This Issue in iwo Sections nside: Re der'S Guide to L.A. Restaura ts Suzanne Lummis, coordinator of the Dogstar poetry series Friday, January 31, 1986 Vol. 8, No. 15 LOS ANGELES'S FREE WEEKLY Organizers of local readings are finding homes for the .work of Los Angeles poets .·1 ·... l. f I By Lynn McGee On a rainy afternoon in November, 20 or so people grope through the unlit backstages at Hollywood's GalaxyTheater. Eventually, they Charlotte Gusay of George Sand Books find the performance space where two Lamont award poetry winners-Henri Coulette and Robert Mezey-are scheduled to read their work. Suzanne Lummis, coordinator of this event as part of her Dogstar Poetry Series, carries glasses ofwine to the audience and asks if any- one is thirsty. Surprised strangers thank her and sip their rose. The two poets-dapper, well- -groomed college professors-deliver briskly paced, poignant samples ofwork . Their voices echo from the small stage, with its garish navy and pink walls. The Dogstar readings, unlike the dozens of other poetry series in the Los Angeles area, cen- ters its events around themes, and not necessar- ily around individual poets. One ofthe readings, Alan Mandel of the Los Angeles Theatre Center centered around the theme "Madness and Re- · covery," attracted droves of people who could relate to losing their minds and feeling better, even if they couldn't relate to poetry, per se. "Life Stories" and "Urban Poetry" were two other themes. A memorial reading for the late William Pillin attracted over 90 people. "Po- etry meets Prose" was held on the roof of the Galaxy Theater, which meant audience mem- cont£nued on page 19 Jean-Pierre Boccaro and Anna Mariani of the Lhasa Club photographs by Beth Herzhaft 2 READER Section 1 January 17) was right on the mark, though acquired in 1945, and this was specifically it didn't go quite far enough. The series is cited in the federal indictment as an ex- amazingly mediocre, coming in an inept ample of the criminal conspiracy. Neither third to the new versions of"The Twilight Snell nor GM explained that the principal Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents.'' nail in the PE's coffin was the refusal of There appears to be a direct correlation the California state legislature during the between Spielberg's participation and the 1940's to provide sufficient funds for right- letters quality of the show: the more Spielberg of-way acquisition to enable Pacific Elec- has to do with an episode, the less charm- tric lines to be relocated to the middle of Missing Meltzer ing, less interesting, less £nspired it proves the freeways then being planned, despite IHI GHIDOPI Editor's note: to be. the urgings ofnumerous prominent Los Due to limitations ofspace, "At Leisure If Spielberg was smart he would step Angeles business and civic leaders. with Richard Meltzer" does not appear aside and allow others to salvage the se- I -David G. Cameron As I sit here watching Saturday-morning cartoons with my kids, this week. It \Vil! next appear in the Reader ries for the rest of this season and its al· President the issue of February 14. an old, nagging question resurfaces, to wit: how are the harmonious, ready guaranteed second season. Electric Rai1way Historical -Ron Hardcastle Association ofSouthern California perfectly pitched voices ofAlvin and the Chipmunks created? Eu- ' Los Angeles nuchs? The Mandrell sisters on helium? I breathlessly await your reply.-T. Earl Brandt, Acton, Texas Corrections Editor's note: Obviously, Earl, you never spent much time horsing around There was an error in last week's "City· Aquarian Conspiracy with the speed control on your tape recorder to make goofy high- side" story on the Ms. Biz radio show. The To the ed£tors: pitched voices. As kids, my brothers and I found this to be a source show's air time is 8:00 p.m. rather than I always thought that Stuart Goldman of endless amusement, and if we'd been smaner and about 20 8:00 a.m. was just full of hyperbole and pure novel- years older, we'd be millionaires today. Unfonunately, we were Also, an article on the Cultural Affairs ty shock value. But his article "Fmal Cult" Department in last week's "Cityside" (Reader, January 24) was right on target. beaten to the punch by California songwriter Ross Bagdasarian. section gave an incorrect phone number I've noticed that the biggest detractors Bagdasarian, who used the stage name David Seville, showed for the department. The correct number of the so-called "Aquarian conspiracy" early signs of genius in 1951, when he and his cousin, the play- is 485-2433. are not independent thinkers like Gold- wright William Saroyan, wrote a number-one hit for Rosemary man, bµt right-wing fundamentalists like Clooney called "Come On-a My House." But he didn't really Jerry