“Earthly possessions: ‘Exorcist’ author balances philosophy, thrills” plus 2 more |
- Earthly possessions: ‘Exorcist’ author balances philosophy, thrills
- Off-the-beaten path draft strategy working for Cowboys
- Pilobolus shapes bodies and minds into artful whole
| Earthly possessions: ‘Exorcist’ author balances philosophy, thrills Posted: 01 May 2010 10:15 PM PDT Advertisement  William Peter Blatty In the annals of demonology, William Peter Blatty falls somewhere between St. Augustine and Joss Whedon. He isn't the first person who's ever written about demons and demonic possession, but he has provided us with one of the genre's most memorable novels, 1971's "The Exorcist." There had been disturbing stories before, but nothing — especially when Blatty teamed up with director William Friedkin for the 1973 screen adaptation — so terrified audiences about the possibilities of the diabolical in ordinary people's lives. For Blatty, though, the story's success remains beyond his wildest expectations. "I honestly thought I was writing just a one-shot," the 82-year-old author said in a recent phone interview from his Maryland home. "At the time, comedy writing was over for me, and nobody would hire me to write anything dramatic. What I had left to write was the idea for 'The Exorcist.' I never imagined what would happen." What happened was a mega-bestseller: More than 13 million copies, according to some estimates, have been sold in the United States alone. Several more novels — and films — followed, giving Blatty more opportunities to explore the workings of divine redemption and demonic evil. His new novel, "Dimiter," published last month, is similarly preoccupied with good and evil, with the mysterious and the miraculous, although it is also something of a departure. Set in the 1970s, "Dimiter" introduces us, in a riveting opening scene, to an enigmatic inmate in an Albanian prison during the gray days of Enver Hoxha's regime. The man coolly withstands unbearable torture and then escapes, vanishing like a phantom ... only to later turn up in the Holy Land. He becomes a shadowy presence in the lives of several people, including an Arab Christian policeman and a Jewish doctor, both of whom puzzle over several mysterious deaths somehow linked to this figure, who is named Paul Dimiter. If you look more closely, the story also makes a sly, theological nod to the essential mystery of the Gospels that Christians everywhere celebrated on Sunday: the Resurrection. Blatty has taken a message of religious faith and enfolded it within a fast-paced plot for a basic reason. "I had to make a page-turner," he says, "or else who would want to read it?" Comedy and faith The demonic is a hot commodity today, but don't try to credit Blatty as the elder statesman of this surge in horror movies, books and TV shows. He wants no part of it. "When I look around the culture, it makes me want to projectile vomit," he says, recalling that infamous moment in "The Exorcist." "The more blood, the more chainsaws, the better. The studios have so debased the tastes of kids that that's all the kids want now." This might sound strange coming from the author of a novel renowned for its creative — and harrowing — use of puke, spinning heads and a crucifix, but Blatty's brand of horror has always been about more than shock effect. Characters wrestle with metaphysical doubts even as the bodies pile up. Some people forget the philosophy — just as studio execs forgot Blatty's abilities as a comic writer after "The Exorcist." "Their eyes glazed over when I pitched comedy ideas. It was as if I had done nothing else before 'The Exorcist,"' says the man who wrote the screenplay for "A Shot in the Dark" and other film comedies. "It was as if I had landed on this planet just with that book under my arm. It made me insane." Blatty's voice is warm and generous — it's easy to catch the inflection of the New York City streets where he was born, the son of Lebanese parents. He's passionate about his Roman Catholicism: It has carried him through many personal trials, including a bout of cancer 15 years ago and the loss, in 2006, of his 19-year-old son, Peter, after a sudden illness. "Dimiter," in fact, is dedicated to him. Today, Blatty's faith is, to use a familiar religious adage, rock solid. "I don't think I'm on a search anymore," he says serenely. "I've come to virtually a complete rest in my faith." Years of research The author sounds very much like Moses Mayo, a truth-seeking neurologist in "Dimiter." Like Blatty, Mayo is humbled by the universe's mysteries. Where others find a conflict between science and faith, Mayo sees a glorious complementarity. He marvels at how "in the subatomic world ... electrons, like saints with bleeding hands, are reportedly seen in two places at once." Mayo's early morning musings, as he walks the halls of Hadassah Hospital, form a quiet counterpoint to the tightening circles of intrigue as Dimiter's story slowly comes into focus. The germ of "Dimiter" dates to the filming of "The Exorcist." Blatty recalls sitting in Friedkin's office reading in The New York Times about a Jesuit priest executed in Albania for baptizing infants in a prison camp. From this, the near-mythological figure of Dimiter started to take shape. Other ideas came along — the story of Saul's conversion into St. Paul, narrative inconsistencies among the four Gospels and the geography of Jerusalem. Blatty traveled there and conducted countless interviews with doctors and lepers, and with local police about crime lab procedures and ways to poison someone without leaving a trace. When he was finished, Blatty had a giant stack of notes, typed, single-spaced. But no sense of organization. "Writing had never been a problem for me," he says. "A comedy novel? I could get it done in six weeks. You need a screenplay? Sure, six weeks. Then 'Dimiter' came along and took years." A gift Other projects intervened in the years that followed. When