrisy and skepticism and aloofness, as caughtinthejestthatYankeesbelieve inthefatherhoodofGod,thebrother¬ hoodofman,andtheneighborhoodof Boston."
As a New Englander, Massachusetts born,Iacceptthesestrictures,though withmorecomposurethancontrition. Forasamotorist1cantestifythatthe comments prompted by an aging Toyota from Maine tend toward the indulgent and jocular. Perhaps the reasonisthatmanyfolkshereinthe LandofEnchantmentseemabitvague astotheexactwhereaboutsofVaca¬ tionland. Few have been there and 1 seldom encounter anyone with plans togo,despitethelongingsIsometimes hearexpressed.Theirdisinclinationto
makethetripisnosurpriseconsider¬ ingthedistancesinvolved.Itiseasyto forget,whilelivingthehermeticlife Down East, just how far away our continental Far East can be. From Albuquerque,forexample,adriveof more than 2300 miles gets you no further than Boston—a dismal anti¬ climaxiftraveleverledtoone—and yetthemorningafteryoustillface anotherdayontheroad.Bettertosettle foraweekendintheRockiesnearby.
SowhatdoAmericansthinkofwhen theythinkofMaine,ifnotoftheflaws inNewEnglandCharacter?Lobsters,of course, and nowadays the official postcardofGeorgeBush,envelopedas usualinheavyfogwhileoutforastroll onMootPoint.Butsurelythecultof Maine, stayed by adherents nation¬ wide, feeds on something more sub¬ stantial?Thepossibilityinvitesspec¬ ulation.
I contemplate the mussel-bound coast of Maine not only from the perspective of years—my acquain¬ tance, which dates from the early 1930s,includeswintersspentinRock¬ port,SouthwestHarbor,Brooksville, Portland,andBlueHill—butalsofrom the temporary' vantage point of New Mexicowheretherecessionhasforced me off the road. 1 have known the Southwestformorethantwentyyears andoncelivedin“TheCityDifferent” which is Chamber-of-Commerce-
SpeakforSantaFe.Inthoserelaxed days Santa Fe was laid-back, local bohemian rather than cosmopolitan high-desertchic,andnotyetwhatit has since become, namely, the ul¬ timatewesternstockyardteemingwith hustlers and moneyed Californians. ButletmelayoffTheCityDifferent.Itis inAlbuquerquethispastyearwhereI have noticed how often New Mexico reminds me of Maine.
Ataglancethesetworegionsmight appeartohavesolittleincommonas torendercomparisonspointlessfrom theoutset.Considerthesebasicdis¬ parities.Itisnotsimplythatthestateof NewMexicoisbiggerthanallofNew England—itisalmosttwiceasbig,or nearlyfourtimesthesizeofMaine. WhereasNewMexicans,all1.5million of them, outnumber Mainers by some 300,000,populationdensityinMaineis nearlythreetimesgreater.Arithme¬ tically,thatis,ifnotactuallyonthe ground,youwouldfindthreeMainers inMaineforeveryNewMexicaninNew Mexico if you were to count them squaremilebysquaremile.
Numbers can, of course, misrep¬ resentthetenorofeverydaylifewher¬ everterritoriesarevastandinhabitants few—thejoysoftrafficcongestionare well known to central New Mexico, regardlessofwhataheadcountmight suggest.Yetdifferenceinscale,both humanandgeographical,isafact,and thisfactseemstoencompassmostof theotherdiscontinuitiesthetraveler encounters when shuttling between EastandWest.ThereisfarmoreWest thananyonehasyetfoundausefor, andindeedmuchofitremainsempty.
IttookaColePorter,Easternsophis¬ ticate and celebrated composer of Broadway musicals, to turn all this emptiness to account—and depend¬ ableinstincttoldhimnottobother with field work beyond the Hudson. Songs,afterall,springfromfantasy,not from close acquaintance with the tedium we call “the real world.” MusicallyPorter’sexaltationofthe Westmayhavebeenoneofhislesser efforts,butcommerciallyitmusthave madehimabundleduringthelatewar yearsandafterwhenBingCrosby,Roy Rogers,theAndrewsSisters,andjust abouteveryoneelseontheairbeganto croonandchorus“Don’tFenceMeIn.” Popularwasscarcelythewordforthis universalfavorite.
COFFEE PAUSE COMPANY
O/i,
Don’t fence me in.
Let me ride thru the wide-open countrythat1love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evening breeze,
Listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever, but I ask you, please,
Don’t fence me in.
Just turn me loose,
Let me straddle my old saddle underneath the Western Skies.
On my cayuse,
Let me wander over yonder till I seethemountainrise.etc.etc.
Don’t fence me in.
Yet well before the yodeling cow¬ boysofstage,screen,andradiobegan torideoffintoPorter’sredemptive sunset,entireregionsoftheWesthad already changed—indeed had been changed—beyond the imaginings of themostapprehensivesentimentalist. “Don’t Fence Me In” was much more than a hit parade smash. It was a reaffirmationofthefaithstillembraced by millions, an expression of the abiding American insistence that somehow the West would remain a sanctuary where anyone so minded couldescapefromEasternconstraints intocondidtionsofinherentandab¬ solute personal freedom. Evidently, thishopepersistedandmayoncehave been contagious, for even decades afterPorter’s'hallucinationhadbeen forgotten, our British observers, Fawcett and Thomas, would postulate thesurvivalofa“freedom-lovingWest” incontrasttoastale,“bureaucratized East."
Thefalsityofthisallegeddistinc¬ tion, as viewed from New Mexico and from Albuquerque especially,isobvioustoanyone familiarwithMaine.Forallthe differences between them in scale, climate,landscape,andculturalher¬ itage, Maine and New Mexico have shared a common fate. Both are regions of sparse population and magnetic natural beauty which year after year attract newcomers from away.Thesetransplants,likecountless ex-urban Americans before them, believethatthefountainheadofper¬ sonalfreedomliesbeyondcitylimits, thatonlysmall-townorquasi-rurallife willsetthemfree.
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NewMexico,whichuntilfiftyyears ago offered transplants the freedom theyexpectedtheWesttoprovide,has sinceachievedneartotalnegationof thepastoralhope.Onofferinsteadis bureaucracy triumphant, and secret bureaucracy at that. No one really planneditthatway,noristheoutcome allbad—lifeinNewMexicocanstillbe quitepleasant,giventheclimateand scenery,eventhoughnooneescapes, atleastnotaltogether,therarefra¬ grance of an overripe bureaucracy.
The bureaucracy that dominates NewMexicoischieflyfederal,though stateandlocalgovernmentcontribute muchtothetotaleffect.Astheprimary regionalsettingforallthisofficial activity, Albuquerque may be ideal. Historically,thislow-risesmudgeon thelandscapeneverreallyprospered asarailhead,industrialcenter,dis¬ tribution point, or communications hub. Somehow in the Western manner itmanagedtoflourishinsteadasone vast provincial suburb without the leasttraceofacityanywhereinsight— or the inclination to build one. Bureaucrats take to such surround¬ ings, and indeed Albuquerque was once known as “little Washington," headquarters town for 38 branch of¬ ficesoffederalagencies.
Bureaucracy remains the most pop¬ ulargameintown,mainlybecauseof theManhattanProjectwhichdidmore thananythingelsebeforeorsinceto put New Mexico on the map. This enterprise,itwillberecalled,pro¬ ducedthefirstatomicbombandthus establishedthetechnicalbasisforthe nuclear arms program which con¬ tinuesinoperationtothepresentday. Two enormous national laboratories, Los Alamos 40 miles northwest of SantaFeandSandiainAlbuquerque60 milestothesouth,domostofthework, andsimplybyvirtueoftheirsizeand cosmic importance set the (mono)tonefortheregion.
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onlythestraightarrowwhosports“an active Q clearance" will be consid¬ ered.Somuchforthemythofpersonal freedom in the once wide-open West. However indispensable nuclear weap¬ ons may have been—and may again become—the security system which of necessityenshroudsthemconstitutes a fundamental break with longcherished American preconceptions of what the West is supposed to be. HadColePorterbeentoldofwhatwas afoot in New Mexico, he might have written
Oh, grant me clearance, cozy clearance Under mushroom clouds above, Then fence me in...
butinretrospectitseemsunlikely.No wartime audience would have been amused.
