Life Arts Austin American-Statesman Famous figures get the last word by helping with their own obituaries E2 Tuesday, August 14, 2001 S. Ernest Vandiver, another former governor whom Bennett interviewed, wanted a hearing, if not absolution. He wanted to tell his side of what happened during his administration from 1959 to 1963, when, having campaigned against school integration, he was compelled by the Supreme Court ai Continued from El Actress Kitty Carlisle Hart says she never reads obituaries; it would be too depressing. But she was thrilled to learn years ago that a reporter was working on hers. "I thought, 'Well, I've said Hart, laughing.
From time to time, she telephones the writer with updates. "They react almost gleefully," said Tom Bennett, who wrote about 400 advance obituaries for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and interviewed three or four dozen of his subjects. "They want their careers understood, appreciated, well interpreted. And with nothing big left out." Few, of course, get that chance. By the time the idea of an obituary rolls around, most people are too dead to serve tea.
And most obituary writers are too busy processing the dead to be out pestering the living. (Only publications with the luxury of manpower and time do advance obits.) There is also the tact question. Some writers just never figured out how to call someone and say, in effect: "Hi. Fd like to pop by to chat before you die." Edgar J. Driscoll Jr.
wrote hundreds of advance obituaries for The Boston Globe in the 1980s. But, even with the available pretexts, he never tried to interview his subjects for their obit. "They'd say, 'When is this going to Driscoll said recently, imagining their reaction. "And I couldn't say, 'When you go." I just couldn't do it." But for the writer with the time and stomach, there is always the hope of revelation. (Deathbed confession!) Short of that, an obituary interview, a form refined in the 1960s and 1970s by Alden Whitman of The New York Times, might at least provide color and context, and maybe even insight, as well as the chance to get the subject's version of events.
Various approaches are possible. Leveling with a subject is a high-risk strategy. Some writers euphemize, saying the publication's "files" need "updating." Joe Simnacher of The Dallas Morning News said: "Occasionally they don't understand what I'm saying. I've had people call me after the interview and say, 'When is this going to (The right answer: "I don't Albin Krebs, who wrote advance obituaries for The New York Times until he retired in 1989, and who did the interview of Rudolf Bing, the Metropolitan Opera impresario, who advised me that Sir Rudolf deigned to check his advance obit for accuracy and, presumably, to see if it was up to its subject." "I asked him to convey our excuses to Sir Rudolf and say that The Times could not show him the article in advance but would be happy to sell him a posthumous subscription," Hess wrote. Invited to talk, obituary subjects tend to warm to the task.
"Nooo, I love it," Hart said. "Well, I've been interviewed for so many years about my life. And I rather enjoy talking about it because some of it's very funny. And I like making jokes. I like people to laugh at the things that I say.
And also, I personally find it very interesting. And, like all old people, I'm getting garrulous. I know that." with Bette Davis, approached some of his subjects while reporting other articles about their work. When he told actor-songwriter Noel Coward in an interview that he was also collecting "information to be used in the event of death," he remembers Coward saying: "Oh, my obituary. I don't mind; I'll be dead." Many people are more calculating.
Driscoll, 11 years into retirement, still gets calls from people saying, "Eddie, I hope you'll do me." Ellis G. Arnall, a former governor of Georgia who died in 1992, kept in contact for years with Bennett, his obituary writer, even from aboard the Queen Elizabeth II. In an essay published in Grand Street in 1985, John L. Hess, who wrote advance obituaries for The New York Times, recalled getting a call one day from "an emissary grown- in the East Village, Kristina Lau-reckas, a Web designer, and Jessica Wecker, a photographer, anchor a weekly game of Scrabble. Often playing on Thursday night the bar's Guinness night the Scrabble group attracts beery, opinionated onlookers.
"The whole two-letter word thing is a huge deal," Laureckas, 26, said, explaining that knowing short, obscure words is the secret to success. "If people are peering up behind you, they get really mad and they say, 'That's not a word AL and I'll say: 'Yes it is. It's an East Indian tree. Look it Laureckas, who favors all-black clothing and has a pierced lip, said the game had allowed her to become friendlier with Wecker, a college-era acquaintance who prefers button-up Ben Sherman plaid shirts. In Los Angeles, games parties have been popular in the last few years, particularly with the Hollywood set.
Some odd results: starlets getting together to play the Go Goddess board game; actors acting out clues in charades; celebrities playing Celebrity. Ricky DeLena, who runs a Hollywood post-production company, says he and his wife, Dana, regularly plan dinner parties around the word game Taboo. Their regulars include Rod Stewart's former guitarist Robin Le Mesurier and movie industry friends. DeLena, 44, describes the nights as marital therapy, especially when couples form teams. "It makes you laugh," he said.
