Cartoonist, novelist Feifer speaks on campus

Jules Feifer hated gym. In fact, the famed cartoonist and novelist said yesterday that he hated it so much he began to draw. "I wanted to draw myself out of childhood . . . becasue grownups did not have to take gym," Feifer said. Feifer, spoke to over 60 students yesterday in David Rittenhouse Laboratories for the PEN at Penn program. Gerald Weales, an emeritus English professor, at the University said Feifer writes satire for the college-educated person. Feifer spent some of the 90 minute speech reading from his recent book Don't Whine which is a fictitional conversation of President Bush talking to himself. "It's 3 a.m. at the White House, five days before the election . . . with a scotch in hand," Feifer read. Feifer peppered the speech with political satire. But he reminded the audience that his speech was both humorous and serious since "laughs enhance the seriousness of a message." The lecture began with an explanation of what Feifer called the "cartoonists' curse." He said that people do not take his profession seriously because he has fun doing it and said he felt as if he is "not regarded as a grownup." Feifer said he believes that modern society is rife with "language pollution" since adults do not say what they mean and use phrases that are actually conceal different messages. "People use language to evade communication or to distort it to what they want," Feifer said. And the satirist focused much of his speech on the upcoming presidential elections noting that he believes many Americans are investing too much energy in the wrong issues. "We are devolving from the United States of America to the fragmented States of America," said Feifer. According to Feifer, the overall attitude of politicians is that it is "better to win even if you believe in nothing than to lose and believe in something . . . [today's]leaders don't lead." He added that he believes the election focuses on who can make the best impression and urged the audience to vote for the "liar of our choice." During the second half of Feifer's presentation he discussed many of his cartoons. He also read a passage from his book The Man in the Ceiling which is about a boy wanting to grow up and earn his father's approval. Gene Haldeman, an Undergradaute Admissions staff member, was pleased to hear Feifer speak. "I liked Jules Feifer ever since he read [the book] Little Murder," Haldeman said. "It is a juxtaposition of humor and the very serious. It must be called black comedy." The program was sponsored by Poets Essayists and Novelists at Penn and was funded by Charter Trustee Saul Steinberg and his wife Gayfryd.