AT THE LIBRARY
SHEELAGH MEIKLEM

HEN OUR lives seem drab and

unexciting, when summer is

once again a ghostly presence,

felt but never seen, we can es-
cape into the lives of other people. Happily
there is 2 wide assortment of new
biographies available at the library, to make
the transition from summer a little easier to
take.

One of the most unusual new releases is a
biography about a fish. Cod: A Biography
of the Fish that Changed the World by
Mark Kurlansky is a strangely interesting
little book that traces the history and politi-
cal importance of the fish that brought
about the settlement of North America. He
includes recipes for fish dishes dating as far
back as the 1300’s,

A fish out of water, Mia Farrow tells her
life story in What Falls Away, From her
bout with polio through her marriages to
Frank Sinatra and Andre Previn, her life has
had many ups and downs, At least a third of
the book deals with the Woody Allen mess,
most of which we already know from the
National Enquirer, but a fresh viewpoint is
always welcome!

Hollywood frish is a book of illustrated
‘interviews with Gabriel Byrne, Liam
Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Stephen Rea,
Aidan Quinn and Patrick Bergin. Who bet-
ter to curl up with on a dreary damp night?
A wonderful coffee table book is

Muhamad Ali {n Perspective by Thomas’

Hauser, This is a pictorial history of an
amazing athlete and includes anecdotes
from close friends covering every stage of
his life. Mike Tyson needs a copy of this
book to teach him how to combine power
with compassion, pride with humour and
fame with dignity.

A woman who also knows the meaning of
dignily is Maya Angelou. The Heart of a
Woman is the fourth volume of her
autobiography and tells of her relationship
with an African freedom fighter. She fol-
lows him to Africa and her adventures there
shape her life in different ways. Her spirit
shines through the deepest disasters.

Another woman who- has struggled

against great odds to emerge not tri- |

umphant, but at least philosophical is Mar-
cia Clark. In her book Without a Doubt she
tells her side of the oft told tale. It is inter-
esting to read her version and compare it to
Vincent Bugliosi’s Outrage: the five rea-
sons why O.J.Simpson got away with mur-
der,

On a loftier level we have .the Queen.
Sarah Bradford has a new, large biography,
simply titled Elizabeth.

This is a very comprehensive ireatment
and covers all aspects of Royal life from
her carly happy childhood, through her
carefree days as a new bride, the assump-
tion of the crown and finally the public re-
lations disasters that befell her in the
nineties. The Queen is renowned for her
sense of duty.

A man who felt a similar sense in a dif-
ferent direction is written about in Che by

-Jon Lee Anderson, This portrait of the
famous revolutionary is a fascinating
portrait of a driven man. He wrote to a
friend, ‘‘] have no home, no woman, no
children, nor parents, nor brothers and
sisters..and yet ] am content, I feel some-
thing in life, not just a powerful internal
strength, which-I always felt, but also the
power to inject others, and an absolutely
fatalistic sense of my mission which strips
me of all fear.”’ He had need of that
strength — he was executed at the age of
thirty nine in 4 remote jungle,

A sense of adventure is one trait that all
the characters in Flying the Frontiers share.
This is volume two in the serics by Shirlee
Smith Matheson about the daring fron-
tiersman of Canadian aviation.

A more domestic pioneer tells her story in
Willie? Raising and Loving a Child with At-
tention Deficit Disorder by Ann Colin. This
is a journal of the first five years of life
with an ADD child and is written with great
honesty, It is not an easy road and there are
(to casy answers.

Try to tive your life as though your biog-

rapher is watching: maybe it will be more .

interesting! Remember to keep in the juicy
., bits!

animals aren't common: in

By CRIS LEYKAUF decorated with swords and

' THE TWO ARMIES ad- daggers.

vance slowly on a dirt road, © Old wooden bowls, pot-
surrounded by woods, tery goblets and pewter
Knights adjust their face mugs which line her kitchen
guards, and fighters ready shelves wouldn't have look
their swords, out of place in a kitchen 400
Suddenly the battle is on. years ago.
Pole arms swing, javelins Half the point of all this
are tossed and the swords of preparation and aitention to
the fighters begin their details is being able to show
dance, it off. Individual societies

This woods battle will be come together for touma-
the highlight of a medieval ments and events during the
event which will transform a year — the biggest of those
Jackpine acreage on Sept. taking place in Clinton in
13. the summer.