"There's all sorts of emotions. Instead of thinking about your kids or work, you're thinking about solving the problems of this game together." Of course, the competition can SHOWTIMES VALID FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 14 ONLY MAMO MUnWMIS MWOTOVffl 4M COX MAM S2 NIGHT: 52 ADMISSION 1 LONGNECKS WITH A FRIEND LIKE HARRY 700 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK MS THURSDAY: EXPLOITATION TRAILER MARATHONI SHOALS VALID FOR DOWNTOWN LOCATION ONLY: Wander SI Wtsodai, Wcwn Iwi SI Bdmniwi md tontwdi aumo mafthoub kortn vm Hi Uimm SS molmMi Mort 6, rtudml, twite Digital Surround, 4 PLANET OF THi APES 415 71S 1000 4RUSHHOUI500 745 1020 AMERICAS SWEETHEARTS 430 730 i wTHE SCORE 400 700 950 5 FAST AND THE FURIOUS 1015 SHOWS IN VALID FOR SAT AND SUN ONLY LF4T 1 10011 11 mm Where there's smoke, there are lazy bees Continued from El is part of a national campaign to market jeans, says Tim Meyer of the Limited, Structure's parent company. The store manager cannot do anything about the posters. Call customer service at (800) 395-8008 to register your opinion. I might have an African beehive in my back yard.
Who do I call to get rid of it? Janice D. Al Beehive removal is not a job for neophytes. A member of the Williamson County Beekeeper Association might be able to help you. Call member Mary Bost at (512) 863-3656 for a referral. Think this is a job for a professional? Contact Greater Austin Pest Control (474-9684) or Al Kinser (477-9025).
Kinser says these may be aggressive ground hornets rather than bees. Know why smoke is used by beekeepers? Fire is a natural enemy of bees, destroying hives. When bees sense smoke, the survival instinct dictates they gorge themselves on honey. (All the better to make it to the next hive since this one is about to be torched.) The resulting distended stomachs (think Thanksgiving afternoon) mean the bees cannot bend their stingers into a target and are more lethargic. UpshotUpdateUproar: Men, too, can be victims of abuse.
Need advice? Contact the National Domestic Violence Abuse Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE, visit www.safe4all.org, or for a free copy of "Abused Men," send a stamped, self-addressed business envelope to SAFE, Stop Abuse For Everyone, P.O. Box 951, Tualatin, Ore. 97062, Attn: Sample Brochure. Contact Jane Greig at P.O. Box, 670, Austin 78767; (512) 445-3697; e-mail jgreigstatesman.com or fax (512) 445-3968.
PG By Allen Salkin The New York Times Quick, make a television out of clay. Or perhaps you would prefer guessing whether a green or yellow glass-shaded lamp with a golden leaf base is a genuine Tiffany or a modern fake. These are tasks in Cranium and Antiques Road Show, two board games designed for grown-ups rather than for the Chutes-and-Ladders set. Suddenly, adults everywhere are making play dates with one another, and not just for bridge or gin rummy as in previous generations. These 20-and-over devotees were weaned on the Game of Life and Clue; their appetites in recent years have been whetted by Celebrity, charades and other more free-form contests.
They are now gathering in bars, apartments, summer houses and coffee shops to play board games some classic (Scrabble, Pictionary, Monopoly), some newer and more bizarre (Settlers of Cataan, HellRail: Second Perdition). And game makers keep churning out new ones to cash in on all the enthusiasm. Not since the toy industry was re-energized by the national craze for Trivial Pursuit nearly 20 years ago have so many adults been buying and playing games, industry experts say. "What Trivial Pursuit did for the toy arid game industry is that it showed that adults will buy and will play games," said Mark Morris, spokesman for its maker, Hasbro. "Up until that point, all games were marketed as for the whole family." Sales of Hasbro's 30 most popular games a mix of old and new are up 10 percent this year over last, Morris said.
Some game specialists say there is a good reason for that. "Board games are an antidote to an overstimulated culture of computer games and televisions," said Stefan Fatsis, author of "Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players," recently published by Houghton Mifflin. "They let people reconnect with each other and with this nostalgia for their childhoods," Fatsis said. "Plus, some of these games are intellectually challenging." METROPOLITAN 1-35 Stassntty LMn 447-0101 REGAL WESTGATE CINEMA 11 South Lamar ft Bn Whit 512-899-2717 REGAL LINCOLN 6 Man O. 6406 IH-35 North x3803 416-5700 x3806 10 aesegregaie uie university viy Georgia.
