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Digital Collections @ Dordt
Dordt Canon University Publications
1977
The Canon, [1976-77]: Volume 7, Number 8
Dordt College
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Recommended Citation Dordt College, "The Canon, [1976-77]: Volume 7, Number 8" (1977). Dordt Canon. 76. https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/dordt_canon/76
This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at Digital Collections @ Dordt. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dordt Canon by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Dordt. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DORDT COLLEGE, Sioux Center, Iowa Vol. 7, No.8 Soli Deo Gloria The Rebuff by Pat Leegwater Her hands pinched and pressured Frustration. Clay and muck splatted dug into her fingernails. staining them but the blob remained. Her hands over the entire kitchen table. Tiny balls brownish yellow. The rolling pin dried destroyed and started again. Nothing of hardened clay fell off the table and to the useless newspaper protection and beautiful happened. ground into her bare feet. Smeary clay her nose itched but there was nothing to scratch it with. She didn't need another clay vase but she wanted one. She could forget it but she wouldn't. Picking up the clay glob, she stubbornly pinched again. The doorbell's ring lurched into her ears and she tightened against it. Clutching the clay in one hand, she hopped down the back steps and opened the door. Joanie stood there. Joanie with shiny pink rouge over flabby cheeks. Her big don't forgd dark eyes hooded with moss green and that as a c.hild black frosting. Joanie with her wispy ~Oll WErE d050t brown hair dull and limp. Joanie with a joggly round stomach and tired jean +0 thE ground. shorts showing thick puckly legs. fresh fin3Ex.s "Hey Shirley, you crazy kid!" Joanie ExplorE.d thE Earth. shrieked. "How ya doin', old pal? Long ~ou 3lori march 2 Encased in liquid glass CLOWN ALLEY dripped I stood inside a circus tent from the sky, and smelled the roaring crowd. Frail fern, bent bough Balloons were flat and money spent. The lonely cried aloud. Page 2 Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow reviewed by Jack Mouw Humboldt is a drunken, half-crazed, Nobel Prize Winner pages, and then, after fading away, dying poet. He represents an earlier era leaves a film as a reminder that this is a when the artist was still a romantic dirty place to live. hero, and was supposed to have Charles Ci tr ine, who narrates uncontrollable passions and gargan- Humboldt's Gift, is an intellectual. A tuan appetites. Charles Citrine was one life-long purveyor of the myth of the of his disciples, then made it big with a superiority of thinking over doing, in Broadway play and, Humboldt is late middle-age he questions that convinced, sold out to Wall Street. They assumption, and thrashes around for go their separate ways: Citrine becomes another escape route. For he has come a celebrity, Humboldt a derelict. This is to see that he is no better than anyone revealed in retrospect; when the novel else, a traumatic experience for any takes place Humboldt is dead, and intellectual. Observing decadence in Citrine has been married and divorced. others is comforting in a way; to see At this late date Citrine realizes that oneself as part of the decadence is a Humboldt may have been right, he had disillusion that can be fatal. sold out. Charles Citrine is lost, but he can't But he doesn't know where to go. He get excited about it. It seems that can hardly emulate Humboldt; the everyone he knows feels right at home bohemian lifestyle is passe, and he has in this dying culture; they seem to revel Saturday, to make money to satisfy his ex-wife, in degradation. He can feel for them, who is suing him, and to maintain his But Aunti but keeps a safe distance. The relationship with his young girl friend, intellectual life may not be a valid chatting t, Renata, who is built like a belly-dancer Saul Bellow removing th. escape from this mundane existence, and has expensive tastes. In the end it is control; and even if we can do and shaping but that doesn't mean one has to come Humboldt who relents, posthumously, something, who cares enough to try? down to reality. Citrine looks for a new also come or by leaving Citrine in his will a movie Bellow has assimilated the spirit of the zipper of th. escape hatch in anthroposophy. The script that is worth thousands. Citrine age in his novels without being didactic soul must escape the body and join the zipper of my can now patch up old wrongs, and about it. We realize