The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 20, 1995, Page 4, Image 4
mm
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[PEOPLE PLACES WHATNOT]
humans in the news Associated Press
Making TV a turnoff
AUGUSTA, Maine ? He made his ed by Ms. Winfrey. A charge of inname
as a local public TV show host decent exposure against Winfrey
Now Gov. Angus King is borrowing was dropped March 29.
an idea straight from late-night tele- Ms. Winfrey's lawyer, David Vinvision
to encourage kids to turn off cent, testified Monday that Thompthe
tube. son-McLeod said he would drop the
King, longtime host of Maine charge and the lawsuit for $750,000,
Public Television's "MaineWatch," the amount being offered by tabloid
was the first governor to endorse newspapers for an exclusive interthe
national TV Turnoff Week cam- view. ^
paign scheduled for next week. Vincent said two out-of-town
Borrowing from David Letter- prosecutors then posed as lawyers
man, King has offered a Top 10 list for Ms. Winfrey and offered Thompof
alternative activities, starting son-McLeod $250,000. He said
with "Read a book." Other ideas in- Thompson-McLeod raised the declude
asking people over 80 what mand to $300,000 when he didn't
they did before TV was invented get the money fast enough, then set
and shooting hoops with a friend, up a news conference at which
He also tried to draw attention to Kennedy discussed the claim against
possible links between TV viewing Vernon Winfrey,
and violence, poor performance in Kennedy fined Thompson-McLeod
school and other problems. March 14.
Bribery in the first Breaking out
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? A grand ju- FRANKFURT, Germany ? Steffi
ry will investigate bribery allega- Graf is taking a four-week break
tions against a lawyer for the woman from tennis to stay healthy and avoid
who accused Oprah Winfrey's fa- burnout.
ther of sexual assault. In an interview released TuesA
judge ordered the panel to look day, Graf told Sport-Bild magazine
into whether Frank Thompson- she would return at the German
McLeod solicited a bribe to drop the Open in Berlin May 15-21.
charges and a $3 million lawsuit "If I continued to play now, I'd
against Vernon Winfrey. burn myself out, and I don't want
Pamela Kennedy had claimed to do that The most important thing
Winfrey forced her to touch his gen- for me this year is to stay healthy,
itals and asked for sex in January and Fm going to take as much time
in exchange for a scholarship fund- off as I need," Graf said.
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i Fiction (?
Since when did romance entail shirtless k
I men and half naked women in a historical
| setting? When Fabio showed up, of course.
I Stephanie Sonnenfeld
I Asst. Features Editor
Avoiding romance novels is "In the past month, I've p
no easy thing. Try as you only read one or two. Durmay,
but youH never avoid ing the summer I can pop [
them because they are off two a week, but here it \ ^1
everywhere ? everywhere takes me forever to read \
being from K-Mart to Columbia's lo- one," said McKnight, a po- (V
cal store, The Happy Bookseller. litical science freshman from
arm r 1?1 ?11 1?:?UU, ^ 6
iney iruumiii*; iiuvtrisj seii uiuu;, naiuxiuc. v_ _
especially when they come out," said McKnight and Varner pre- fsQ ^
Rhett Jackson, owner of The Happy fer reading novels by well <$9
Bookseller. known author Danielle Steele, /ml v
But why do they sell at all? With yet there is a variety of other fink v
Dlots often cited as worn out and with novels to choose from.
W wess
Jess
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leepwear ^
Bodysuits, f _lj JfiF
Swimwear and J,M
Cotton/Knitwear
Mr~ I
commonly criticized writing styles, Charlie Sterne at Volume \
why do romance novels remain so 1 bookstore noted that almost every 1
popular? publishing firm has its own line of
According to an article by Helen romance novels, the most widely
' Holzer in The Atlanta Journal and known being Avon, Harlequin, Love ri
Constitution, romance novels are an Swept, Silloute and Regency books.
$8.9 million a year business, with Although popular romance plots tl
women spending $1,200 annually on take place in a historic time period b
these books. But these figures mean with cover illustrations to match, ronothing
to romance novel readers. mance novels, like everything else, n
"I guess I'm a romantic and it are expanding their market to meet v
[reading romance novels] gives me a the needs of all readers.
chance to get away from everyday Metro Atlanta writers Gwyn 0
things at school and live other peo- McGee (pen name Eboni Snoe) and 0
_ pie's lives," said Michele Varner, a Angela D. Benson currently have writ- s
freshman psychology and music ed- ten romance novels with black hero- n
a ucation major from Rock Hill. ines. These books, marketed under c
Varner estimates that she reads the name Arabesque, are pubiisnea a
around two romance novels a month, by Pinnacle Books as a part of the c
She only buys two or three books a company's new line of multi-cultur- c
year and then trades the books with al romances.
friends and reads theirs. The Los Angeles Times recently c
Good thing Varner's roommate, wrote an article noting that romance
Mona McKnight, is also an avid ro- fiction is really straying from tradi- ^
mance novel reader. Like Varner, tional young and innocent plots. Many 11
McKnight cites the escape idea and are now being told from the male point ^
the easy reading of romance novels of view.
as the primary reasons why she in- But this diversity may not increase ^
dulges in these books. the appeal of romance novels to new t
"We found over the last 11 years Paschal Swann,
lat people in this general area don't owner of White Buffalo Used and Rare
uy romance novels," said Sterne.. Books in Cayce, attributed the sale
The lack of romance novel sales of his stock of romance novels to his
lay not be limited to smaller, pri- two for one policy. He said since the
ately owned bookstores in the Co- price for the books are so cheap, read
imbia area. For example, privately ers come and "buy up a handful" of
wned, but large, Oxford Book store books.
n Pharr Road in Atlanta has the According to a Columbiana Mall
ame sales problem with romance Waldenbooks employee, Joan Hoftiezlovels.
Of the 450 titles the stores er, her store had sold 30 brand new
arries, there are 1,550 units with an romance novels so far this week and
pproximate turnover rate of 10 per- estimated that the store would sell
ent, which Steve Shipman of Oxford probably about 100 romance books
ailed a "poor average." this week. Hoftiezer has noticed that
"That's probably because we don't most of the romance novel buyers are
arry Harlequin," Shipman said. drawn to the historical plots and the
Oxford's used and rare store, Ox- age of the buyers "seems to be pretord
Too, has a better market for ro- ty much across the board."
nance novels. Oxford Too employee, "Older women generally buy the
.qiii*q Q+oocror eaid fViprp is a "vprv Recrencv series, which are set in the
iuuiu uum wiuiu 1U Ui I L.J ->"U J
apid turnover" on their romance mar- 17th and 18th centuries and there is
et for many reasons. One reason is not much sex in these books," Hoftieziie
store sells used five romance nov- er said.
If you're in the dark about things like safer sex and birth
control, you better brighten up. Planned Parenthood?
offers confidential and affordable services to help protect
your health. So please - before you get hurt, get smart.
Planned Parenthood
256-4908
Off Forest Drive, 1/2-mile from Providence Hospital
Saturday, Lunchtime & Evening Hours Available
""""WfcGltttsco
I j Maybe our students are smarter.
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