and race (modern liberals seemnto find this almost as hard as dontraditional bigots!), some remarkablenresemblances appearnbetween the pattern of minorityndomination in modern SouthnAfrica and that of old French Algeria—anothernplace where ansmall group of Europeans settlednamong an overwhelminglynmore numerous group of natives.nDifferences between Al­nPartnering in AmericanAndre Dubus: Finding a Girlnin America; David R. GodinenPublishers; Boston.nby Art PetersennIf women are essentially differentnfrom men, clearly mennare essentially different fromnwomen. This kind of wisdomndominates most of the storiesnand the novella of AndrenDubus’s fourth book. There wendiscover that making contactnwith a mate and maintainingnthat contact are very difficult.nIn Dubus’s world men and womennare not only out of touch withneach other and with life but alsonill-prepared for it and incapablenof learning from it. Moreovernthe men, fanatically absorbednwith themselves, are irrevocablyninsular. Thus “the difference”nbetween women and mennbecomes a major theme by omission.nAll of the women arenyoung, naive and lonely or older,nneedful and lonely—as perceivednfrom (except in one story)nequally needy, fearful and extremelynself-indulgent malenpoints of view. In the novella,nwe find one baffled HanknAllison:nHe could not understandnDr. Petersen is professor ofnEnglish at the University ofnAlaska, Juneau.n42inChronicles of Culturengerian Moslems and Frenchmenn—both white—as well as the settler’snarrogance generated ethnicnbarriers and explosive situationsnas in South Africa.nNevertheless, this is a mostninteresting book; in spite of itsnstrained and ultimately unconvincingnthesis, it amasses an immensenamount of useful informationnand produces some thoughtprovokingnideas. nnwhy she would make lovenwith him while she was notninterested in his work . . .nHe wondered why he wasnwith her . . .’I just don’tnunderstand how you cannfeel for me, and know nothingnabout my life.’nGuilt and self-preoccupationndominate male conduct. Guiltnassumes three forms: separationnfrom children, deprivation of anchild never born because of abortion,nand prevention from worknor credit for having done it. “AtnSt. Croix” and “Winter Father”ndemonstrate the effects of thenforced absence of children. Inn”At St. Croix” a “separated” father’snformer ability to swim becomesna horrifying inability, forn”the wound he had opened innhimself when he left them hadnnever healed, and it nevernwould.” One wonders at his obsessionnwith this wound, andnone cannot help but observe thatnhis obsession is more debilitatingnthan his wound. In “WinternFather,” “… he had remainedna secret from them [the childrennof his former marriage].nWhat did they know about him.’ “nIndeed, no more than he knowsnabout himself, except that henaches for not being known. Thenmetaphorical forms arrest, butnthe melancholy cloys.nIn the novella, protagonistnHank becomes obsessed withnthe child his former lover.nMonica, has aborted withoutntelling him. He dreams aboutnthe unborn child, over and over:non the beach with him, lying onna blanket beside him, curled andnsmiling (another ingenious metaphor).nUpon first hearing ofnthe abortion from his new 19year-oldngirlfriend, 3 5-year-oldnHank excuses himself to thenbathroom to vomit his horror, anhorror he has earned. Had henreally known Monica, perhapsnshe would have told him aboutnher condition. While with her.nHank admits his presence is oftennin flesh but not in spirit.nThrough their work the mennlose their women and their souls.nIn “The Misogamist” a drill Sergeantn(World War II) choosesnArmy and whoring over Armynand the girl who waits back home.nAnd waits. Wives cannot ben”squared away” as equipmentnand trainees can, and whoresncan be consumed as needed fromntime to time, like rations. In “ThennnSocial RegisternPitcher” a baseball player of somentalent is angered to learn justnbefore the season’s last game thatnhis wife has fallen in love with andentist. The problem seems tonbe that he has been pitchingncurves and fast balls, not sonmuch in the park or on the roadnas in his mind when he lay withnhis wife in bed at night. And innthe novella, writer/professornHank turns to literature “fornpassion or excitement” and tonwork to earn “his day on earth.”nThere was no place or time fornanyone else, though he wantednthere to be.nDespite 20th-century accessnto a vast culture (active, vitalnand alive with experiential wisdom),nwe have never been morenisolated, estranged and violent.nPeople look, but they don’t understandnor feel. The problemnof isolation results primarilynfrom a vast ignorance of our ownnnature and, perhaps, from inequitiesnbetween men and women innWhen searching for elegance of expression, for a sense ofntactfulness, discretion and chic in language, one shouldn^p^^ always look to the left. Wit-nM^ ^^^^-“^^^^ ^°^ ^^- Dave DellingernW ”^’i H^^—that distinguished, wellmannered,nimpeccably dressednmalefactor of the Vietnam era,nrefined visitor to Hanoi at thentime American prisoners ofnwar were being tortured bynhis courteous hosts—describesnhis feelings about events innCambodia:nI have been very disappointed with the whole Kampucheanthing.nAdmirable, isn’t it.^ How else could one speak of one’s closenfriends, who just happened to butcher an entire nation, andnstill preserve the poised stance of an elder statesman for allnthe unwashed but good people in America? Dn