that we are lost universal World-Soul and all that. But arguing so ] spend his time trying to find himself. without his telling us in so many words. his interest in mysticism is as diffident be more of 2 Saul Bellow's cosmos is a vibrant Bellow excels as a detached observer of as his interest in anything else. We must go along wi place. The almost desperate whirl of modern decadence. He has a knack for do something with our time, and we In a mom events illumines a persistent uneasiness, picking out the disgusting detail that might even stumble across an answer across the be a feeling that this is all beyond our makes the reader nauseous for a few some day, but we don't really expect to. way over my is the first ti that I had I Then it w: too short eve shoes and underneath. Voter's Lament No. 430 asked, "Do: one on the Picky, picky, We voted fast. CANNON STAFF "It's kine Packy, snacky, He didn't last. understaterr. Burble, burble, The people didn't see. phased in tl Bounce. But this November Editorial Staff: Bonnie Kuipers, Dave yanking at t Please remember- Groenenboom, Pat Leegwater, Neil It. s all so clever. Culbertson, Ronda Ruisch, Mary Klay pushed my Vote responsibly. after a consi Push the lever. up anyway. Doesn't take an ounce. Layout Editor: Liz Esselink more object -Dave Groenenboom Tis deceiving, Faculty Advisor: Hugh Cook "Row ab Here, then leaving ~\I",,~."1\1 With yOUTduty done. "E(\\.\ar. 'i'>an.(\'1'1an. ,)en. "-,,,,,, would mak But all repent, She looked Last time we went Masthead: Lugene Vanden Bosch her face lit the recoil weighed a ton. ------,- Page 3 The Rebuff, corr't. and fizzed it into two tall glasses. walls. Shirley's dad turned up the Joanie beamed. There was silence "How's the job?" Beethoven symphony playing on the and Beethoven's symphony glided to a "Fantastic! I mean, I don't slave too living room stereo and, clamping graceful halt in the background. hard ... but what the heck! I work for the through the kitchen, slammed the door. A flabby yellowish-white hand swung pay and they don't give me much. But "Tell ya what, Joanie. If I can make out and clapped Shirley's shoulder. they do give parties. That's what Ilike." it, I'll call, 'kay?" "Honey, let me leave ya to yer clay and Joanie guzzled the pop. Shirley got up "Yeah, well, all right." Joanie leaned classical music. I think I'll buzz to and refilled her glass. over the table. Her shirt sagged. Shirley Jimmy's before I hit home fer supper." "But Shirl, I gotta tell ya about the gawked a moment at a graceless hickey Joanie bopped down the back steps, guys. Darn, ya never saw the like. Real glaring at her from underneath; she hips rolling like unbalanced car tires. hunks. Not even stuck up. 'Member looked away. She slammed the door against the wall how we hated the guys here? But now "Actually Shirley." Joanie's low voice and bounced along the sidewalk. I'm outa this rinky-dink Dutch town. pulled her back. "Actually, it's an "Good talkin' with ya, chick. Glad ya Gimme some life! Look lady-o, I'm engagement party. I'm getting married like college. Be seein' ya 'round, huh?" headin' a fling Saturday night. An' yer next month." "Jeanie!" Shirley's voice was stiff comin. There's this guy knows about ya Shirley tensed. "But-v-Joanie, how with urgency. "Joan ie, we want you. and wants to see ya. I got it all fixed neat! Let me see your ring! Who's the You with your humor and tactless way up." lucky guy?" of saying what you think. We want "But ... " "I can't wait, Shirl. He hasn't gotten someone to knock out our cold "Huh? What do ya mean? He ain't me the ring yet. His name is Jim tradition. What I mean is ... the had. He's a good friend of mine. Shirley, Roemer. You don't know him; he's not Kingdom of Jesus wants you. Joanie?" you don't have ta get loaded. We might Dutch. He's divorced but I don't care. She'd stopped bouncing and was get stoned outa our minds, but what He's the greatest guy I've met ... ever." staring at Shirley. you do is yer problem." "Oh, I sure hope he is. I really hope She swore. Joanie glanced at her with hooded so! You need to be happy, Joanie. I Jeanie's formless figure flung around eyes and her harsh giggle scraped the hope so!" the hedge. Two minutes later a yellow Mustang fled by and was gone. Shirley walked back into the house. A Philosopher in Track Shoes -Neil Culbertson Her hand stuck to the clay glob she was still clenching. Pitching the whole mess in a box, she threw it in the cupboard under the sink. Then she washed her hands. She opened the kitchen door and shuffled into the living room. After flipping on a Cat Stevens' record, she sprawled onto the couch and