De Bias comes of age in 'Babylon' tirade

Interested in going on a journey through the past four decades? Feeling the need to travel through a tirade against rich, stuck-up, closed-minded people and the corruption of politics? What about experiencing an acid trip, masturbation, sex and finally - the most fulfilling of all - love, without ever leaving the comfort of home? Reading Doug De Bias' new book, "Coming of Age in Babylon," allows for such an expedition.

In an attempt to offer some words of wisdom to those now coming of age, De Bias recounts various experiences he had throughout his own coming of age. He shares various pieces of knowledge he picked up along the road of life. His anecdotes, written in the form of various short essays, are not only interesting but very humorous as well. Unfortunately, at times he seems to take on the role of father, preaching about what things in life to avoid.

Almost all children have been lectured by their parents that they should learn from their parents' mistakes - they need not discover things on their own. Yeah, right! So many look back with hindsight, wishing they knew then what they know now. They feel the need to throw this information upon all the new coming-of-agers, as if their profound words can impact an entire generation.

They know full well that no matter how many times they warn today's, and every day's youths, the children will heed no warnings and choose to learn on their own. It is the natural phenomenon of life. Still, De Bias tries to do just that.

Although his book is somewhat of a lecture, it far transcends this. He offers some very interesting and even useful advice on such topics as drugs, homosexuality, abortion and democracy.

De Bias is starkly honest about these subjects and at most points he seems less like a parent and more like a friendly old guy sharing his experiences of the '60s and '70s.

He does make some profound points. If one is influenced by reading, this book could surely make the reader a better person. If not, it is still quite an interesting read. He offers college agers advice to help start them through the journey of life. Everyone can relate to what he discusses, and perhaps even pick up a maxim that they will use throughout life.

It is clear that he understands people and, at times, speaks as both a psychiatrist and a sociologist. Apart from the deep and profound message he is trying to get across, De Bias' novel is quite an entertaining read.

It is succinct and to the point. He throws in a variety of humorous comics and pictures to lighten the mood, and his tender, whimsical personality really comes through. His stories are intriguing and thought-provoking, and almost make the readers wish they could get a lecture like this from their parents.

His rhetoric on drugs is one that is preachy in a non-condescending way. He says, after discussing his own mishaps with drugs, that in today's new generation designer drug marketplace things are much the same. That shortcuts to Ecstasy are the same shortcuts to Hell.

Speed rots your teeth, coke is still a fast train to nowhere, angel dust is still made from large animal tranquilizer, and acid is no more "safe" than it was 25 years ago. Unfortunately for some readers, he does not disclose his supplier, or as he says, his source.

His articulation of most of his other topics is just as interesting. For example, his in depth analysis of masturbation for both males and females is not only entertaining, but instructive. Because he understands both sexes so well, his insight on all subjects, including masturbation, are instructive to all. For women, it is interesting to see a man's brutally honest opinion and perspective on how men see women. For men, it is a chance to relate to someone, and perhaps even learn a thing or two about the opposite sex.

De Bias obviously has a big heart and it seems that his aim for writing this book was an attempt to make even one person happier, if not more. Underlying all of his dogmas is one truth that he cannot stray from, love. Over and again he emphasizes the importance of love on happiness and growth. For him, love is the answer to becoming the person one wants to be.

Though De Bias' book most assuredly will not change the world, it may guide some of his readers through their "coming of age," and in any case, it's a fun read.

- Corrine Schneider

Morning Poems
Robert Bly
Harper Flamingo
3 stars

Poet Robert Bly has had a formidable career, writing 10 books of poetry, helping to found two journals, and becoming a major figure in the men's movement with his book "Iron John." His newest book of poetry, "Morning Poems," reads with a gentle ease that readers of all tastes will appreciate.

"Morning Poems"' gentle tone derives mainly from Bly's technique, adapted from poet William Stafford, of writing a poem each morning before getting out of bed. His voice ponders some of life's most difficult problems with the simplicity of morning thoughts: "And if you look carefully, you can see, by glimpsing us just after we wake, who we are." He writes about the purity of this unique method.

The book revolves around a tight set of themes, between memories of family and friends, life's purpose and questions of death - all thoughts growing naturally from the newly awakened mind.