WWTThere, then, should the fugitive ■ ■ / Rom urban America turn these ■ days for relief from a sense of WW constraint? Maine still strikes I J me as an intelligible choice, whichisnottoruleoutbyimplication themanyotherregionsoftheNorth¬ east1happennottoknow.Itisrather that the Maine I do happen to know continuestobeckonwiththeapparent promiseofindependence,atleastofa certain kind. My impression gained fromtravelisthatformanyAmericans Maine carries the same symbolic freight. What do they think of when theythinkofMaine?ThereisnowayI canprovemyspeculationsvalid,butI trustthemnevertheless:thecultof Mainewhichhasafollowingcoastto coastarisesfromthepopularnotion that for reasons seldom articulated freedom—however defined—can be mostfullyrealizedDownEast.Fortun¬ ately,andperhapssurprisinglyinview oftrendstothecontrary,thisdurable mythcontinuestohavesomebasisin fact.
Compared with New Mexico, Maine appearsfavored,ifonlyinhavingbeen spared a great deal. Whereas New Mexico has remained a ward of the federal government ever since this hapless province was annexed nearly 150yearsago,theStateofMainehas hadahistoryofindependenceandat leastpartialself-sufficiency.Though thefederalpresenceinMaineisecon¬ omicallyimportant,asitiselsewhere, it is neither controlling nor all-
pervasiveasitwouldhavetobeifit were dedicated to the design and manufacture of hydrogen bombs. By localstandardsBathIronWorksmight passforbeingthemotherofallnaval shipyards, but relocate B1W on the acreage occupied by one of those nationallaboratoriesanditwouldtake satellite photography to detect the intrusion,evenwiththePortlanddry¬ dockthrownin.
Mainehasmuchtobethankfulfor— not least for the merciful nonap¬ pearanceoftheyodelinglobsterman. And yet when 1 recall some of the transplants I once knew and the reasonstheywouldgivefortheirflight tothepromisedland,myreservations aboutMaineasanalternativetocity lifecomebacktomewithinterest.Too many transplants seemed to think themselvesandtheirrusticretreats imperilled, as if paradise regained mightbelostsoonagainunlessthey tookspecialprecautions.
1 remember a do-it-yourself house builder in Lincoln County who volunteeredthatoncehehadthebasic structurestandinghewouldringhis propertywithamoatandstockitwith piranhas. Thus would his pursuers, phantomsallwithoutadoubt,beheld atbay.Ilaughedasonemustwhenthe host attempts a joke, but it soon became clear that even if his anti¬ personnel aquarium were to remain imaginary, his bedrock misanthropy was all too real. A menu featuring moat-fresh intruder might seem ex¬ travagant,eventoapiranha—allyou caneateveryThursdaynight:wicked good and no preservatives added—yet othertransplantsofmyacquaintance sharedthewould-befishfarmer’sfore¬ bodings,atleasttosomedegree.
Thisgangplankmentality,whichis common among new arrivals every¬ whereastheycrossoverintotheland ofmilkandhoney—thisunearnedxenophopia troubles me less than knee¬ jerk incantation of the anti-urban creed. Although Thomas Jefferson hoped that we would endure as a republic of independent yeoman far¬ mers, we have in fact been an urban peoplethroughoutmostofourhistory, and urban we are likely to remain. Indeed,somehistoriansdiscountthe frontier of song and story, holding insteadthatthesettlementofthiscoun¬ try was largely a matter of outward
migrationfromcitiestosmallertowns.
In Maine as in other peripheral regionsthereisscarcelyatransplant who is wholly free of debt to urban America,whetherforupbringing,edu¬ cation, or success in the workaday world. Yet many transplants excuse themselvesfromanydiscerniblesense ofindebtedness,thebettertoscornthe cities whence they came. Some would haveusbelievethattheirremovaltothe peripheryisstandingproofofsuperior wisdom. Born again indeed. Here is a samplefarewelldrawnfromanarticle publishedinmid-1989.Theauthorwas aprominentmagazineeditorintheBig ApplebeforeheretiredtoMaine:
“I am one of the disenchanted city dwellerswhomanagedtofreehimself. It must have been fun to live in New Yorkonce,andperhapsitwillbeagain, but I was one of the statistically significantnumberofNewYorkersfor whom the bright dream never really camealive....Thereallysadthingabout leavingNewYorkwasthattherewasno sadnessconnectedwithit.”
Statisticalsignificance—nowthat must be a sensation eminently worthexperiencing,athrillso keen,itmightbethought,asto reconciletheclosetrusticatorto lifeinthecity,evenwhensentencedto NewYorkwithoutparole.Butno,our statistic—ashechosestostylehimself— wouldnothangin.What,then,weare boundtoask,coulddislodgeastatistic fromthecityinwhichhehadachieved significance?
Suppose, for a moment, that some otherstatistictoldusthat,yes,hehad goneofftoliveinCaliforniafor20 years, but that, no, he had never enjoyed the venture. Would we not wonder why? And suppose we later learned from some other source that hehadspenthisentiresojourninthe Golden West as a Hollywood extra whosefateitwastolavishhistalents on marginal films that were never released. Would we not think the truncated version of his story mis¬ leading, that the chapter he had chosen to suppress might have af¬ fectedourunderstandingofhisdis¬ tasteforCalifornia?
Something about the magazine article in question prompted me to consult Who’s Who andthereitwas: our statistic turns out to be more significantthanIhadimagined.For overthedecadeshehadrunupascore ofnofewerthanfourdivorces,atleast threeofthemtransactedwhilelivingin thecity.Yetnowhereinhisarticledoes heacknowledgethata)itwasthecity thathadmadethisYoungManfromthe Provinces; or concede that b) his domestictravailsmightpossiblyhave coloredhisviewofcitylife.OneNew Yorkdivorcewasquiteenoughforme. Repeated divorce, whether in New YorkortheGardenofEden,mightbe expectedtodriveanyoneintothehills, oreventoseekasylumwithinthefour wallsofMaine.
toasuccessfulcareerintheglossy magazines.Evidently,thisgoodfor¬ tune was not good enough, for he complainsthatthe“brightdream,"on whichheexpectedthecitytodeliver, never “came alive." Whose dream? Dream of what? Wherewasitwritten thattherewasto be adrcam,“bright" orotherwise?Didthisdreamdifferin anyimportantrespectfromadolescent fantasy,andifsohow?Hedoesnotsay. Hemerelyrecordshisdisappointment whichofcoursewasnoneofhisdoing. Itisthecity,asisusualinourantiurbanculture,thatgetsblamed.New York deserves better, and so does Maine.
There may come a day when Con¬ gressdeclaresMainetobeourfirst NationalTransplantRefuge—atthecon¬ secration ceremonies it will be ex¬ plainedthatconspicuoussuccesswith wildlifehadencouragedofficialsto broadenthescopeoftheiroperations. Butbeforethefedstakeover,asthey have long since throughout much of the West, permit me a suggestion or two.
Transplants could do themselves andeveryoneelseafavorbyaccepting thatforbetterorworsesomeofusare misfits,temperamentallyunsuitedto bigcitylifeandequally,perhaps,to bureaucraticregimentation;thatthe decisiontoabandontheefforttoadapt isintrinsicallyneithergoodnorbad, neitherwisenorunwise;thatfreedom of movement is one of the greatest blessingsthiscountryprovides;that theexerciseofthisfreedomrequires nojustificationandthereforeoughtnot toberepresentedasevidenceofsuper¬ iority,practicalormoral;thatmere recoilfromthecitydoesnotbyitself establishasoundbasisforanewlife anywhere else; that anti-social and xenophobic feelings, though natural andindeedhumaninapprenticefugi¬ tives,areneverthelessworthasus¬ tainedefforttooutgrow;thatprophecy, astheChinesearefondofsaying,is verydifficult,especiallywithrespectto thefuture;andthatforthisreason,the simple,nottosaysimple-minded,act of moving away from the city is unlikely to be the final answer to anything.
Mrs. Emery 0. Beane smiles a Carol Merrill-Maytag-washerand-dryersmileasshestands inthemidstofherbrand-new, fully-stocked,federally-funded falloutshelterwithatoddlerinher arms.Mr.EmeryO.Beane—wearetold bythephoto'scaption—isexplaining thelayoutofthesheltertohiswife.
The year is 1960 and private bomb sheltersareasmuchapartofthewellappointed suburban home as knotty pine-paneledrecrooms.