After the battle bardic For the Terrace event Neal
tales will be sung and says other society members
fighters and spectators will are coming from Prince
sit down to a hearty dinner George, Victoria, Edmonton
— minus forks (they’re too and Smithers. And the pub-
modem). lic is invited to come in and

It will be the first event havea look as well,
organized by the Terrace But there’s a catch. In or-
chapter of the Society for der so that the uninitiated
Creative Anachronism. don’t disrupt the medieval
Morrigain Neal started the feel, they’re asked to don
chapter about one and a half appropriate garb. If your
years ago, and it’s grown closet is lacking in medieval
now to ten core members. = apparel, don’t worry, Neal

The purpose of the society says there will be plenty of
is to learn about and loaner costumes for guests
recreate life in medieval to wear.
times, Members develop Two of the highlights of
characters from the 600- the event will be a woods

‘During the fight we have these conversa-
tions — ‘Well, I think that blow rolled off.’ ”
— Nick Pelletier on medieval fighting

1,600 AD period. They battle and toumament style
create histories’ for their combat.
characters and costumes. Nick Pelletier of Terrace

Depending on the depth of is working hard to have bis |

their involvement, members armour finished in time for
~ even learn new skills, such the event. —
as armour making or candle = He’s designing the armour
making. out of plastic pickle barrels.
Neal’s character is Mor- It’s rigid and meets the 1/4
rigain nic tSealgair, a inch minimum guideline.
" Celtic assassin, Pelletier's characler is a
*‘The Celts stole a Jot,’’ wanderer, so he needs that
she explains. ‘It means [ armour, Roudrick, of the
don’t have to stay within House of Dominick, is one
guidelines for clothes and of the Jast survivors of a
weapons.” castle siege, and now he
Neal, who is a seamstress, travels endlessly, Looking to
admits her medieval war- find bis sole surviving
drobe is larger than her real- sister.
life clothing selection. The occasional battle of
Walk around her home course, is welcomed readily.
and it’s sot hard to see Fights sanctioned by the
where her interests lie. In- Society for Creative
stead of paintings the walls Anachronism must follow
of her log home are strict rules,

TERRACE STANDARD -

‘INSIDE SECTION B
COMMUNITY CRIS LEYKAUF
EVENTS B2_ 638-7283

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 27,°1997 - B1

ROUDRICK, of the House of Domminick (Nick Pelletier in real life), demonstrates
an overhand blow with a sword, He'll be competing in a tournament to be held
Sept. 13 at a Jackpine acreage. It's the first event hosted by the Terrace chapter
of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Fighters have to wear rigid
armour — made from
plastic, steel or boiled
leather.

Weapons are made from
PVC tubing, {tennis balls,
rattan and wood —~ plus lots
of duct tape to hold it all to-
gether.

For example, a pole arm
— a blunt staff — is made
from ratlan, taped together
with two tennis balls on e¢i-
ther end.

It’s designed so that when
a fighter uses a pole arm to
strike another fighter, the
other's armour will absorb
the force of the blow.

If everything’s done prop-
erly, the worst a fighter
should get is a few bruises
and scratches.

Teen boys same all over

THEY MISSED sushi and
Japanese rice balls, but tvo
Japanese boys on an ex-

change trip to Terrace
thought our — fanlastic
scencry was well worth
missing out on their
favourile foods. :

Weon Shin Kim and Sho ©
Kawahara, aged 14 and 15,
were on a 4-H exchange trip
here in August. They were
hosted by two families, with
sons a similar age. Next
year Doug Adair and Danny
Ansems will meet up again
with their new friends, fora
three week visit to Japan. .

