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Current Letters
The Rooks at Tara
An
enthralling
piece
of
prose.
Patrick's
juxtaposition
of
Tara's
legendary
lore
with
the
eerie
nothingness
of
modern
day
Meath
County
makes
for
a
truly
arresting
read.
I
am
reminded
of
my
first
encounter
with
Ozymandias--and,
of
course,
of
Hendrix.
It
makes
me
want
to
visit
this
historic
site
one
day.
I highly recommend a read.
Kyle Strouse
Patrick Walsh's column: The Rooks at Tara
All Hope Is Lost
Dear
Les
Marcott,
you've
dashed
my
last
bubble
of
hope.
You've
squelched
the
laughter
in
my
throat
and
the
smile
on
my
lips.
I
know
that
bubbles
of
hope
are
bursting
everywhere
yet
one
has
stayed
with
me,
played
with
me,
my
last
hero:
Santa
Claus.
He
(or
She)
and
their
elves
always
bring
joy
as
I
wait
for
them
to
come
down
my
chiminey
on
Xmas
eve.
Even
though
I
never
see
them
come
(I
don't
have
a
fireplace!),
I
know
they're
thinking
about
me.
Why
are
you
trying
to
squelch
my
fun?
Actually,
your
Santa
Claus
Monologues
are
wonderful
and
full
of
fun.
I'll
take
that
as
a
substitute.
Ricki (Roberta) Cohen
Les Marcott's column: Santa Claus Monologues
The Banshees of Inisherin
It's
obvious
that
Ms
Alenier
doesn't
like
this
film
and
in
my
opinion
doesn't
understand
it
either.
The
brilliant
performances
by
Colin
Farrell
and
Brendan
Gleeson
echo
their
hand-in-hand
brilliance
in In Bruges (which was honored by BAFTA for its screenplay and many other accolades). Banshees creator is Michael McDonagh who is revered as a playwright and makes few films among which is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (which was honered with a trove of Oscars, BAFTAs.) As with those films, it is the writing that drives Banshees, along with the depth of McDonagh's direction and the coherent ensemble of actors. The nuances and entendres of this film are woven into a visual fabric that covers the eyes of the viewer and their mind. Some are subtle, some are not. They are all within grasp. Ms Alenier's effort to draw a moral comparison with Gertrude Stein is not only misguided, she misses the heart of the film. She says she is disturbed by the film and concludes that she "would never cut off a body part to convince a bothersome friend." Please. that's not what Banshees is about. I can only urge her to look and listen again.
Leslie Potteral
Karren Alenier's review: The Artists Who Ignore Their Own Banshees
Let's Get Out of California
Silva
is
obviously
in
trouble.
This
is
a
whoopee-cushion
of
a
story
and
he
writes
it
with
a
razor-sharp
pen
as
if
he's
rolling
around
in
the
USA
and
not
in
whoopee
Brazil.
I
suspect
he
is
is
indeed
in
Brazil.
I'd
love
to
read
something
like:
Let's
Get
Out
of
Brazil!
Lou Laird
Altenir Silva's story: Let's Get Out of California
Literary Landmarks
Thank
you
for
an
historical
glimpse
of
writers
with
Maine
roots.
Appreciate
the
significance
and
contributions
of
these
writers
and
your
view
of
them.
Jim Saindon
Carla Maria Verdino-Sullwold's series: Part 3: Literary Landmarks
Racism and Greed
The
MLB
is
and
ain't
what
it
used
to
be.
The
diversity
of
players
is
wonderful.
Their
salaries
are
preposterous
and
the
clubs'
profits
are
like
everything
else
today,
unreal.
You
said
it
all!
Thanks.
Ben Livick
Patrick Walsh's column: A Legacy of Racism, A Stratagem of Greed
A Radical Man
Another
imaginative
and
stinging
kernel
for
a
film.
I
hope
you're
working
on
the
screenplay.
It
would
make
a
doozy
of
a
story.