TheBeanes,thearticlecontinues, werechosenfromeightapplicantsto constructaprototypeshelterinthe basement of their Augusta home. The requirementsstatedthatthedwelling mustbe“typicaltothearea,”havea clearanceofsevenfeet,andbeavail¬ ableforpublicinspection.Thegovern¬ ment supplied everything but heat,
Thereissomethinginnocent,naive even by 1960s standards, about this domesticscene.Itharkensbacktoa time when children were taught that “duck and cover" would protect them intheeventofanatomicattackand thatAmericanscouldtakeindividual action to safeguard themselves from those nasty Commies.
Now,thirtyyearslater,falloutshel¬ tershavegonethewayoflavalamps and hula hoops. What happened? Well, America grew up; technology and weaponry advanced; we knew that when THE BUTTON was pushed, there wouldbenoscurryingtothebasement forcover.Asonepieceofmoderncivilpreparednessliteraturethatcirculated inthe1980scrudelystates:“...bend
over, stick your head between your legs,andkissyourbuttgood-bye.”
Evenduringpre-glasnostdaysafew yearsago,whenthestill-unifiedUSSR arguablyposedathreattoglobaldemo¬ cracy and freedom during its incar¬ nationastheEvilEmpire,Americans didnotexperiencearenewedvigorfor CivilDefense.
“The knowledge of the effects of radiationchangedthepublic’sviews,” remarks Anne Marie Brett, the Plans andTrainingCoordinatorfortheCum¬ berland County Emergency Manage¬ mentOffice(formerlytheCivilEmer¬ gency Preparedness Bureau, formerly Civil Defense). “People were more interestedingovernmentintervention and protection than in individual action. People were not making in¬ quiriesintheeightiesaboutbuilding their own shelters; they were more concerned about where they could go thatwassafe.”
Brett explains that many of the privatesheltersthatwerebuiltinthe fiftiesandsixtiesweretheresultofa panickedresponsetofearofattack. While many of them were considered tobestate-of-the-artatthetime,they were soon rendered useless as pro¬ tection.
Publicfalloutsheltershavebeena thingofthepastsincethelatesixties andearlyseventies,accordingtoBrett, whengovernmentfundingtostockand man them dried up. Those once ubiquitousblackandyellowsignsthat could be seen in almost any public buildingwithabasementarenowjust abitofnostalgia.Inthe1960s,sub¬ terranean Portland boasted enough shelterspacetohold16,157people.A four-pagepulloutsectionintheDe¬ cember26,1969PortlandPressHerald notonlylocatesallthesesites,butalso lists evacuation routes and general falloutprocedure.Thereisa“Family Emergency Plan” for each household tofilloutthatplotsforeachfamily member “where to go and what to do incaseofnuclearattack.”Thebro¬ chure states that “The information containedinthisbrochureisessential toyourfamily’ssafetyandprotection” andinbolderletters,‘Thiscommunity shelterplanmaysaveyourlife."
Today, the Emergency Management Bureau’sfocusisonprevention.The countyshelter,locatedacrossfromthe Windham Correctional Center, now
functions as a seat for government, shouldanemergencysituationarise, butisnotapublicfalloutshelter,per sc. (So if some nutty Third World countrygetsbomb-happy,don’thopin yourcarandheadout302...you’llend uplikeDorothystompingonthedoor ofherfamily’stornadoshelter.Notthat itwouldmatter...)
Buttherewasatimeinourcountry whenwefeltweheldourdestiniesin our hands. We could construct havens and we were proud. If you daredtoventureouttoCongressStreet in 1960 as a Cold War American, the following businesses were only some of the few that offered refuge: Guy Gannett had space and supplies to hold350peoplefortwodays;Benoit’s at Monument Square was equipped to takein200peopleforfivetosixdays; and Cumberland Savings and Loan at 561CongressStreetwaspreparedfor 40peopleforthreedays.Thismust’ve been a great source of comfort to people who felt they could outrun these companies’ employees.
Butitwasnotonlythebusiness sector that responded to the government’s call to protect ourselves.Privateshelterswere springingupacrossthecity.The Press Herald listed eleven private residences in 1962 that were con¬ structingbombshelters.Ihadnever heardofmostofthestreetsthatwere listedandhadtolookthemuponmy map.1half-hopedasIplottedthemthat they would form some weird pattern likethecopsalwaysfindwhentracing the path of some serial criminal. Maybe a mind more deductive than mine could formulate something out ofthefollowingaddresses: 27 Hun¬ tress, 32 Loraine, 19 Thomas, 50 Starbird, 7 Meadowbrook, 1956 Congress, 3 Woodfield, 74 Den¬ nett,38Fernald,25Fall, and 6 Bowdoin. Atourofthehousesoffered nothingofnote.Therewereacouple clustersofhousesoneithersideof Brighton Avenue near the Westbrook line,acoupleinNorthDeering,and two on the Western Prom. With the exceptionofthestatelybrickhouses on Thomas and Bowdoin Streets, the housesweremostlynondescriptranch¬ style homes in working-class neigh¬ borhoods.Ithoughtthataglimpseat oneortwoofthesheltersmightreveal something.PerhapsIcouldconducta
ThisCamelot-erabombshelter,at381FalmouthRoad,Falmouth,isnotpresentlystocked. mockfalloutsituation,shutmyselfin one of those shelters, and try to squeeze some inspired Anne Frankesque prose from my pen.
Isatinmycarforamomentandlet mymorbidimaginationrunwild.“Hi, I’mwritinganarticleonbombshelters. Igotyouraddressfromathirty-year-old newspaperclipping.NooneknowsI’m here. Would you mind locking me in yourbasementforacoupleofhours?” Headlines flashed before me. I saw myselfasthesubjectofoneofthose real-life T.V. crime shows. I saw “Silence of the Lambs” images. I decided to drive home and make some calls.
with bunkbeds in it, but not much more. I contacted the family who presentlyresidesthereandsetupa timetoviewtheshelter.
I now know how Geraldo Rivera must’vefeltwhenheopenedthedoor toAlCapone’ssecretvaultonnational television.ExceptthatGeraldoatleast had a door to open to add to his anticlimax. No DOOR? No wonder bomb shelters became antiquated... surelythosepeskyradiationparticles are smart enough to sneak around corners.
WhileIdidn’texpecttowalkintoa perfectlysealedtimecapsule,Ihad hopedImightfindacanofbeansora hairpin.No,theinsideoftheshelter was as mute as the outside of the buildings I had inspected. Empty
shelveslinedonewall.Myfriendwho had accompanied me on this odyssey to view her bld homestead remem¬ beredtheshelveshadbeenfilledwith canningjars.Shealsorecalledarotting squash.Atwo-tiered,concentration¬ camp-style bunk bed occupied another wall. The lower one had approximately the clearance of a tanningbed.Theconcretewallswere asclammyasabanker’shandshake.I wascertaintheceilinghaddroppeda few inches in the time we had been there.Puddlesdottedthecementfloor. Ifeltatwitchdevelopingovermyleft eye.Thespacehadnothingtotellme exceptthatifImgonnago,I’djustas soon do it smiling at the sky and enjoyingtheshow.
1lookedagainatthephotoofthe Emery 0. Beanes. That closed room wasbetterstockedthanmostkitchen pantries. They looked prepared for anything. The photo was not clear enoughtodistinguishwhatwasonthe shelves. 1 wondered if they had selectedanyoftheirwaresfromthe SuperiorSalesCorporationinBangor, whospecializedinsurvivalgoodslong before Banana Republic turned sur¬ plusintochic.Afullpageadinan October 1961 Portland Sunday Tel¬ egram leads with these words of caution:“It’sbettertobepreparedand notneedit—thantoneeditandnotbe prepared.’’ A variety of items are picturedincludinganemergencylife pack (an assortment of canned food andwater)for$10.95;aBendixrad¬ iationmeterfor$29.95;andalifepack falloutsuitfor$29.95.
1decidedtotracktheBeanesdown.1 reachedMr.Beane'ssisterwholives fivedoorsdownfromthebombshelter residenceinthephoto.Shewasiron¬ inglinenforherchurchwhen1called andsheaskedmetohold.Ababywas crying in the background. No, her brothernolongerlivedinthathouse. The Beanes had divorced years ago and Mr. Beane was now deceased. She vaguely remembered the shelter, she described a photo in the paper (the onebeforeme)thatshehadsenttoher nephew(thetoddlerinthepicture)in California.Someonewhohadlivedin thehousesinceherbrotherhadmen¬ tionedthattheshelterhadfallenapart. Therewasapausebeforesheconclu¬ dedourconversation."Butthatwasa longtimeago.”