The purpose of the trip
was that the boys leam.
English, while leaming
about a new culture.

Language was a big bar-
rier, said Danny’s mother
Sharon Ansems, ‘‘but they
can certainly relate over
Nintendo, There’s no com-
munication gap there.
| “Teenage boys are
teenage boys, no matter
where they are,’’ she ack-
nowledged.

While they stayed in Ter-
race Kim and Kawahara .
took part in the regular
chores of the Terrace boys,
Mowing the lawn was a sur-
prising hit with them, since «

DOUG ADAIR and Danny Ansems shared chores.
and vacation time with exchange students Weon Shin |
Kim and Sho Kawahara from Japan.

battle at the tournament in

_ atmosphere to it.’’

yards are a rarity in Japan.
They also helped take cate find quite dirty.

of the animals both families = At home Kawahara has a

raise. pet squirrel which te keeps
Kawahara was nervous of ina cage. Kim also has a pet

the animals, such as chick- — a black bass.

ens and sheep, since farm ¢The boys weren't stuck

doing chores the entlre visit

Japan. He did help shear one though. The Ansenis took

of the sheep — a chore he

Kawahara to the Prince
George fair and to Barker-
ville to try goldpanning. He
was surprised at the large
distances between towns.
And Doug and his family
took Kim to the Queen
Charlotte Islands where tic
caught a three inch fish.

Pelletier fought in bis first ‘Well,

rolled off.’ ”
Clinton this summer.

I think that blow

While the woods battle

He fought in a mass batile, and individual combats will
where armoued men and definitely be the highlight of
womea from either side ad- the Terrace event, there’s

vance at each other across a plenty more planned at the

field. Archers are on the Jackpine acreage.
edges, shooting with blunted
arrows.

There’s a candle making
session, a scroll decorating

“It was a lot different than contest, treasure hunt and

I expected,’? he said.

everyone will have

the

*There’s an almost friendly chance to take part in build-

ing a battering ram.
Fighters are on the honour

The evening caps off with

system to accept a good shot a Feast of Friends — pot-
gracefully. Before a battle tuck style. Drop in at any

begins
other with weapons, testing just $2.
the feel of what’s termed a
killing blow.

“During the fight we have 635-4538,
these conversations — ;

fighters hit cach point. Cost for the day is.

For more information call
Morrigain or Rovudrick at

Nothing but

theatre season

Contributed

1997/98.

1917.

miussen at 635-4313.

Weston at 635-2942 or 635-2268.

directed by Diana Braathen.

the playbill, from last week’s paper,

comedy for next

THEATRE FANS can look forward to a year of
laughter in the upcoming season. Terrace Little
Theatre is putting together five comedies for

Director Dave Liscumb will open the season in
mid October with Alone Together by playwright
Lawrence Roman. This play was cast in late June,
but anyone interested in other aspects of theatre
production is encouraged to call Liscumb at 638-

Late November lock for Three to tie Moon by
local playwright Kelly Head. Acting roles still
need to be filed for two men and one woman in
their late teens to early twenties. auditions are
scheduled Sept. 8-9 at 7:30 p.m, at the McCall
Playhouse. Fore mare info, call director Geri Ras-

In February veteran director Marianne Brorup-
Weston will bring theatre fans Better Living,
which is one of a play trilogy. TLT fans may re-
member seeing its sister play Escape from Happi-
ness which won runner-up to Best Play at the
provincial amateur theatre competition in 1995.

Auditions for four women (ages 17-48) and
three men (ages 20-52) are scheduled Sept. 15-16.
A play read through may be held beforehand for
interested parties, For more info, call Brorup-

The laughs continue in March with Daniel
Barnswell’s direction of Betty Lambert’s Sqrieux-
De-Deux, The season will close as usual with din-
ner theatre fare — this year its Long Weekend,

Season tickets are available now. See details

in

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