Lou Laird
Altenir Silva's script: Man With A Shoe In His Hand
Fading Away
Edward
Hopper
and
Donald
Justice
are
part
of
an
America
that
is
now
fading
away
into
chaos
and
disorientation.
It
is
important
to
visit
with
them
to
understand
the
meaning
of
"Americana"
which
is
a
word
that
can
no
longer
be
applied
to
the
dream
and
hope
of
this
country.
Luce
serves
us
well
by
focusing
on
them.
Miriam Donoghue
Gregory Luce's column: Edward Hopper and the Tourist From Syracuse
"Immersive Frida Kahlo" in San Francisco
Renate
Stendhal's
informed
critique
of
the
most
recent
in
an
increasingly
long
lineage
of
lucrative
immersive
artist
phenomena
was
a
refreshing
breath
of
air.
She
astutely
describes
and
deconstructs
the
presentation,
confirming
my
suspicions
and
allowing
me
to
resolutely
stay
home.
Many
thanks,
Renate!
Jim Van Buskirk
Absolutely
agree.
Her
review
is
point
blank
and
point
on.
That's
because
she
is
an
elegant
writer
and,
as
you
say,
an
asute
one.
Lou Laird
Renate Stendhal's Article: "Immersive Frida Kahlo" in San Francisco
Mid-Century Modern
I have to agree with Mr. Moore's preference for Goulding's Nightmare Alley.
Though
I
admire
Guillermo
del
Toro
very
much,
his
version
misses
the
scathing
film
noir
of
Goulding's
1947
film.
Bradley
Cooper
is
a
fine
actor
but
he
isn't
Tyrone
Power,
who
was
one
of
the
most
beautiful
men
in
Hollywood.
It
is
that
beauty
laced
with
noir
that
makes
Goulding's
film
so
powerfully
haunting.
As
for
Sorkin's Being the Ricardos,
it
is
terribly
miscast.
Bardem
completely
misses
the
portrayal
of
Desi
and
Kidman
is
not
Lucy!
Sorkin
needs
to
focus
on
his
writing.
He
is
a
one-pony
director
and
not
a
filmmaker J.F. Sindler
Miles David Moore's review: Mid-Century Modern
Delight and Deep Thinking
Every
time
I
read
an
article
by
Karren
Alenier
I
am
transported
-
another
world
opens
up
to
me.
Delight
draws
me
-
there
is
nothing
like
good
writing!
And
it
inspires.
I
enter
the
world
of
her
stories
-
and
then
ask:
What
are
my
values?
How
do
I
see?
What
filters
am
I
peering
through?
It
is
delight
and
deep
thinking
which
calls
me
deeper.
Ursula Daniels
Karren Alenier's column: The Stories We Tell About Slavery & Racism
West Side Story
The
problem
is
that
Spielberg
is
so
mundane.
Yes,
he
became
a
respected
craftsman
of
money-making
movies
for
the
masses
and
yes,
he
is
a
successful/extremely
profitable
producer/director
and
yes,
he
gave
us
"woke"
entertainment
in
his
version
of West Side Story.
What
he
didn't
give
us
was
Bernstein
and
Robbins.
Either
he
doesn't
understand
what
Bernstien/Robbins
were
creating
(forget
Sondheim,
he
was
irrelevant
to
the
beauty
of
this
work),
or
Steven
was
listening
to
and
chasing
the
box-office
bucks.
As
a
director,
he
is
without
vision
and
adverse
to
taking
risks.
Mundane,
yes,
a
Hollywood
power
broker,
yes,
a
master
filmmaker,
no!
Lou Laird
Carla
Maria
Verdino-Süllwold's
comparison-review
of
the
two
film
versions
of West Side Story is a marvel. Verdino-Süllwold not only knows her theater and film; she also knows the neighborhoods where the two films were shot, and this gives her evaluation of the films an authenticity lacking in other reviews. Verdino-Süllwold's articles are a prime example of why Scene4 is one of the best arts magazines today.