"At the expense of what I think was my political career, I made the statement that I intended to follow the law," he said recently. "I would hope that would be included in my obituary." But how much real insight is ever gained? In a confessional culture, is there anything left to reveal? "You're after Rosebud, but there is no Rosebud," said Michael T. Kaufman, who wrote obituaries for The New York Times in 1998 and 1999. "There either isn't or you can't find it" sometimes call more upsetting emotions to the surface. The cool Hollywood crowd portrayed in the movie "The Anniversary Party" settle down for a few friendly rounds of charades after dinner.
In a hilariously familiar moment, the staid business-manager character bursts from his calm shell, swearing at a teammate who plays badly. Revelations occur in real life, too. Liz Pallato, who works for the Sierra Club in San Francisco, said she learned something important about herself after she began analyzing the way she played Settlers of Cataan on regular game nights at a friend's apartment. The game requires players to gather, trade and use resources like wood, grain and sheep. "It's about taking risks," Pallato, 33, said.
"I used to play as if I wanted everyone to keep playing. And my guy friends would play to win. I realized I was always capitulating if I thought it was for the group's greater good." The moral: self-actualization can be fun and help you win. Jennifer Kelleher, a New York investment banker who plans to marry in the fall, plays for the hilarity more than anything else. At her bridal shower, a bridesmaid presented her with a huge bag of board games Pictionary, Scattergories, Yahtzee and Scrabble, among others.
Kelleher, 30, says she and her fiance regularly invite other couples over for beer and games. And why not? she added. For one thing, the couples who play together stay together. But mainly, "it's good, goofy fun." FOR TODAY'S SHOWTIMES www.r4E3alcin4emas.com or call 416-5 700 and ntrr code Gateway 16 -3808 Arbor 7 -3802 Lincoln 6 -3806 Wesrgatell -3807 Metropolitan 14 -3811 lakeline Mall 9 -3809 TODAY'S SHOWTIMES MAY DIFFER FROM WEEK-END TIMES Atlanta, GA -1 (3.75 Early Bird Special Mori Fri 4.75 Bargain Matinees bafgre 6pm M.75 Child, Smier Tickets ereileele eeliee 0 ORIGINAL SIN 200 450 735 1020 RUSH HOUR 2PG13fON3SCREENS) 115 150 250 345 420 515 700 730 800 930 1000 1030 PLANET OF THE APES 4 (PG-131 (ON screens) 130 210 330 425 500 845 720 750 945 1010 1030 A.1.4 FG131 230 950 ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE 4 PGj 140 440 715 935 BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY 4 Rj 205 430 710 925 $2.50 All Shows before 6pm $2.50 Seniors 8 Children AMERICAN PIE 2 RJ 220 500 735 a OSMOSIS JONES PG) 130 405 710 PRINCESS DIARIES 1 55 445 730 RUSH HOUR 2PGiXj 125 41 5 700 PLANET OF THE APES pa-is, 145 435 725 AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS ipg-13) 135 425 720 JURASSIC PARK 3 PO-m 210 450 715 LEGALLY BLONDE IPG13I 200 430 70S StaB Z.O0 fnfSat gftet 6ew tl Ttw 4.D0 Roth HimrT ii i --i--munaai aim4aai-i ii ii FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRIT pG-m 245 520 750 1025 EVOLUTION PO-13) 215 450 730 1000 ANIMAL PG-IH 230 510 800 1015 WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN 4 IPG-H 200 430 720 940 TRUMPET OF THE SWAN fG) 100 300 500 A KNIGHT'S TALE rpo-ui 140 440 740 1030 THE MUMMY RETURNS PG-13 130 420 710 1010 ALONG CAME A SPIDER RJ 120 400 700 930 BLOWlRl 700 950 a I David ConoThe New York Times little thinking and maybe some wine. wondering: Is it Tiffany or faux? out of clay.
And adults do play differently. Who knew Risk could be a drinking game? (Lose a battle for control of the Caribbean and drink a shot of rum.) David Evans, a bartender at Do Hwa in New York's Greenwich Village, says he and colleagues including Quentin Tarantino, a co-owner, often gather in the East Village at their sister restaurant, Dok Suni, after closing to play a variation of Celebrity in which players act out famous names without speaking. "We play from like 2 a.m. until the sun comes up," Evans, 29, said. "It's a chance to be social and kick back with friends." And enjoy a few drinks and the spicy Korean dish bibimbop.