Spinach, Crab, Jalapeno Mayonnaise, Mussels, Herbs, Orange Mustard Rosemary, Scallops in Rhubarb Cream Sauce, Chicken in Black Pepper, Pears and GruyereinaBrandySauce...“BestfoodI’vehadina restaurantinalongtime.”
RestaurantReviewByMarkMickalide
TheWestSide,anattractivesmall restaurantat58PineStreet,isa well conceived, successful at¬ temptatbeingallthingstoall people.Whileourrecentdinner was on the high-end scale of dining possibilities,theWestSidecatersto almostalldiningcontingencies,froma nightonthetowntocatchingaquick snacktothedietarilyrestricted.Thisis nomeanfeat.
Fromalistofstartersthatincluded vegetable and meat pates, mushrooms stuffedwithspinachorcrab,smoked seafood,nachos,soup,andsalads,we startedourdinnerwithSeafoodFritters with Jalapeno Mayonnaise ($6.95) andMusselsinChardonnayBrothwith GarlicCroutons($6.95).Thefritters werethreeseafoodcompositionsina
pattyformat.Theindividualseafoods were not easily discernable, but it didn’tmatterduetotheoverallde¬ liciousnessofthewhole.Themayon¬ naise had a good jalapeno flavor withoutbeingincendiary.Themussels wereequallydevourable.Freshherbs andawineybrothcreatedsimpleand cleanflavors.Thecroutonsweregood, buttoorichifyouexpectedtoeatafull entreeafterwards.
bases.Thereisachanginglistofmore “goingouttodinner"entrees.Among those are Pork Tenderloin in an Orange Mustard Rosemary Sauce ($13.25),ChickenwithBlackPepper, Pears and Gruyere in Brandy Cream Sauce($13.25),ScallopsinaRhubarb Ginger Cream Sauce ($14.50), Veg¬ etableLasagne($7.95),andacouple ofinterestingvegetariandishes.We chose Beef Tenderloin with Goat Cheese in a Red Onion Red Wine Sauce ($14.50) and Salmon with Tomatoes,NicoiseOlives,andBasilin a Sauvignon Blanc Sauce. The West Side’ssteakwasapropermediumrare, butitwasburiedunderapileofsliced sauteed onions and swimming in saucemuchlikeablue-platespecialof swisssteak.Thetastewasverygood and homey, but the presentation was incongruous to an expensive cut of meat. The salmon was also well prepared,stillmoist.TheSauvignon blanc sauce was indistinguishable from the Chardonnay broth that the mussels came in. While one wouldn’t expect them to be worlds apart, it made for a shockingly redundant culinaryexperience.Iwilltakesomeof theresponsibilityforbeinglessthan astuteinordering,sincethesaucedid workwellinbothdishes.Alsonotable werethebutteryparsnipsservedwith the meal but less notable the dessicatedroastpotatoes.
Thedessertsarerecitedbythevery competentwaitstaffinsteadofbeing writtendown.Fromthelistofdesserts thatevening:applecrisp,aflourless chocolate cake, chocolate mousse cake, and chocolate mousse, all un¬ tried.Wedidtryachocolatecarrot torte.Itwaschocolaty,asalotofthe desserts seem to be, and had the textureandconsistencyofsomething inthefudgefamily.Achocolatecarrot cakeloverwouldnotbedisappointed.
The atmosphere is comfortable and cozy,andthemealcametothetablein very timely manner without seeming hurried.ThefoodwasthebestI’vehad inarestaurantinalongtime.Ithinkthe West Side is succeeding in the herculeantaskofgivingpeoplewhat theywantatallhoursofthedayand night and more than they’ve come to expectfromalotofotherplaces.H
E A T R E
AChorusLine, by James Kirkland and Nicho¬ las Dante, with lyrics by Edward Kleban and music by Marvin Hamlisch, will be presented by the Portland Players, 420 Cottage Road, South Portland, opening onMay 29.Fortick¬ etsormoreinformation,contactthetheater boxofficeat773-6276,10a.m.to2p.m.daily.
The Portland Lyric Theater, 176 Sawyer Street,SouthPortland,willperform La Cage auxFolles, aFrenchmusicalfarceaboutlife, love,andhowtheotherhalflives,fromApril 24to26,May1to3,andMay8to10,with matinees onApril26,May3,andMay10. For more information, call the theater at 7991421 or 799-6509.
Carousel, a Rogers & Hammerstein musical, willbepresentedbytheCityTheaterofBid¬ deford. fromMay 8 through 24. On May 29 and 30. the Sharon Arnold Lux School of Dancewillhavearecitalatthecitytheater. Shows are at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. Call the theaterat282-0849forticketsormoreinfor¬ mation.
Events
On April 10 at 8 p.m., the Maine Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono, will present the ISO Dance Theatre, a group of four dancers who have choreographed and performed dance routines for such people as Sting and David Bowie. Admission for or¬ chestraseatsis$28forthegeneralpublic, and $26 for students and senior citizens; balconyseatscost$23forthegeneralpublic and$21forstudentsandseniorcitizens.To reserve tickets, call the MCA box office at 581-1755.
The Maine Masque Theatre, University of Maine,Orono,willpresenttheannualSpring Dance Concert,onApril17and18at8p.m. Performances will take place at the Hauck Auditorium in the Memorial Union. Tickets can be purchased by calling 581-1755, week¬ daysfrom9a.m.to4p.m.
The Chocolate Church in Bath will present a performance ofAliceinWonderland, by the Charleston Ballet Company, with the Ban¬ gor Symphony Ensemble, onMay2at3p.m. On May 9,actorJay O'Callahan willhavea one-man theater show, at 3 p.m. Studio Theater’s Rumors, written by Neil Simon,
will come to the Chocolate Church fromMay 22 to 24, and May 29 to 31, with perform¬ ances on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sundayat3p.m.Call442-8455forticketsor information.
FromApril2through26,the Mad Horse The¬ atreofPortlandwillpresent Dark River by MartinJones,aplayinwhichgreedandself¬ deceptionplungeaMainefamilyintotragedy andatownintoecologicaldisaster.Perform¬ ances of Insignificance, a play by Terry Johnston,willbeginMay 28.Curtain times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., andSundaysat7p.m.Ticketpricesare$15, and $13 for students and seniors. Reserva¬ tions are required, and can be obtained by callingthetheaterboxofficeat797-3338.
The Children’s Theatre of Maine will per¬ formaplaybythewinnerofits Young Play¬ wrightsContest,onMay 10,16,17,23, and 24 at the King Middle School, 92 Deering Ave¬ nue, Portland. Saturday plays are at 10:30 a.m.and1:30p.m.;Sundayplaysareat1and 3p.m.Ticketsare$4forchildrenand$5for adults,andareonlyavailableatthedoor.For more information, call 874-0371.
The Hackmatack Repertory Theatre, 10 Fran¬ klinPlaza,Dover,NH,willpresentGodspell from April9to12,and16to19; and Biloxi BlueswillbethefeaturedplayfromMay 7 to 10,14to17,and21to24.Curtain times are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees on Sundays at 3 p.m. Admission is $10 on Thursdays, $12 on Fridays and Satur¬ days, and $8 for the Sunday matinee. For reservationsorfurtherinformation,call(603) 749-3996.
Theatre UMF will present itsSpringFestival ofStudent-DirectedOne-ActPlays,onApril10 and 11, and April 30 through May 2,at7:30 p.m.intheAlumniTheatre.Admissionis$4 foradults,$1.50forseniorcitizensandchil¬ dren under 13, and free for UMF students withI.D.Forreservations,call778-7465.
The Vintage Repertory Company will present TheRuffianontheStair, Joe Orton’s rarely stagedfirstplaythatdrawsitscomicvenom fromlove,honor,andvengeance,onApril15, 22,and29.AllperformancesareheldatCafe No, 20 Danforth Street, Portland. Curtain timeis8p.m.forallshows,andadmissionis $5.