he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, Blatty says, he prayed to the Virgin Mary, promising to finish the novel if he recovered. He did, but he stalled on his promise — that pestering question of organization again. Then, two years ago, as he and his wife Julie were attending Mass, the book's structure came to him in a flash of insight. "I felt like I had received a gift," he says, "or maybe it had been there in my unconscious all along. Who knows? It's all a mystery." Mystery — it's everywhere in "Dimiter," which Blatty hopes to bring to the big screen with Friedkin as director. But religion isn't the only medium in which mystery exists — you find it in science and secret intelligence, as well as simpler things, such as the love between friends and family. All of these overlap in "Dimiter," although Blatty insists it isn't necessary to understand every level to appreciate the story. "You can read it just as a thriller and that's great," he says. "If you have faith, though, it might strengthen it a little more. If you're agnostic, it might give you a few clues you never had before. The message is there if you need it." Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Off-the-beaten path draft strategy working for Cowboys Posted: 01 May 2010 08:48 PM PDT
IRVING – Akwasi Owusu-Ansah played football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The school is in Indiana, Pa., which proclaims itself the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World." Unless you are driving in from Homer City, all roads do not lead to Indiana, Pa. But the Cowboys' scouting staff made it to Indiana and found a player. "If you can play, they're going to find you," Owusu-Ansah said. "That's happened in my situation." It's the same with Sean Lissemore, the hyper-active defensive lineman from William & Mary. The Cowboys took Lissemore in the seventh round of the NFL draft, three rounds after selecting Owusu-Ansah, a safety. For good measure, the Cowboys made an extra effort to sign New Hampshire tight end Scott Sicko as an undrafted free agent. In doing all of that, the Cowboys returned to their drafting roots. Through smarts and plain, old shoe leather, the Cowboys for decades went off the beaten track to find and draft talented players. The first player to fit this definition was defensive tackle Jethro Pugh out of Elizabeth City (N.C.) State in the 1964 draft. The list, which includes Hall of Fame offensive tackle Rayfield Wright and numerous Pro Bowlers, grew from there. The current administration embraces the same philosophy. "You scout the skill of the player, not the school," said Tom Ciskowski, the Cowboys' director of pro and college scouting. Even if that puts the Cowboys in a minority. The NFL draft can be a paint-by-numbers exercise. Go to the big-time schools and pick their players. It's not hard to find a player at Oklahoma, or Texas, or Florida. It's safe. Of the 255 players taken in last week's draft, 196 came from the six BCS conferences and Notre Dame. Another 36 hailed from the other Football Bowl Subdivision conferences. The other 23 picks came from out-of-the-way spots. Division I Football Championship Subdivision-level schools produced 18 picks, including Lissemore. Division II had five players chosen, including Owusu-Ansah. Division III and the NAIA were blanked. Jacksonville built its draft around players from the lower levels, selecting four FCS players. The Cowboys, Arizona, Buffalo and Tennessee were the only other clubs with lower-level picks, taking two players each. "When you see somebody that has some good size and good speed such as Akwasi, that starts mitigating the school size," Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones said. There is a risk in this for the Cowboys. They had only six picks in this year's draft. That means they devoted 33 percent of their picks to players whose level of competition last season ranged from Kutztown (Pa.) State (Owusu-Ansah) to Villanova (Lissemore). It's a big, big jump from there to the NFL. The Cowboys know that and factor level of competition into the evaluations for all draft-eligible players. For the Cowboys, Owusu-Ansah and Lissemore graded out high enough to be drafted. Now, they have to show it on the field. With only six picks, the Cowboys cannot afford to miss. "They've been the big fish in a small pond," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "They're going to have to step it up to get to the next level, but I think they have the ability to do that." The Cowboys' grand plan calls for Lissemore to serve as an understudy and learn from the veteran linemen. Owusu-Ansah, limited while he recovers from surgery to repair a dislocated left shoulder, could have a more immediate impact as a returner. The Cowboys project him as a free safety in the making. Owusu-Ansah and Lissemore fit the profiles of NFL players who spring from unexpected places. Both were late bloomers physically. Owusu-Ansah, the son of Ghanaian immigrants, had the extra disadvantage of not picking up the game until eighth grade. Both are intelligent. Both are relentless. Both carry the memory of being snubbed by the big-boy schools coming out of high school. Lissemore still has letters from schools such as Michigan offering the possibility of a walk-on tryout. "Williams & Mary defeated Virginia," said Lissemore, referring to last season's victory against a BCS school. "I think that alone shows the comparison of talent and athleticism between the two leagues." It's more personal to Owusu-Ansah, who grew up in the shadow of the Ohio State campus. He felt the sting of rejection each time his beloved Buckeyes played. "That chip on my shoulder is probably going to last until I'm done playing football," he said. "I can play with the big boys. That's probably the biggest question. Can you play with the big boys? I absolutely believe I can." College pedigrees are forgotten now. The Cowboys learned long ago that it pays to be an equal-opportunity employer.