Miles David Moore
Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold's review: A Tale of Two West Side Stories
Me and Marie
Thank
you
for
your
article
regarding
Marie
Laurencin
and
her
relationship
with
Gertrude
Stein
and
Pablo
Picasso.
I
truly
believe
she
is
an
artistic
force
that
has
been
virtually
ignored.
Why?
I
do
not
know.
I
have
spent
years
researching
her
and
have
gotten
used
to
the
blank
stares
that
greet
me
when
her
name
is
mentioned.
She
designed
costumes
for
the
Ballet
Russe,
collaborated
with
both
Andre
Grolt
and
Pierre
Poiret
producing
home
decor
and
had
an
entire
museum
in
Japan
dedicated
to
her
work.
Coco
Chanel
commissioned
a
portrait,
but
hated
it
Was
she
shunned
because
she
was
a
lesbian?
Hmmm.
I
prefer
to
believe
she
is
a
diamond,
hidden
from
view.
Your
article
has
cracked
the
door
into
her
life
and
I
say
thank
you!
Kerrie White Loya
Karren Alenier's article: The Muse
For All Seasons - A Book
Your
reverence
for
the
printed
word
is
inspiring
and
the
instance
with
the
Thai
reader
is
not
only
touching
but
as
you
say:
"There
was
nothing
embarrassing
about
this
personal
moment."
Yet,
I
don't
know
why,
but
your
conclusion
about
"holographic?"
books
in
the
future
scares
me.
Digital
has
destroyed
so
much
of
the
deep
treasure
and
pleasure
of
reading
on
paper
with
ink
that
I
fear
this
new
possibility
will
just
finish
the
dumbing-down
and
vaporizing
of
the
reading
experience.
Tori Blenheim
Arthur Danin Adler's column: For All Seasons - A Book
Philip Gerstein's Exhibit at AMP gallery
Very
much
enjoyed
seeing
your
work
and
reading
your
statement.
You
are
right:
these
glass
bead
paintings
need
to
be
seen
in
person.
The
texturing
in
the
trio
with
the
gray
blue
is
stunning.
It
adds
so
much
to
see
them
as
they
contrast
internally
and
dialogue
with
each
other.
Your
words
about
knowing
when
to
stop,
when
a
painting
becomes
"self-sufficient,"
how
I
wish
I
had
thought
of
those
words,
a
perfect
description
and
answer
to
those
who
say
they
never
know
when
to
stop.
Bravo!
I'm
glad
I
made
the
trip.
Karen Klein
Philip Gerstein's article: Sometimes There Is Bliss
The Span of Black Ladders
Although
I
personally
know
Brian
George,
I
want
to
make
this
letter
to
him
public,
in
celebration
of
his
skill
as
Essayist
and
of
the
pleasure
this
essay
has
given
me.
My very dear Brian!
I
seem
to
learn
a
lot
from
you
--
or
perhaps
more
accurately,
my
reading
of
your
work
opens
up
the
deeper
reservoirs
that
have
been
waiting
for
a
long
span,
desiring
of
just
such
an
opening...
. I
had
postponed
reading
your
de
Chirico
"channeling".
I
liked
the
beginning
so
much,
I
knew
I
could
not
do
justice
to
the
whole
until
I
came
to
it
with
a
clearer
head
and
better
formed
desire.
It
had
to
happen
at
the
right
time.
And
tonight
was
finally
one
of
those
chances,
and
I
took
it,
gratefully!
"Though
the
signs
were
mixed,
your
naked
mothers
once
threw
caution
to
the
wind",
to
quote
just
one
paradoxically
pungent
line
of
your
Essay.
I
just
truly
and
unabashedly
enjoyed
it,
the
thought
behind
each
segment,
the
'cloak'
in
which
it
was
wrapped,
the
rapture
of
which
it
was
but
a
reverberation...
.
Both
you
and
de
Chirico
came
alive,
became
fiction
--
yes,
there
was
this
awareness
of
both,
often
at
the
same
time
--
one
looking
for
the
other,
the
other
having
found
more
than
he
had
looked
for...