GalleryTheatreofDamariscottawillpresent TheHabitualAcceptanceoftheNearEnough, and The Eye of the Beholder, two one-act playsabouttheartworld,on April30,and May 1 through 3. Performances are Thurs¬ day, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.,andSundayafternoonsat3p.m.,inthe upstairs gallery of the Oats Barn. Ticket pricesare$8forgeneraladmission;students, $5, with a $1 discount for Sunday perform¬ ances. Advance reservations are recom¬ mended and can be obtained by calling 5631507 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The Maine State Ballet, formerly American BalletEast,willpresentAliceinWonderland, StarsandStripesForever,andotherselections withliveorchestra, onApril24at7p.m.,and on April 25 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Portland High School Auditorium. Tickets are$12generaladmission,and$10forchil¬ dren and senior citizens. On April23 at7 p.m.,therewillbeanopendresspreviewof thisperformance;admissionis$8atthedoor. Fortickets,call878-3032.
The Portland Ballet Company will perform FrenchInspiredBallets atthePortlandCity Hall Auditorium on May 2,inconjunction withtheAlHirschfeldexhibitatthePortland Museum of Art. For information about times and ticket prices, call the Portland Ballet Company at 772-9671.
KillingMr.Withers,aMysteryCafedinnerthe¬ atre production, takes place every Friday and Saturday nightat8p.m.,attheBaker’s Table banquet room, 434 Fore Street, Port¬ land.Inthisproduction,audienceseatafourcourse meal and participate in solving a murder mystery. The cost of admission is $29.95 per person, which includes show, dinner, and sales tax. For reservations or furtherinformation,call693-3063,or1-800834-3063.
Events
MUSIC
OnApril17at8p.m.,attheMaineCenterfor the Arts, University of Maine, Orono, the Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemblewillper¬ formclassicNewOrleansjazz,intheoriginal formats and with the original instruments. At3p.m.onApril26,theOrionStringQuartet, agroupadmiredforitsvirtuosity,depthof interpretation,anddistinctivenessofsound, will give a concert. For more information aboutanyoftheseperformancesorforreser¬ vations,call581-1755weekdays,9a.m.to4 p.m.
On April 17 at 8 p.m., the USM Concert Series will present the USM String Faculty with Laura Kargul on Piano, performing Chamber Music Masterworks by Mozart and Brahms, and featuring Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet. The concert will take place at Corthell Concert Hall on the USM Gorham campus;ticketsare$8forthegeneralpublic and $4 for students, seniors, faculty, and staff.Forreservationsorinformation,call 780-5555.
Back by popular demand, LA Arts will host Garth Fagan Dance,onMay 9at8p.m.,atthe Lewiston Jr. High School. Tickets for this eventare$15/$13/$11.Forticketsorinfor¬ mation about any of these events, call LA Arts at 782-7228, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m weekdays.
The Portland Symphony Orchestra, as part of its Candlelight Series,will present PSO Piccoloist Catherine Payne, performing a program calledTheInspirationofMozart,fea¬ turing music by composers who were in¬ spired and influenced by Mozart, including Schubert,Vivaldi,andProkofiev.Theseper¬ formancestakeplaceattheSonestaHotel’s Eastland Ballroom at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. For ticketsorinformation,call773-8191ortollfree1-800-639-2309.
On May 7,thefinalsofthe Portland Sym¬ phony Orchestra/Priscilla Morneault Piano CompetitionwillbeheldatthePortlandCity HallAuditorium.Formoreinformation,call 773-8191, or 1-800-639-2309.
The Currier Gallery of Art will host the BorromeoStringQuartetonApril12at3p.m. TheGalleryislocatedat192OrangeStreet, Manchester,N.H.;formoreinformationabout theseconcerts,call(603)669-6144.
The Portland Folk Club hostsMusic Swaps onthefirstandthirdTuesdaysofeachmonth, at the Swedenborgian Church, 302 Stevens Avenue,Portland.Formoreinformation,call
773-9549.
The Bowdoin College Music Department will sponsorthefollowingfreeconcerts:TheBow¬ doin Concert BandwillperformonApril12at 7:30 p.m. at the Kresge Auditorium. Libby vanClevewillgiveaconcertofOboe Music, on April14 at 7:30 p.m., in Daggett Hall. MartinPerrywillpresentPiano Music by Gay Composers, on April18at7:30p.m.,inthe Kresge Auditorium. OnApril26at7:30p.m. in the Bowdoin College Chapel, the Bowdoin ChamberChoirand Collegium will playMusic intheAgeoftheTroubadoursandTrouveres; MusicofLatinAmerica. The Bowdoin Sym¬ phonyOrchestrawillplayMusicoftheUnited StatesonMay3at3:00p.m.,intheChapel; and on May 4, the Ensemble Instrumental D'Avignon will perform a program ofFrench Chamber Music, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kresge Auditorium. Tickets for these events can be obtained at the Moulton Union Events Of¬ fice.
CarlDimowonflute,andKeithCrookonguitar willgiveaconcertonApril11attheNordica Auditorium, University of Maine at Farm¬ ington. OnMay 23,pianistLaura Kargulwill perform at the Nordica Auditorium. These concertstakeplaceat7:30p.m.Admissionis $4foradults,$2forseniorcitizensandchil¬ dren under 13, and free to UMF students with l.D. For more information about either oftheseconcerts,callDavidScribnerat7787136.
TheMusicatColbyConcertSerieswillpres¬ ent the Colby Collegium Musicum "Musica Espana,"onApril25at8p.m.,intheLorimer Chapel. Contact the Scheduling Office at 872-3192 for more information.
GALLERIES
The Chocolate Church Art Gallery in Bath will present a Student Art Show, through April25.FromMay 1 through 30,therewill beajuriedexhibitofFlowerPaintingswith FloralArrangements. Receptionforthisshow isMay 3from3to5p.m.,andentriesaredue April 28. For more information, call 4428455.
The SeniorThesisExhibition1992, selected works by Bates’ graduating studio art ma¬ jors,isondisplaythroughMay3,attheupper galleryoftheMuseumofArtattheOlinArts Center, Bates College, Lewiston. Museum hoursare10a.m.to5p.m.Tuesdaythrough Saturdayand1to5p.m.Sunday.Theexhibit isfreeandopentothepublic.Formoreinfor¬ mation,call786-6158.
The Gold/Smith Gallery, 7 McKown Street, Boothbay Harbor, will open its 1992 season with New Paintings by Robert Shetterly, beginningApril30.Shetterlyiswellknown for his illustration features in The Maine Times,aswellashavingco-authoredandil¬ lustratedseveralchildren’sbooks.Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, or by appointment, until Memorial Day. After Memorial Day, hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a m. to 10
p.m.,andSunday,10a.m.to6p.m.Call6336252 for more information.
Nancy Margolis Gallery, 367 Fore Street, Portland,willexhibitFunctionalPottery:Two Generations, through April12.The purpose ofthisshowistojuxtaposetwogenerationsof studio potters who share a commitment to functionalformasameansofartisticexpres¬ sion. Gallery hours are Monday through Sat¬ urday,10a.m.to5:30p.m.;Sunday,10a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 7753822.
At the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Walker Art Building, Landscape with White Egret:TheResurrectionofaJapaneseScroll will be on exhibit at the Becker Gallery through April 26. BeginningApril14, Holo¬ caust:ThePresenceofthePast, aphotogra¬ phy exhibit by Maine artist Judy Glickman, will hang in the Twentieth Century Gallery; and beginning April 16, The Presence of Women, an exhibit celebrating women as artistsandpatrons,willbeondisplayinthe Temporary Exhibition Gallery. ThePoetryof Color: Woodblock Prints by Margaret Jordan Patterson will be on display at the Becker Gallery beginning April 28.Thecollegeis located in Brunswick, and gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 to 5; Sunday, 2to5p.m.Admissiontotheseshowsisfree, and the museum is open to the public. For moreinformation,call725-3275.
Over 150 photographs by USM Assistant ProfessorofArtRose Marascoareondisplay at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland. ThisexhibitispartofaprojectentitledRitual and Community: the Maine Grange, whichex¬ aminesthehistoryandsignificanceofoneof Maine’slargestagriculturalorganizations.
TheBaxterGalleryatthePortlandSchoolof Art, 619 Congress Street. Portland, will exhibit As Seen by Both Sides, an exhibit picturingtheVietnamexperienceinthework of both American and Vietnamese artists, throughMay 3.BeginningMay 8istheSenior Exhibition, a show of work by members of the senior class of the Portland School of Art. OpeningreceptionfortheexhibitisMay 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information about theseexhibits,call775-3052.
