Letters to Scene

Stephen Kasner's nocturnal 'Visions'

Re "Visions in the dark: Stephen Kasner's art (call it 'creepy-mysterious') has lots of fans, but it isn't for everyone" (Oct. 29): Stephen Kasner receives both plaudits and pans for creating "dark, ethereal, nightmarish, dreamlike" works of art.

I have been a Kasner enthusiast for some time now and agree with those descriptions – sort of. His works are like litmus tests. If one shuns the darkness within, suffers enchantment myopia but is enraptured by the mundane, then he may be put off by Kasner's images. After many attempts to conceptualize what I love about his paintings, I have finally arrived at the feeling rather than adjectival labels.

Upon waking from a nocturnal journey, the state of being can be akin to having just ridden on a roller coaster or having just seen a frightening film: Upon exiting the coaster or emerging from the theater, we remember not only the frightful but also the balmy breeze in the park, the smell of cotton candy, the beautiful old mansion set in a lush forest, the handsome man in a burgundy smoking jacket.

Upon awakening, we think, whew, glad that wasn't real ... and yet ... that one thing ... that exquisite mermaid in the fish tank on the midway ... if I could ... maybe ... if I close my eyes and concentrate, perhaps. ... It's a haunting refrain that taps at the window of your mind, the sense of wonder that lingers in your memory of a time or place to which you want to return again and again.

That is how I feel about Kasner's paintings: Next time, will the birds break from their frenzy and take flight, the beautiful woman fully emerge or the high priest turn to contemplate the offering of flowers? Or will he slash the birds, lay them upon the pale belly of the lifeless woman and frame the scene with blossoms?

It's all sensation, where dread and joy are intertwined. Don't try to explain or understand. Just feel.

– Diane LaVey

San Francisco

New topics for going green

Re the "Shades of green" series in Scene, Oct. 9-14: I have loved reading all of your "green" features – I am a tree-hugger from way back. It started when I bought recycled paper when I was in middle school – about 30 years ago!

One subject that may have been overlooked is batteries. With the proliferation of electronic gadgets, people can't help but use batteries. Now it is illegal to put batteries in the garbage, yet it is difficult to dispose of them. I have two gallon-size plastic bags of batteries that I need to dispose of. With gas running $3 a gallon, I'm not going to make a special trip to the Sacramento County North Area Recovery Station – one of two facilities in Sacramento that accept batteries!

While this law sounds great in theory, since it is so difficult to dispose of batteries, I'd guess the majority of them are still tossed in the garbage. I'd love to see something in The Bee about how difficult it is to dispose of batteries.

Thanks for your great "green" articles.

– Suzanne McMurtrey

Carmichael

About the writer:

• Scene welcomes letters. Send correspondence by e-mail to scene@sacbee.com or to: Scene Letters to the Editor The Sacramento Bee P.O. Box 15779 Sacramento, CA 95852 Please include your name, city of residence and a daytime phone number. All submissions become the property of The Sacramento Bee.