. I
thank
you
for
this
chance,
as
I
have
for
several
of
your
other
essays
I
had
the
privilege
to
read
and
re-read.
Philip Gerstein
Brian George's article: The Span of Black Ladders
Many
thanks
for
your
enthusiastic
and
big-hearted
response!
This
is
exactly
the
type
of
feedback
I
hope
to
get.
Positive
feedback
of
any
type
is
good,
of
course,
but
it
means
much
more
when
someone
is
clearly
connecting
with
the
work
on
an
intuitive
level
and
a
piece
"opens
up
deeper
reservoirs,"
as
you
say.
Brian George
Whispered Footsteps
You've
resurrected
me
with
your
lovely
memoir
or
rather
a
collection
of
memories.
I,
too,
have
a
long
immigrant
history
and
it's
importance
to
me
and
to
this
country
is
priceless.
Thank
you
for
taking
us
on
this
journey
into
the
past
with
your
beautiful
writing.
I
look
forward
with
tears
and
joy
for
the
next
journey.
Thelma Martinet
How
America
has
changed.
Everyone
here
is
an
immigrant
or
the
descendant
of
an
immigrant
yet
the
grief
at
our
borders
and
on
our
streets
ignores
that
as
the
dominant
group
fights
to
keep
its
claim
as
to
who
and
what
is
an
American.
Thank
you
for
reminding
us
who
we
are
and
who
we
were.
Margo Schnee
Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold's article: Whispered Footsteps Part One
Howard Beale et al
Les
Marcott
writes
with
perception
and
gusto.
His
quick
portayal
of
the
decline
of
professional
news
journalism
is
disturbing
and
disheartening.
As
he
says:
"But
the
problem
is
that
when
everyone's
a
journalist,
no
one's
a
journalist."
Very
reminiscent
of
Aaron
Sorkin's
The
Newsroom
where
they
go
round
and
round
fighting
so-called
citizen-jounalism.
Mr.
Marcott, Chayefsky
and
Lumet
not
only
created
a
prophet
they
gave
us
a
portrait
of
the
future
which
is
now,
today.
Ben Arksley
Les Marcott's column: That's The Way It Is
Vladimir and Estragon
With machine guns instead of Pozzo and Lucky. Altenir Silva is having fun with classics again. Well done!
George Vecsey
Altenir Silva's play: The War
Mervyn Taylor
Reviews
of
poetry
by
poets
are
essential.
Alenier's
commentaries
are
energetic
understandings
of
a
poet's
texts
and
intent.
This
is
a
dimension
we
value
in
Karren's
writing.
Grace Cavalieri
I
enjoyed
Karren
Alenier's
review
of
this
new
book
of
poetry.
I
like
how
she
uses
both
the
Trinidadian
poet's
words
and
the
words
he
doesn't
use
to
convey
his
heartfelt
regard
for
human
life.
Susan Absher
Karren Alenier's column: News Of The Living
Orphans Indeed
Another
excellent
review
by
Scene4's
exceptional
M.
D.
Moore.
As
Arthur
always
says:
it's
the
writing.
In
this
case,
add
perception.
But
I
have
to
take
a
bit
of
umbrage
with
Mr.
Moore
for
leaving
out
of
his
profile
of
Frank
the
10-hour
film
(mini-series), Godless.
For
me,
it
is
Scott
Frank's
most
brilliant
writer-director
stint
of
his
current
brilliant
career
as
a
writer
and
director.
Lou Laird
Miles David Moore's review: Orphans of the Storm
Those Moments of Magic
There are moments, when the essence of an object
Is captured perfectly and with grace.
There are moments, when a highlighted shape formed by nature is
elegantly held
by light.
Then there are moments of magic when a trained eye
Such as Jon Rendell's when the next level of beauty
Is reached through the juxtaposition of several seperate
Shots to create a Moment of Magical association. Bravo.