Through May 8. Bob Kelley'sFamily Photo¬ graphs willbedisplayedinthePhotoGallery at the Baxter Building, Portland School of Art, 619 Congress Street. For more informa¬ tion,call775-3052.
TheCurrierGalleryofArt,192OrangeStreet, Manchester, NII, is displaying recent and promisedgillsofAmericandecorativeartin anexhibittitled TheCurrieroftheFuture. throughMay 24 Gallery hours are Tuesday. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. 10 a m. to •I p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday2p.m.to5p.m.Thegalleryisclosed on Mondaysand national holidays. Suggested contributionis$3foradultsandSiforchil¬ dren.Thegalleryiswheelchairaccessible.
Events
Thefollowingexhibitswilltakeplaceatthe 38
Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland. Contemporary Visions, a show in which artists from the museum’s American collectioninterpretlandscapesinstylesrang¬ ing from Realism to Abstraction, will take place throughMay24. ThroughApril19,the museum will presentSpirits:Selectionsfrom theCollectionofGeoffreyHolderandCarmen deLavallade, featuringcontemporaryfolkart reflectingChristianandvoodoolegendsfrom Africa, the Caribbean, and Mexico.Artistsin Line:AnAlHirschfeldRetrospectivewillbeon view throughMay 24.Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday. Free admission from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday; otherwise, admission is $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for seniors and students with I.D.,and$1foryouth6to18.Formoreinfor¬ mation,callthemuseumat775-6148,or773ARTS for a recorded message.
The University of Maine Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, University of Maine, Orono, willpresentits 1992AnnualStudentArtExhi¬ bition, fromApril20throughMay9.Opening receptionwillbeheldonApril23from5to7 p.m. Through May 30, the work of Wendy Lewis will be on display at the museum’s Hauck Gallery, located in the university’s Memorial Union. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday evenings until 8 p.m. Ad¬ mission is free. For more information, call 581-3255.
The Portland Public Library’s Lewis Gallery willexhibit Marguerite M. Lawler: Recent Works, a show of watercolors by this noted Portlandartistandartteacher,throughApril 29. From May 2 through 29,GreaterPortland ArtDirectorsClub:ArtMadeByComputerswill beondisplay.Theseexhibitionsareondis¬ play during library hours: Monday, Wednes¬ day, and Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from9to5.
OTHER
TheCenterforPerformanceStudiesisoffering Acting Classesforpeopleatvariouslevelsof skill and experience. Acting Classes for Ordinary People are basic, introductorylevelclasses;KidsClassesareforages9to 13;HighSchoolClassesareintensivework¬ shops for student performers serious about developing their skills. Intermediate and Professionalclassesarealsoofferedbythe Center.Allclassesaretaughtin10-weekses¬ sions;thenextonebeginsinApril.For more information,contacttheCenterforPerform¬ ance Studies at 774-2776.
South worth Planetarium, USM, 90 Falmouth Street,Portland,presentsseveralastronomy (A Tour of the Solar System. The Birth and DeathofStars.TheMarsShow.What'sUpand Where) and laser light concerts, including Pink Floyd’s "Dark Side of the Moon" and “Son of the Well-Tempered Laser,” featuring classical selections of Beethoven, Mozart, Copeland and others. Public evening shows are Fridays and Saturdays. Doors open at 6:30; astronomy shows begin at 7 p.m., and
laser light shows begin at 8:30 p.m. Admis¬ sionis$3foradultsand$2.50forchildren andseniorcitizens.Childrenunder5arenot admitted to evening shows. Call the plane¬ tariumofficeat780-4249forshowschedules orotherinformation.
Folk musicians Ellen and the Sea Slugs will beattheSacoRiverGrangeHallinBarMills for an evening ofContra Dancing, the first Saturday of every monthat7:30p.m.Adults areadmittedfor$5;couplesfor$8;students for$4;andfamiliesfor$12.
The Casco Bay Movers has begun itsSpring SessionofClasses. Thisisa14-weeksession in which dance faculty teach adult dance classesintap,streetfunk,ballroom,andjazz. Children’s programs offer dance classes for childrenages5andup,includingtap,crea¬ tivemovement,streetfunk,andfourlevelsof jazz. Classes take place in the new studio, 147-151 St. John Street, Portland. For a schedule,registration,orquestions,callthe studioat871-1013.
On April 23 at 7:30 p.m., Jamica Kincaid, noted West Indian author whose works include At the Bottom of the River, Annie John, andLucy,willgiveatalk,thetopicof whichistobeannouncedattheKresgeAudi¬ torium of Bowdoin College.
TheSpringForumSeriesoftheUniversityof Maine at Farmington will presentJayHoar, talking about “How I Essayed to Bring Back toLifeMyOldFriendRichard‘Dick’Forsett ofLowerDallasPlantation,Maine,”onApril 16 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Seminar RoomoftheOlsenStudentCenter.Thisevent is free and open to the public. For more information,callGailLangeat778-7115.
The University of Maine at Farmington SpringVisitingWritersSeriespresentsPoet Sharon Olds, whowillbegivingalectureat 7:30p.m.onApril30,in the Thomas Audito¬ rium.Thistalkisfreeandopentothepublic. For more information, call Wes McNair at 778-7454.
The American Diabetes Association will hold theTourdeCure, aone-daybikeridearound Kennebunkport, onMay 17.Thegoalofthe Tour de Cure is to raise money for diabetes research and improvement of the quality of careforthosewithdiabetes.Formoreinfor¬ mationonhowtoparticipate,orhowtospon¬ sorarider,calltheAmericanDiabetesAsso¬ ciation,MaineAffiliate,at1-800-870-8000.
TheMaineAudubonSociety’isofferingfield tripstothreedifferentdestinations,thefirst ofwhichisGeorgia, fromApril25toMay3. FromMay 30 to June 14isatriptoEngland andScotland, andfromJune19to30.thedes¬ tinationisthePacificNorthwest. The purpose ofthesetripsistoseesomeoftheoutstanding naturalfeaturesandwildlifeoftheseareas. For more information, contact the Maine AudubonFieldTripOffice,118U.S.Route1, P.O. Box 6009, Falmouth, ME 04105-6009, or call781-2330.
a Member of the Smithsonian National Associates,andentermysubscriptionforthenextyear(12 issues) of SMHHSOXIAX
BillmetheannualduesofS20.
Member Benefits
• SM1THS0XIAX magazine 12 issues
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Events ATTRACTIONS
DiMillo’sFloatingRestaurant. Urng Wharf, Portland.MooredconspicuouslyatLongWharf onPortland'swaterfront,amidcondominiums, yachts,andotherbitsoftheresidueofprosperity is one of Portland's most famous eateries, DiMillo’sFloatingRestaurantIn1982theDiMillo familysailedtheruggedcraftnorthfromNew York,completinganauticalevolutionthatbegan in19-11whenshewascommissioned Richmond andrancarsbetweenNewcastle,Delawareand Pennsville,NewJersey.In19-17shewaspur¬ chasedbythestateofVirginia,andsawdutyon theNorfolk-to-Hamptonrun.SailingforRhode Islandin1958,theferrywasrenamed Newport and sailed between Newport and Jamestown beforebeingpurchasedbythecityofPawtuckett foruseasayouthartcolonyin1969.Nineteen seventy-sevensawtheboatmovedtoPortJef¬ ferson, New York where the Setaucket Yacht Club used her as a clubhouse, and there she remaineduntilherconversionbytheDiMillo familyonDecember6,1982.
Oddlyenough,accordingtoGeneDiMillo,two ofthebusiestdaysinthefloatingrestaurant’s historywereduringhurricanesGloriaandBob. whenpatronsflockediotheeasv-ridingboatto watchaslesssturdycraftweretossedaboutjust ayardarm’slengthaway—butdon'tthinkthat DiMillo’sistheperfectplacetorideoutevery storm.“Anor'easterwillmovetheship,"says DiMillo."Somecustomershavehadtoleave!” DiMillo’sisopenfordiningfrom11am.to11 p.m.sevendaysaweek.excludingThanksgiving and Christmas. For more information call 772-2216.
CafeNo. 20DanforthStreet.Portland.Forthe pusttwoyears,insidethehistoricoldJ.B.Brown MolassesWarehousehere,someofthebestjazz inthecountryhasbeenhappeningonaregular basis. Gigs like Mose Allison. Dave Bryant. CannonballAdderlysidemanHalGalper,Alan Dawson.CecilMcBee,andLeeKonitz,toname justafew.allfromthisgasofalittleclubcalled CafeNo.