picked up another novel. Yellow stained fingers turned the pages to chapter one. \ Turkey roasting in the oven Ham cooking in the pot Aunts busy working in the kitchen Nine pumpkin pies just hot Kids come pouring in the doorway Sitting and waiting forced Grandpa acquires the place of honour Impromptu speech endorsed Vehement debates soon follow lee cream tops steaming pie Nothing like a Thanksgiving dinner "Great" "Delicious" "aah" "sigh" -Mary Klay Page 6 march 2 Encased in liquid glass CLOWNALLEY dripped I stood inside a circus tent from the sk y, and smelled the roaring crowd. Balloons were flat and money spent. Frail fern, bent bough The lonely cried aloud. Saturday, But Aunti chatting t, removing th and shaping also come ot zipper of th. zipper of my arguing so I be more of, go along wi In a mom across the bl way over my Dennis De Groot is the first t that I had Then it w too short eve shoes and underneath. asked, "Do: one on the "It's kin, understaterr phased in tl yanking at 1 pushed my after a consi up anyway. more object "Howat shoes." Th would mak She looked her face lit Lines of Marcia Bleeker Liz Esselink Judy Cook Gerald Kolkerts Charlie Claus from art students Poge6 I \ \, \ march 2 \ Encased in liquid glass CLOWN ALLEY dripped I stood inside a circus tent from the sky, and smelled the roaring crowd. Balloons were flat and money spent. Frail fern, bent bough The lonely cried aloud. Page 6 NOT "ANOTHER JOHN WAYNE MOVIE~~ The Shootist In a review of The Shootist in the legendary towns of the Old West, is Directed by: Don Siegel "Saturday Review," Judith Crist wrote, changing. The film isn't set in 1901 Screenplay by: Miles Hood Suarthout the pointlessness of Siegel's film is accidently-the arrival of the first and Scott Hale the dominant factor. Wayne, mus- automobile, the use of horse-drawn Reviewed by: Dave Groenenboom tachioed and chin-whiskered, is more trolleys-all these things are ushering behemoth than human; Bacall, in a new way of life. While Books is The Shootist is the story of the last maturely handsome, never finds riding the trolley to the "last shootout," eight days of an aging gunfighter coincidence between her sophis- he has a conversation with a young girl. Books knows that he is going to die named J. B. Books (John Wayne) who ticated glance and the idiot dialogue discovers that he is dying from a cancer. assigned to her. The two emerge as within the hour, and that the world will be left to the more civilized and After discovering his death is near, anachronistic antiques in contrast to genteel-like the young girl. As he gets Books, the last of the legendary the 1901 Oldsmobile and the original off the trolley in front of the saloon, he gunfighters, prepares to die quietly in horse-drawn trolley the set dresser smiles at the girl, and says, "I hope you Carson City. came up with for atmosphere. find a man someday." But he finds his celebrity has made And after Books is shot, when he's such a death impossible. He moves into laying on the floor oozing blood, the a boarding house, but the widow widow's son, who has just shot Book's (Lauren Bacall); who runs it wants to murderer, stares at the gun he used, evict him as soon as her son (Ron Books' gun. He stares at the gun, aud Saturday, Howard) tells her of Books' past. He then heaves it across the room. Books, had, after all, killed thirty men. He is in silent, pre-death agony, looks at the But Aunti visited by the local sheriff (Harry boy, smiles, and dies. He knew he had chatting t Morgan) who first tells him to leave to die, but he also knew the boy had to removing th town, then wishes him an early demise. go on living' by a different code of and shaping A former girl friend (Sheree North) ethics. also come 01 visits him with a marriage proposal, so Books yields to the new way of life. zipper of th that she can cash in on his legend (The He sees that it's inevitable. His main zipper of rn; Story oU.B. Books, as told by his loving concern, since he is going to die, is to do arguing so wife). it with dignity. When he enters town at be more of ~ the beginning ofthe film, he learns of the go along wi In time though, the boarding house death of Queen Elizabeth. The Queen, In a rnorr widow learns to accept Books, and even he muses, was dignified right to the across the be begins to love him. But Books still must end. But Books' cancer rules out a way over my die. Rather than let the cancer kill him, dignified demise. Dr. Hostetler (Jimmy is the first t he carefully arranges a shootout at the Stewart) tells him his medication- that I had local saloon with three local hoods who some kind of opium