Anne McGravie Wright
Jon Rendell's photography: Nature vs Man-Made
Itutu
The
extensive
use
of
heroin
in
jazz
during
the
1940's-50's
has
been
analyzed
by
many
people,
to
no
reader's
great
satisfaction–and
least
not
to
this
reader.
In
this
piece,
Brian
George
offers
a
truly
creative
point
of
entry
from
which
to
consider
the
phenomenon.
I'm
very
grateful
for
his
effort.
Stephen Provizer
Brian George's article: Itutu
Tempus Edax Rerum
That's
all
that
art
is
isn't
it,
impressions?
And
those
impressions
remain,
if
the
art
remains
or
is
an
irreducible
memory.
I
concur:
step
into
the
painting,
dive
into
the
music,
forget
about
time
and
place
and
all
the
biographical
philandering
that
scholars
never
seem
to
get
enough
of.
Absorb
the
impression.
I
love
Monet
and
Debussy
and
so
many
sensitives
from
the
time.
Nice
thoughts.
Betel
Arthur Danin Adler's column: A Brief Toast For This New Year's Eve
The Road to Freedom
This
is
a
fine
article
and
Ms
Verdino-Süllwold's
writing
is
excellent
as
always.
My
only
complaint
is
not
with
the
author,
rather
with
the
magazine.
This
important
subject
warrants
a
complete
issue
devoted
to
it
from
South
to
North.
But
I'm
grateful
for
this
issue.
Roald Gary
Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold's article: The Road to Freedom
By The Shores Of The Potomac
A splendid review, especially made rich by poems and visuals. Anytime we have a poet writing journalism, we are all the better for it!
Grace Cavalieri
Karren Alenier's column: By Broad Potomac's Shore
Babe Ruth Is Not Just a Candy Bar
Now
you
got
me,
Mr.
Silva.
This
second
play
in
your
trilogy
is
wonderful
(and
I
don't
use
that
word
very
often,
PR
maven
that
I
am).
Its
humor
is
straight
out
of
Camus
right
into
Robin
Williams.
I'd
love
to
watch
you
write,
it
must
be
fun.
I
can't
wait
for
the
third
one!
Lou Laird
Altenir Silva's play: 2. Babe Ruth & Jack
Kandinsky
I
have
to
admit
that
I
knew
little
about
Kandinsky
other
than
his
paintings
and
their
influence
on
other
painters.
Obviously
there
was
so
much
more
about
him.
Though
he
attained
an
international
reputation
from
his
art
work,
the
rest
of
his
amazing
life
and
achievements
seems
to
have
been
suppressed
because
of
the
times
he
lived
in,
other
than
scholars
and
academics
who
followed
him
and
honored
him.
He
was
an
unsung
genius!
I
truly
appreciate
what
Ms
Renaud
has
done
with
her
Kandinsky
Anew
series,
especially
this
latest
article
which
is
so
relevant
today,
so
contemporary.
I
can
understand
why
she
has
liked
him
so
much
for
the
past
30
years.
I'm
"woke"
to
him.
Thank
you
for
that.
Robert Gittelmann
Lissa Tyler Renaud's article: Towards International Unity:
Kandinsky's Inclusive Arts Aesthetic
The Boogeyman
I
only
wonder
what
happens
if
you
marry
one,
or
your
boss
is
one,
or
you
find
out
that
all
the
time
it's
your
mother
under
the
bed.
Mr.
Marcott
asks:
"Did
you
really
think
the
Boogeyman
would
get
you
if
you
didn't
eat
your
breakfast
cereal?"
I
did,
and
that's
why
I
skip
breakfast
for
brunch.
Andy Clayton
Les Marcott's column: The Boogeyman
Widsanupong Noonan
His
work
looks
beautiful
especially
the
beautiful
way
it
is
presented
on
the
pages.
I
especially
love
the
portrait
of
the
King's
back
with
the
sweat
marks.
I
don't
think
his
work
is
too
"provincial",
too
Thai.
Good
paintings
and
good
sculpture
are
universal
in
their
appeal.
Somchai Thanarat
Janine Yasovant's article: Everything is an Illusion
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