Gerry Fraley looks at the best, by position, in Cowboys history among players who emerged from out-of-the-way spots on the college football landscape:
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| Pilobolus shapes bodies and minds into artful whole Posted: 01 May 2010 09:16 PM PDT By Donald Rosenberg, The Plain DealerMay 02, 2010, 12:00AM Believe it or not, six members of Pilobolus Dance Theater are in position to create this image, one of many innovative body formations the popular company has devised for almost four decades. PREVIEW Pilobolus Dance Theater What: The innovative dance company performs five works from its repertoire under the auspices of Cuyahoga Community College and DanceCleveland: "Lanterna Magica," "Gnomen," "Dog Id," "Megawatt" and "Rushes." When: 8 p.m. Saturday. Where: Palace Theatre, PlayhouseSquare, Cleveland. Tickets: $10-$45. Go to playhousesquare.org or call 216-241-6000. Christopher Whitney never expected to land a job when he trekked to New York and auditioned for Pilobolus Dance Theater. The Cleveland-born dancer wasn't totally bonkers. As a student of Bill Wade at the YARD (Youth at Risk Dancing) and Inlet Dance Theatre, Whitney had experienced approaches to partnering and collaboration similar to the aesthetic that has made Pilobolus an innovative force of nature for nearly 40 years. Whitney spent three days "of grueling improvisation and partnering" before he was hired on a Friday and told to report to the Pilobolus studio in Washington, Conn., the following Monday. Almost three years have gone by since Whitney joined the organization known for its unique blend of humor, gymnastics and acrobatics and an ability to shape bodies into surprising and often breathtaking images. He traveled to 14 countries with Pilobolus his first year, and he comes home this week to perform with the troupe at the Palace Theatre. Pilobolus, which last appeared here in 2002, continues to be an inspiration for dancers and choreographers who savor the inventive physicality and ensemble philosophy that govern its daily explorations. Whitney, a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School and Ohio University, learned the ropes from dancers who had been with the company for years. The creative adrenaline that pervades Pilobolus is now embedded in his artistic anatomy. "We start with improvisation, and the dancers do duets, trios and groups, and then the directors tease out from these improvisations the salient points," he said by phone from the studio. "Things become creative, and you pursue what's happening in the improvisation." Jonathan Wolken, a Pilobolus co-founder, constantly tells the dancers "to have a long muse and a short fuse," said Whitney. "You can come up with lots of ideas and choose what works quickly. That's a really challenging process." The process has been in place since a group of inquisitive Dartmouth College students banded together to see if they could develop something out of their varied experiences in dance, gymnastics and botany. (Pilobolus takes its name from a fungus.) "We had no ambition other than to design a life of some degree of integrity," said co-artistic director Robby Barnett. "We were interested in moving, making stuff, living in the country, growing food, living together, playing together, having fun. We absorbed the value systems of the '60s whole-hog. We found it a robust ethos." The ethos is built around the notion that "an individual can have his own idiosyncratic voice and be responsible for the whole," said Barnett. In other words, the spirit of collaboration is paramount. The Pilobolus dancers are part of the creative process from the moment they begin discussing a theme or taking movement in new directions. Pilobolus recently completed an evening-long piece, "Shadowland," devised by six choreographers and 10 dancers. It is an example, Barnett said, of how everyone involved can bask both in individual and group efforts. "Part of the pleasure people take in our work is that it's not just dancers working but also a metaphor for a civilized society," he said. "We discovered that when you touch somebody, you discover something about each other. Physical weights and balances suggest things. Touch is also a psychological interaction. It always influences our work."  This is one in a series of photographs of members of Pilobolus Dance Theater that noted photographer Robert Whitman took in Israel for the 2009 Pilobolus calendar. Just how imaginatively the Pilobolus dancers touch will be evident when the company steps onto the Palace stage this week. The program includes "Dog Id," created with Steven Banks, a writer for the animated "SpongeBob SquarePants" series, and "Rushes," Pilobolus' first collaboration with outside choreographers, the dance-theater artists Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak. Also on the program are two recent full-company works, "Lanterna Magica" (about the supernatural world) and "Megawatt" (on the theme of excess in the modern world), and an older piece, "Gnomen," for male quartet. Along the last work's lines, Whitney calls Pilobolus "a guy's company. There's a certain amount of competition and testosterone that drives the creative process here." Whatever drives the company, it is resolute about turning out pieces that have what Barnett calls -- without leaning into the pun -- "legs." The dancers and directors create about three works a year that they refine in rehearsal and performance until the themes and images reach the desired Pilobolus standard. Once the directors send the dancers on tour, they seek utmost diversity in programming. This week's performance at the Palace reflects the philosophy. "There's old and new, fast and slow," said Barnett. "Some people want to see what they remember. Some just want to see now." Barnett and colleagues Wolken and Michael Tracy also are looking toward the future. As they move into their 60s, they wonder where Pilobolus is headed. "What we think about a lot is the fact that the company has been here for 40 years, and we're curious about the idea of whether we can be here another 40 and what that means," Barnett said. "You have to move. You can't be revolutionary forever. You must move from chaos to diplomacy, maintain core values and adopt flexibility. We have a strong idea of who we are and what we do, but, frankly, I'm thinking more about where I want to go skiing." Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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