mixture--would Then it w would like to see him dead: A barroom help him for awhile, but that in the end too short eve card shark (Hugh O'Brien), a man he would scream in uncontrollable "How shoes and whose brother died at the end of Books' can a man .... agony until he passed into un- underneath. gun (Richard Boone), and a local milk die with dignity" consciousness. He says, in dialogue asked, "Do: dealer whom Books had offended. But Crist only missed the point. The packed full of Stewartisms, "I'm not a one on the brave man, but if I were ..If I were as The shootout isn't your typical Shootist is the story of changing times. "It's kine brave as you, I wouldn't wait for that," Western shootout: Boone drives to it in The entire film is interspersed with understaterr And that is the whole reason for the a 1901 Oldsmobile, and Books rides a elements of transition, with contrasts phased in tl shootout. How can a man who has lived horse-drawn trolley. Actually, the between the ways of the Old West and yanking at t as a gunfighter die with dignity? In one shootout is quite serene. It isn't realty the new, civilized society of Carson City pushed my last shootout! When he goes to the climactic, and it isn't intended to be. in 1901. The Old West is supposed to after a consi saloon, he is planning on dying there. Books, relying on all the skills of his look ridiculous, because the film is set up anyway. That also is made obvious. past, eventually kills the other three. in a new time. Books is the last of the more object Although The Shootist is an excellent But he doesn't escape: he is fatally legendary gunfighters. He doesn't film, it does have weaknesses. The list "Howat wounded by the bartender, who, in belong in the twentieth century. He of actors and actresses reads like the shoes." Th turn, is killed by the widow's son, who represents a way of life that has to end. cast for a television comedy special: would mak had been outside waiting the outcome of He has to die-s-that is made obvious at John Wayne, Jimmy Steward, Scatman She looked the shootout. He walks in, sees the the beginning of the film-just as the Caruthers, Ron Howard, Richard her face lit bartender shoot Books, grabs Books' "rule of the gun" is no longer a valid "six-iron," and kills the bartender. way to live. Carson City, one of the (Continued on page 7) .- -f$-,- Page 7 Three Plays by Anton Chekhov reviewed hy Sandy VanDen Berg The Dordt Thalians once again went discussions only accentuate the desper- The performance of The Anniversary on stage, Oct. 14-16, this time ation of Natalya, and shatter any was disappointing. Madam Merchutkin performing three one-act plays by the illusions towards romance in all its (Mary Vander Ploeg) was the strongest Russian playwright, Anton Chekhov "glittering glory." Who cares whether woman actress, while Bruce Himba as 11860 Natalya and Lamay are compatible or Kuzma, was the strongest male actor. 11860-1904). They caught the comic not? Lamay wears pants and that's good As a whole the Thalians should be tone of Chekhov's farces as they enough for Natalya and Chubukov commended for their performance, • laughed, stomped, and talked their way (Dennis De Groot), the over-anxious efforts, and enthusiasm to keep drama through The Boor, The Marriage father. alive on the campus of Dordt College. Proposal, and The Anniversary. Chekhov's disgusting bitter stabs at The men work ... women made me "literally" bleed to the women interfere" death. In The Boor it was the woman stupid enough to remain faithful to her dead husband, even though he had certainly not been faithful to her while living. Mrs. Popov (Joanne Feenstra) imposes a seclusion upon herself akin to I the self-pity she swallows daily. One has to laugh at her feeble attempts to hang on to her pride yet 1 found her self-imposed exile revolting. Smirnov lEverett Van Ee) did a great job of showing Mrs. Popov she was still a woman, in spite of what she said. He "Oh, my put pututing heart!" wasthe strongest character and actor in the plays performance, while Joanne Of the three plays The Marriage and Martin Gelderman (Luka) broke Proposal was the strongest. The pace character a couple of times and laughed didn't lag and all three actors kept their with the audience. characters well. Jaci De Jong's acting SHOOTIST, continued ... was spontaneous but disciplined and controlled, while Mike Van Dyke had everyone's hearts "palpitating" with Boone, Hugh O'Brien, Harry Morgan, him. Dennis, with a cheery grin kept the and Lauren Bacal!. When watching the dialogue moving between the two. film, it's difficult to separate the actors Chekhov reverts to