Pulitzer Prize winning poet Galway Kinnel writes of Bly's collection, "There is a lot of human knowledge in this book, and all the time it has the vigor of youth. How can that be?"

The answer comes from Bly's simple imagery, centering around country and farm life, reminiscent of his childhood in Minnesota. The poem, "Waking on the Farm," captures these feelings, when "breathing seemed frail and daring in the morning. To pull in air was like reading a whole novel."

Such lines capture Bly's search to return to his childhood with its pastoral simplicity, a setting deeply tied to his identity as a writer.

Bly also deals with the more complicated theme of breaking away from one's family and childhood to become an adult. This theme of maturity's price is one of Bly's favorites throughout his career. "What the Animals Paid" meditates on the animals of his childhood farm life, where "every animal had to pay ... I did not pay in the farm way, I am writing this poem today."

Bly's questioning of his personal history leads to a larger framework. Bly ties the currents pushing a boy's boat down the river to the universal forces driving humankind through violence and hardship with the lines, "it was the current, but some tiny black figure swims below the boat, pushing it. This man or god works all night ... don't say you didn't want it. Just get ready."

Bly's simple language despite sweeping themes also owes a poetic debt to Wallace Stevens. The poet acknowledges the debt through a few poems struggling with Stevens' own poetics.

"Oh Wallace Stevens, dear friend, you are such a pest," Bly writes of the poet's imagery centered work, "as if we could walk always high above the world (like you)." The poetic set questions Stevens' atheism and expresses deep admiration for his masterful poetic voice, "far up there, in air, near the rounded moon."

When Bly's thoughts move farther away in time, he considers his adult identity, thinking "those of us who are parents, and getting older, long, as tonight, for our children to stand with us looking at the stars."

Age blends seamlessly with Bly's small pictures of a lifetime's morning thoughts, leading towards his final poems contemplating death and afterlife.

Remembering his aunt who dies, Bly touches these subjects with unflinching poetic faith, "one face, as firmly profiled as a hawk, used to say: The world is fair, and if it's not, I think it is." Such is Bly's art in "Morning Poems," bringing varied voices together with fresh simplicity, capturing the hope of sunrise.

- Jason Boog

The God of Small Things
Arundhati Roy
Random House
2 1/2 stars

The god of small things is the god of loss. A poor deity, unable or unwilling to affect the world around him.

Author Arundhati Roy skillfully uses the simplicity of children to delve into ancient prejudice and the many divisive forces that have long plagued India.

"The God of Small Things" unfolds through the eyes of children, Rahel and Estha, two fraternal twins. The work meanders from character to character, unraveling the mysterious death of Sophie Mol, the girl whose funeral begins the work. Moving anachronously, the work culminates with the tragedy that lead to her demise.

Twisting and winding, the narrative quickly traps readers in the exotic world of Indian culture.

Rahel and Estha struggle in a world of instability, a force rooted in their country, government, household and themselves. They are the innocent victims of circumstance and events out of their control.

All of the characters are to some extent. Though a tragedy, the novel is still a story of love, a complicated love tied by social constraints and emotional damage.

Every character is searching for the fulfillment love brings and each fights personal demons and regrets. The circumstances associated with these struggles are the small things that lead to tragedy. These circumstances follow a path of cause and effect, ending with an uncontrollable chain of events affecting the entire city.

Roy develops each character meticulously. She gives each character life through vivid imagery and a precise history. Weaving these images together, she establishes the tremendous effect which a single word or action can have on an entire life. The characters mature as the narrative proceeds.

Such detail eventually makes the characters predictable. By the end of the work, the reader knows the characters well enough to predict how they will act and at times what they will even say. Rather than making the work boring, this stability is a testament to Roy's skill. The characters seem like old friends by the end of the book.

At times, this detail and the connections that it implies seem forced. Roy places reminders in the work to make sure that readers are making connections that she feels are important. These editorial statements tend to become a nuisance, and are thankfully used sparingly throughout the work.

"The God of Small Things" is a tremendous work, worthy of any acclaim it receives. Roy captivates the audience from the three different greens of the first page to the emotionless account with which the work ends.

- Mahesh Joshi

03-13-98