Falwell, and Jimmy Swaggart. hit his stride until when he recorded the immonal tune Reagan's Rhetoric They know that the New Age movement 1958, To the editors: is a heavy contender in the sweepstakes Thank you, thank you, for Michael of world domination. There is constant Miner's exquisite analysis of the popu- condemnation ofthe New Age movement READER January 31, 1986 Vol. 8, No. 15 larity ofRonald Reagan ("The Great Pa- in daily religious broadcasts. So what's it cifier;' Reader, January 17). What a strange gonna be: Aquarian dictatorship, capital· PUBLISHER time we live in. Perhaps the mental pa· ist exploitation, a total Christian world Thomas ]. Rehwaldt tients who can see through Reagan's rhet· government, or godless communism? I oric should be the only valid voters the saynoneoftheabove. -Peter Bedpan EDITOR next time around. -Sharon Dellamarie Hollywood Dan Barton 0 c: ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ·c Burbank 0 Kyle Counts So Vi ASSISTANT EDITOR b() Tara Strohmeier ::i Revolutionary Attitude iii Gorbachev and Reagan To the editors: FILM CRITIC To the editors: Andy Klein c: IreadintheHeraldExaminerthatLynda 0 Would you please tell those morons from Barry has left the Reader because of the CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ·~ the Peace and Freedom party to write their continued existence of Stuart Goldman Bruce Bebb • Meredith Brody ;§ stupid letters to the L.A. Week(y? Morons in your pages. Stuart Goldman • Matt Groening deserve each other. They believe in peace I think that attitude sucks. Somewhere Cindy Lamb • Doug Lindeman Richard Meltzer • Chris Morris and freedom as much as Gorbachev and along the line-and Ms. Barry is not the Kirk Silsbee "Witch Doctor." By singing at a very ... deliberate ... pace into Reagan do. -Fred Tubin only one-the idea of live and kt live has a tape recorder running at half speed, and then replaying the Los Angeles been replaced by think as I think or I'll do tape at normal speed, Bagdasarian was able to create the unfor- everything in my power to silence you. Jack ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Harry N. Jigamian gettable proto-chipmunk chorus line, "Oo Ee Oh Ah Ah, Ting, Paar once said that he had never seen any- American Spirit thing he didn't like on Tv. Not even once. FILM & THEATER ADVERTISING Tang, Walla Walla Bing Bang." (Bagdasarian used Walla Walla To the editors: Lisa Bradley 1 The reason, he explained, was that his TV because he had an uncle who moved to Washington State. Ifthe Just a-shon note to tell you how much MUSIC & CLUB ADVERTISING set had a channel changer and an on-off Diana Siegel uncle had moved to Van Nuys, the whole course of musical his- I enjoyed your recent article about the switch, and he knew how to use them. • ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES tory might have been different.) The record sold 1.5 million American spirit or lack thereof ("The This revolutionary attitude works wil:h Jeannie Cherico• Ronald Coleman copies. Realizing he was onto something big, Bagdasarian fol- Great Pacifier;' Reader, January 17). newspapers, too. rvc eY'1l used it on Gold- Patricia Corb • Ann Penners Every now and again, one will read man's column a few times. lowed up seven months later with "The Chipmunk Song," a something that seems to have been pluck· It works. -Carlo Panno Christmas tune featuring the now-famous trio of Theodore, Si- ed right out ofthe subconscious and per· Burbank ART DIRECTOR mon, and the obstreperous Alvin. Alvin was loosely based on fectly expressed, bringing to iight the Miriam King Bagdasarian's four-year-old son Adam, who, according to Life substantial issues from a common point· PRODUCTION MANAGER magazine writer Shana Alexander, was given to engaging his of-view. AnneMavor As a writer, I doubly appreciate how per- Straighter Dope father in such implausibly precocious dialogue as the following: PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS fectly you lined up the soldiers and bowled To the editors: Julie Foreman • Jeff Gans Adam: I made a valentine for you in school today. them over. I too am a non-vet, and have Cecil Adams reported both the Snell Scott Stoddard Ross: Adam, I told you not to come in here when I'm ... been disgusted by the endless "confes- and GM versions ofthe "Red Car" con- PROOFREADERS Adam: But I didn't bring it because it's not finished. sions" ofothers who can't live with their troversy fairly well ("The Straight Dope;' Susan Armine • Anita Newman Ross: Adam, didn't you hear me? own decisions. One would think that ad- Reader, January 24), but in fact both ver- TYPESETTERS mitting cowardice wouldn't be ronsidered sions need amplification ifwe are to gain a David Martinez• Paul Gorre Adam: You see, I only made the valen today.