a sense of bitter from the characters they represent. humor in The Anniversary. Two women Wayne, himself a living legend, won a are shown in contrast here-the old, battle against cancer. His presence in harpy hag and the social butterfly. the film is vital, but one gets confused. Neither seem to be contented or to live Indeed, the film begins with scenes very fulfilled lives. Tatiana's (Kim from the life of John B. Books, scenes Ve nh u ize n) husband Andrei (Bill actually taken from old John Wayne Richards) is too busy trying to make movies. Also, everytime I see Ron and polish his name in his bank, while Howard, I think of "Happy Days," and Kuzma, (Bruce Hibma) the contrast to I still can't think of Harry Morgan Andrei, is too busy trying to get his apart from "Dragnet." When he walks "She was still a woman ... " work done. in, badge shining, I still expect him to The men work and the women say, "This is the city. Los Angeles." interfere. The action seems confined to But these weaknesses will pass with In The Marriage Proposal, Natalya the hag who storms into the bank and time, and The Shootist may be an even (Jaci De Jong) is the desperate the wife who flits from desk to desk, belter film in thirty years, when few of unmarried woman who will settle for trying to find someone who will listen to the characters will be entrenched in anyone, even if he claims he owns her her silly chalter. In the end one has to their accomplishments on television. family's meadows, and his dog is better feel sorry for Tatiana, the wife of I hope it's still around. Maybe it will than her dog. The ridiculousness of Andrei, rather than for the ambitious be showing with Gary Cooper in "High Natalya's and Lomov's (Mike Van Dyk) Andrei himself. Noon. " Page 6 march 2 Encased in liquid glass CLOWN ALLEY dripped I stood inside a circus tent from the sk y, and smelled the roaring crowd. Balloons were flat and money spent. Frail fern, bent bough The lonely cried aloud. Page 8 A PHILOSOPHER IN TRACK-SHOES THE IDEA 1 really did it this time! 1 must have torn Days FIRST SNOWFALL when these thoughts every ligament in my head, were nurtured chasing an idea like the soon to come child, Sigh watch from upstairs always that much faster than me. the first harbinger window sigh of the future tones - on streets whitewashed Dead ... dead. dead. children play with That's what it should be, the people cared, springsu m m erfal! sm iles but there it is crowded around, build pure gleam one step ahead, followed the progression snowballs round circle always that much faster with sated smiles pat harden encase in than me. of expectation - fingers tight wonderful The idea turns smack on wistful window in these moments explaining its vision- target steam mist of breath this child, so tight to discover the Ends of the Earth- on glass so warm in my womb brain migration race hit hard burst smile kicked viciously to its birth place. and 1 winced in silent pain - invitation wistful sigh swallowed Then my eyes stopped false hopes, into snowy whiteness one verse down the page, rays of gold glimpsed joyful calls of children The Philosopher's Stone for a shriveled second - move into snowflakes. that turned my leaded-reason miscarriage of the mind, -Bonnie Kuipers into a swift shaft of gold: I know the child was to be "The fool's eyes are in the Ends of Saturday, a stillborn sweep the Earth. " of once potent force But Aunt: I stopped the chase, chatting t -Bonnie Kuipers Still the Idea ran; removing th its circular pace and shaping never slacking, also come 01 ever cracking with its speed zipper of th the Ideological Muscle zipper of rn of questioning men, arguing so who while always learning be more of, (of the Ends of the Earth) go along wi never learn the Ends of Ideas, In a morr the Limits of Questions called by God across the b' Krack! way over my to rest one swift blow- is the first t in His Word. that I had the soft spoken "no" -Neil Culb ertsor Then it w devastates like too short eVI 12,000 sticks of shoes and dynamite. underneath. Immersed like HAIKU asked, "Do a broken ship one on the A balloon flying. in an unfriendly "It's kin: A child runs, holding the string. understaten sea. A hunched back gazes on. phased in tl Married to pity Cold night settles yanking at 1 fitting well with the On frosted leaves, earthly stars. pushed my contours of my Quick! get my coat. after a consi spirit. up anyway. A pie crust cooking. more object -Neil Culbertson I peel apples. My nose tingles. "Howat shoes." Th A dew filled dawn: would mak -Phyllis Nanninga Ducks huddled beside the pond She looked Without any necks. her face lit -Jhon Kleyn