In the back room at Mona's bar 1 3105 Guadalupe 9828 Great Hills Tr. (NoltoWtedsvfeCoopI 1 476-5110 3464400 0 Chase Carpets Tile Ml 1 A A ii i i 5 i -m fry II ISI I Ml lEy: New adult board games require a Antiques Road Show has players The newer games are funkier, more complicated and, in some cases, more narrowly focused than many of the classics although no one is saying it is not still an extremely pleasant thing to look down at five matching newly rolled dice and yell, "Yahtzee!" Take Antiques Roadshow. Players scrutinize photographs of would-be treasures and listen to two versions of their possible provenance, then decide which version is true. To win, it is helpful to know, for instance, that the early 20th-century Romanian sculptor Demetre Chiparus specialized in making ballerinas from bronze, ivory and marble. Candyland this game isn't.
Then there's HellRail: Second Perdition, in which players construct train routes (to carry souls into the Inferno), and Cranium, the giant hit of the past two years, which requires players to sketch, whistle, hum, spell words backward (d-r-a-w-k-c-a-b), answer trivia questions and sculpt things The Perfect Family Film: Elialxth Christy, ABC-TV PORTLLND NOW PLAYING GAL REGAL WESTGATE CMEMA 11 LINCOLN Sou unit Bn MM 606 H-35 North 512-899-2717 416-57003808 ONCUARK TINSELTOWN USA (512) 988-8529 REGAL HEGAL GATEWAY 16 LAKEUNE 9700 Snyi Lake EM 1 1 Me LaMfew Mri Dr. 416-5700 J13808 416-5700 3803 CINFMABK KYSa-ftOUNONOCK i Bl, sum aft CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORIES Of) CALL FOR SHOWTMES. 388-284 SOflRV, NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT TICKETS ACCEPTED. ''J- 0 I A KEtS i 1 www.pnncessdiaries.tmri 1 I Broadcast t-IVE- from fcinfmiit Aug 1 Str ftS 7pm wtttt afxwtaJ guest s1 Coming to Barton Creek Gmema! Tickets on sale now at the box otticc! AOL Keyword: Osmosis Jones www.osmoslsjones.com IM OXXT' CINE MARK REGAL TINSELTOWN USA GATEWAY 16 1-35 PM PftuBervH 9700 Slon LaKe SMI. (512) 989-8529 416-5700 x3608 CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORIES OR CALL FOR SHOWTIME.
mmmmmmmmmm REGAL LAKELINE 1 120O LakeUnc 416-5700 "mi mm to ne 3.75 Early Bird Special Mon Fri 14.75 Bargain Matinees before 6pm $4.75 Child, Senior Ticket mitUt tmlint CSfSffiWSffU AMERICAN PIE 2 4 (ON 2 SCREENS) 120 150 410 440 700 730 950 1020 OSMOSIS JONES 4 PQ 1145 215 445 715 945 THE OTHERS 4 PG13 1145 215 505 750 1035 RE: SPY KIDS 4 PO) 1210 235 510 ORIGINAL SIN 4 pi 155 445 745 1030 lapM PRINCESS DIARIES 4 psi (OH 1 SCREEnsi 125 155 420 450 715 745 1010 1040 RUSH HOUR 2 4 FGi3)rONJ screens 1150 1215 145 220 250 425 455 525 700 730 800 935 1005 1035 PLANET OF THE APES 4 PG-t3 (ON SCREENS) 100 130 200 400 430 500 705 735 015 1000 1030 AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS PQ-1S) 210 500 750 1025 JURASSIC PARK 3 4 IPQ.131 ion i screens) 140 210 420 450 710 740 955 1025 LEGALLY BLONDE PG19I 150 430 735 1020 THE SCORE 105 405 720 1010 CATS AND DOGS pa) 1155 205 435 DR. OOLITTLE 2 4 G) 740 1005 THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS Pom 650 945 SHREK 4 PW 1145MI 13.75 Early Biri Mm Fri M.75 CMJ'tf, Seniors 8 Matinw Tickets anilabh anin Ci RE: SPY KIDS IPG) 125 425 725 1005 RUSH HOUR 2 PGirONj screens) 1245 130 200 345 430 505 655 720 800 950 1015 1040 AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS PG-131 ION screens) 100 155 350 440 70S 740 945 1030 JURASSIC PARK 3pG-l3)rON3SCRENS) 1250 120 200 345 430 500 700 735 BOO 1000 1020 1040 LEGALLY BLONDE Pom ION I screens) 115145 400445 715 745 9551020 THE SCORE fON I SCREENS) 1245 130 350 415 700 730 945 1015 KISS OF THE DRAGON 11 115 340 710 955 CATS AND DOGS PO 110 435 730 1000 SCARY MOVIE 2 rfq 110 500 750 1035 DR. DOLITTLE 2 par 105 435 805 1035 SORftV. NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT TICKETS ACCEPTED. NEWSWEEK CINEMARK ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE TINSELTOWN 2700 West Anderson Lane 1-35 N.
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