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menuthatfeaturesLebanesefoodpreparedby KareemiAttalah,aswellassalads,sandwiches, soups,coldseafooddishes,andawideassort!mentofpastriesallpreparedbyCafeNo'sown David Snow, complimented by a beverage list repletewithteas,coffees,beer,andafine assortmentofwine.
It started back in May of 1990 when Paul LichterandDavidSnow,jazzloversboth,un¬ coveredadeeppooloftalentaroundPortland. JazzguitarvirtuosoSteveBlum,semi-retiredto northern(''cricketland")Maine,headlinedeach weekendforthefirstthreemonthsaftertheclub openedandthesnowballwasrolling.NewYork jazzmanBenStreetgotwordandtalkedCafeNo up around Boston, attracting new bands who. after establishing themselves in New York, begantalkingtheclubuptonewtalentinNew York.Ithasgottentothepointnowwherecertain speciesofWestCoastjazzbandslookingtogo bi-coastalaretryingtogetabreakatCafeNo. Besidesjazz.CafeNooffersopenpoetry' readingsonthesecondTuesdayofeverymonth Iandalsohasitsownin-housetheatergroup,the VintageRepertoryCo.,performingeveryWed¬ nesday at 8 p.m. Cafe No is open for dining TuesdaythroughSaturdayfrom11am.to9p.m., 2p.m.to8p.m.Sundays.ClosedMondays.For information,call772-8114.
Asanaside,itmightbeworthyourwhileto headdowntotheMolassesWarehouseearlyand visitthebuilding'sothertenants.Stopinfor coffeeandgoodconversation—aswellassome ofthebestinlocallytiedflies—atPortland'sonly flyfishingshop.PortCityFlyandTackle.Orbuya good used book and wax philosophic at Yes Books.Finally,browsethroughthestudiosatthe DanforthStreetGallery,whereanimpressive collectionisinthemaking.
In1969ClaraSouthworth,widowofprominent Portland businessman Constance Southworth, donated $75,000 to the University to ensure provisionswouldbemadetoincludespacefora planetariumprojectduringcampusexpansion 'aswellastoprovideforthepurchaseofthe planetarium's star projector. 40-foot dome screen,andseats.Now,overtwentyyearsof Iimprovementslater,theSouthworthPlanetarium isconsideredtobeoneofthetoptwo40-foot :planetariums(ofnearly400)inthecountry.
Asciencewriterbytrade.Gallanthasspentthe past30-plusyearspenningbooks(heiscur¬ rentlyworkingonnumber78)thathavetaught usabouttheheavens,andnearlyeveryother aspectofscience.Today,thankstohisworkand dedication,youcan,for$3(childrenandseniors $2.50.USMstudents,faculty,andstafffree):take a"TouroftheSolarSystem,"learnaboutthe "BirthandDeathofStars,"orvisittheRedPlanet during the "Mars Show,” as well as find out
Saturday'sat3p.m.,childrenareofferedone oftwoprograms:"Stars,Dragons,andMe."a showhighlightingthemanydazzlingeffectsof whichtheplanetariumiscapable,or"Alligator intheElevator,"featuringthemusicandlyricsofi RickCharette(admission$2.50).Olderchildren mightenjoytheFridayandSaturdaynightLaser LightConcertsfeaturingthemusicofBeethoven. Mozart,Copeland.PinkFloyd,theBeatles,Elvis. Chuck Berry, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith. Blue Oyster Cult, and ZZ Top, to nameafew(8:30p.m.,adults$3,children, seniors.USMstudents,faculty,andstaff$2.50).
AnintegralpartofEastCoastsealanesof communication,lightshipslocatedat46stations fromMainetoFloridaguidedoceancommerce through treacherous waterways and welcomed manyasea-weary'travellertoAmerica'sshores. One of the most important of the lightship stations was Nantucket Shoals, where the LightshipNantucketandhersisterships,known as"StatuesofLibertyoftheSea,"werestationed forpartofthe129-yearhistory'ofthelightships. NantucketShoalswasthelastactivelightship stationinAmerica,retiringherlastcrewin1983.
Lightship*112,Nantucket,wasapartofthat historyfrom1936through1975,whereshenot onlyservedasabeaconofnavigation,butalso asascreenofshippingtrafficduringWorldWarI II,whenGermanU-Boatsprowledthesealanes leading to Boston and New York harbors. Her historydidnotenduponretirement,however.I
Purchased by a New York maritime history group,theinterestinglifeofthe Nantucket continuedasshesteamedfromporttoportasa travellingmuseum.In1988theboatwasputup forsale.ThetownofNantuckethadfirstlegal rightstopurchasetheshipandwithfifteen minutesbeforethatclauseexpireditdidso,after a townsman agreed to purchase the ship from thetown(for$1)andmaintainit.Broughtinto Newport,R.I.,itlayidle.Winter1989sawpipes freezeandburstbeforeavolunteergroup(now knownasLightshipNantucket.Inc.),inPortland, theship'ssecondhome,actedtosaveit.Raising enoughmoneytopurchasetheship,acrewof20 volunteerswasdispatchedtoNewporttorefit brokenpipes,pumpoutwater,andrepairother damageincurredthroughneglect,andsoonthe shipwassailingforhome.Portland.
Now a fully operational seagoing museum— oneofonlythreeintheUnitedStates—Lightship Nantucket, whichstillcruisesinsummer,is openforvisitsfromMaythroughSeptember.10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. OctoberthroughApril,thelightshipoperates10 a.m.to4p.m.Saturdaysandnoonto4p.m. Sundays.Admissionis$3foradults,$1.50for childrenandseniors;$7maximumperfamily. ParkingisavailableattheMaineStatePier; parkinggarageoralongCommercialStreet.
If you have a business that requires paintingonaregularbasisoronceevery severalyears,youwillprobablypaytoo muchifyoudon’tcall.Askclientslike: 1 City Center • 1 Portland Square • Woodfords Church whythey’reregularcustomers!
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The Dancing Priest
FictionbyJanwillemvandeWetering
AS A YOUNG man I spent some time,quiteabitoftimeitseems to me now—intense awareness kind of stretches in memory— in a Zen monastery, in Kyoto, Japan. The Buddhist monastery was part of a temple compound and each temple had a priest in charge. The priestshadranksandthehigherthe rank the more colorful their robes. Once a month they would all come to theornateheadtemple(whichwasn’t the monastery, the monastery was a trainingschoolwheretheyoungfel¬ lowsgottwistedintoenlightenmentby meditation and other hardships) and dance.
I used to watch those priestly dances. Some of the young monks, whoweremymatesinthemonastery', took care of the music. There was a drummer, a percussionist, a guy on gongs, and everybody sang. The singingwaswhatyouhearinsurrealist Japanese movies these days: highpierced notes that would end
abruptly,asifsomeonesuddenlycut the singer’s throat—hoarse groans, poppingsounds,andoccasionaljazzy bursts of scat, rap, even vocalese whereeverydrumbeathasalyrictogo with it. While the monks did their musical mime, flapping the wide sleevesoftheirsimpleblackrobes, portlypriestsshuffledaboutinbro¬ cadesandtailoredsilks.Onepriest,a bonze called Roku, was brighter and fatterthananybodyelse.Heliftedhis flatfeetamazinglyquickly,pivotedhis bulkwithastoundingease,evenper¬ formed solo pieces while his col¬ leagues,soft-shoeing,backedhimup. Thisstar-performerwasofhighrank. He was the only priest who owned a car(thiswasinthefifties,veryfewcars about in those days). Roku-sama impressed me. He also impressed the monks and they grinned enviously, pattingtheirbutts(agestureoflowclass Japanese derision) as they watched Roku’s antics. From the gossip1gatheredthat“funeralpriest” Rokudidprettygoodoutoftakingcare
ofdeadrichfolks,assuringtheirsouls’ safe passage to Buddhist high heav¬ ens.Iwastroubledbylegcrampsand hemorrhoids(thatgowithmeditation inanattemptedlotusposition),soI didn’t research the career of the dancingpriestatthetime,butaques¬ tionwasformed.
Questions form answers, this par¬ ticularanswershowedupinadream. The dream answered other questions too for although Zen doesn’t bother muchwithgoodandevilbuthintsata void that’s beyond crime, revenge, punishmenteven,andpreferstheex¬ cuse of ignorance to accusations, I kept wondering whether religious adeptsshouldbegreedy.
Maybe 1 have a visual mind. Therewasplentyofcorruption in the temple compound, lots of practised human weakness tochoosefrom.Priestsdressed upinsuitsand,hidingtheirbaldpates undercapsofhats,climbedwallsand scurriedofftothepleasurequarterto squander offerings from the ever¬ sufferinglaity,thepapa-andmama¬ sans who showed up on Sundays to share their savings. Hot dogs were consumed in vegetarian kitchens. Blacktobaccocigarettesweredipped inricewinebeforebeingsuckedempty of crazy-making smoke. Early-model miniradioswerehiddeninsleevesand minutephonesstuckinearstowhile away meditation hours on thumping rock.Noneofthatbotheredme,butthe priest Roku, whirling in the temple courtyard,orangeandredsilkscarves flying,sleevesgesturinggrotesquely, sunrays causing a halo above his sweating fat head, made me wonder whether there was any righteousness left in the Tao, the wise way of nothingness I was supposedly pur¬ suing.
I mean, a man can ask-
Time passed. I left the monastery andstayedwithaFrenchbusinessman who lived in an affluent suburb of Kobe.Themansion’skitchen,runbya Chinesecook,fedmeendlessnoodles (witheverythingontheside),inreturn forsortingoutmyhost’sartcollection. Working hours were short and I en¬ joyed free weekends. I even had my
KEVIN LEDUC
own bathroom and I would sit there, betweenwallsofgleamingwhitetiles, enjoying the spring breeze, pausing fromreflectingontheweekend’spa¬ per’scomicsection’swisdomtogaze atwoodsonanelevationatthehor¬ izon.Icouldneverquitemakeoutwhat 1 was gazing at. Was there a shrine there, hidden between pine trees, a smallBuddhisttemplewithasloping roof? Did something move about the shrine,agrayshape?Adancingshape?
Ialsospenttimewatching,through the bathroom’s small and discreetly opened windows, paper and wood houses being assembled below. The Frenchman’svillarosefromahilltop and looked down on this development thatgrewquickly,beingartfullyfitted togetherfromprefabricatedparts.The picturesqueold-Japan-style-villagewith-modern-comforts, I was told, would house middle-echelon govern¬ ment workers. Soon the chosen ones arrivedandIsawthemen,comfortably dressed in cotton kimonos, enjoying their weekends, squatting on strawmatted floors of artfully empty and therefore spacious rooms, being servedgreenteaandseaweedcookies onred-lacqueredtraysbytheirgrace¬ fulkneelingwives,whilethekidshung out in moss gardens, between decor¬ ativeshrubs.Ialsosawanolderman grabbinghischestandkeelingover, his wife or housekeeper run to the phone, an ambulance arrive too late and a Buddist priest in time. The priest’schantingvoiceandthefra¬ granceofincensewaftedovertothe Frenchman’s mansion.
That night Monsieurde Monnaie, my benefactor, entertained and his Chinese cook made all the dishes T’angemperorsweresaidtohabitually overindulgeon.Wealsodrankallthe liquorbeforebreakingintobeer.My hostspokeabouthisgloriouspastand present pursuits in many languages and kept losing his new teeth that clattered on the floor and were re¬ trievedbyKoreanservants.Overcome by the spectacle and my own par¬ ticipationImanagedtostaggertomy quarterswhere1plungedintotroubled sleep.
The dream showed me traveling in Japan’s inhospitable West. 1 was a monk. The Zen master of the Kyoto
monastery had recalled me from the temptations of Kobe and sent me to harshcountryforfurthertraining.Ihad walked,ontatteredsandals,through freezingswampsalldayandwasglad to reach a shrine shadowed by pine treesonabitofhighground.Anold toothlesshermitinapatchedgrayrobe didn’texactlywelcomeme.
“Reverend sir,” I said, “I am a humble monk of the Rinzai Zen Sect (asifhecouldn’tsee,Iwaswearingthe same bone ring on my robe as he did himself) looking for Buddhahood in generalandanight’slodginginpar¬ ticular.Howareyoudoingandplease oblige.”
The villagers had better manners thantheirhermit.Somefiftypeople weregatheredintheirmunicipalbuild¬ ingbuttheysentoutaselectmanwho took me to his house, fed me and bedded me down.
“Excuseme,reverendsir,”thesel¬ ectmansaid,“butthere’sabitofa ceremony going on at the main house thatrequiresmypresence.”Hehurried off.
“Youhavetoleavewithus,reverend sir.”Theselectmanexplainedhispre¬ dicament. Apparently there was some taboo about dead people in the village:theyhadtobeleftaloneforthe night. There was a barn a few miles downtheroadwherewecouldallrest in comfort. Then in the morning we wouldreturn.
1didn’tfeelliketrampingoffagain and remembered 1 was a monk. “Pleaseshowyourhonorablefather’s body, selectman-sama.”
dered.Ricecakesandvarioussweets were heaped in bowls.
Theoldmanwasdressedinhisbest clothesandrestedonatrestletable. Candles burned and incense smol¬
“I’llstayhere,”Isaid,“andchant appropriate sermons of death and rebirth."
ThevillagersrushedoffandIfolded my legs next to the corpse, assumed theproperposture(spineerect,belly pushed forward), arranged my robe, hit my bell, sang my song. Midnight cameandImusthavedozedoffbuta chill woke me up again and 1 became awareofagraysquatshapeentering thebuilding.Istruckmybellbutthere wasnosound,1triedtosingbutmy uvulawasfrozen.Thegrayshapebent overtheheadman’sheadandsuckedit upinonegulp.Therestofthecorpse wasinhaledtooandtheshapestarted on the offerings. All I could do in protestwastremble.Theghoulstood in the open door for a moment, groaned,bowed,tookhisleave.
At daybreak the villagers re¬ turnedandweren’tatallsur¬ prised to see their headman gone."It’salwayslikethis,”the selectman said. “It saves the burialofcoursebutwedon’tlikeit much all the same. Thank you for staying,reverendsir,canyoutellus what you saw?”
Itoldhim,andthevillagers.
A beautiful young woman knelt devoutlyandbeggedmetorelievethe villageofitscurse.
Nothing for free, of course,” the selectmansaid.
I remembered Kobe and my harsh Zen master who, knowing my weak spirit,hadswornhewouldsendmeon spiritualerrandsuntil...untilwhen? The master never said. The young womansmiledsweetly.1squintedfur¬ iously.“Nopay,ifyouplease.”
“Such a holy man,” the young woman sighed.
Which reminded me: they had their own holy man. 1 asked about the hermitonthehill.
“Who?”thevillagersasked.
“My fellow Rinzai sect member,” I said."Oldcodgerwithaboneringon his robe.” I touched my own. “Like Continued
‘‘You,”1said.Hewastheshapewho ate the headman and the cookies and he was fat shiny Roku, the dancing priestintheKyotocompound.Hewas, hetoldme,allofthehigh-rankdancing priestswho“dofunerals,”promising aneasytransfertoheaven,collecting paddedbills,racingaboutinCadillacs, RollsRoyces,InfinitisandLexusif mustbe,visitinggeishasonthesly.
Theeasylife.Thefatoftheland.
“But look where it got me,” the hermitwailed.Hisshapefadedashe spoke,sodidtheshrine.
“Help me help me.” His weak voice pursued me as I tramped onward on myjourneyupsnowyslopes,downicy paths.
1 remembered the beautiful young lady’s plea, the predicament of the villagers, the admonishments of my teacher.“Ohverywell,”Isaid,“I’m sufferingsomuchImayaswelltakeon yourpainstoo.Roku-sama,goon,go toheaven.”
ThatdayIbeggedofffromsorting treasuresandwentforawalkbehind the Frenchman’s mansion. Beyond the villageIfoundthewoods1hadseen from my bathroom. There were pine treestherebutnothingelse.Ihad,at the very least, expected to find a cracked gravestone, covered with lichens,stating,inhardlylegiblechar¬ acterschiseledagesago,thatamonk wasburiedhere.Agreedymonk.
So I walked back. That evening, lookingoutfromthebathroom,1did seeastrangealmosttransparentblur again,betweenthepinetreesonthe horizon.Ashrine,Ithought.Andfrom theshrineagrayblobappeared,dan¬ cingandbowing.Itwaved,liftedaleg, danced away, was gone forever. H
