DEAR STRANGER: I resent the position taken in Thomas Francis's piece on the U.S. Rubber Building ["Rubber Meets the Road," Jan 12] that "traditional" artists (i.e., those who make a living at it) are not the same as the so-called fringe artists whose "lives are art." I'm sorry, but me and my peers live and breathe our art just as much if not more (I'm a photographer). And affordable space to do that art (which pays for our rent, food, clothing, transport, supplies, etc.) is becoming increasingly harder to find in this town. I won't defend the landlords of the Rubber Building, but from what I saw after looking at a prospective space there for rent, they seem justified in maybe wanting less destructive tenants. And they seem sincere in renting to artistsâjust not ones that "attract unruly revelers and police cruisers." I agree that there needs to be more places for the "experimental breed" of artists. They make a city vibrant. But there also needs to be more affordable, non-city-funded spaces for artists (or businesses, as Francis prefers to call us), period. Write about that.
Charles Peterson
FIRST POETRY, NOW MLK?EDITOR: As a teacher in Seattle Public Schools, I looked forward to finding information about the upcoming day in honor of Martin Luther King in The Stranger. Gotta tell my students. I thought I could find notice of such just and honorable events in your pages. Alas, not a word.
Gordon Macdougall
KILEY SAVESBRENDAN KILEY: Bless you, in the name of the sweet baby Jesus, BLESS YOU. I sat through this thing [Global SeXXX-ism, reviewed Jan 12], and I am still huddled in the fetal position in the shower.
I can't believe you let them off so easily: You didn't even mention the fact that this is the SECOND RUN of this show. The last one was like six months ago, same exact play, same theater. Nor did you mention the forced "discussion" we all had after the show... where we all "opened up" and "shared our feelings about the intense experience" we just had together.
Steve Wu
FROM THE STRANGER FORUMSPOSTED BY SCBOXER ON JAN 13: The bar I work in is split into two rooms connected by a small hallway, and became (unofficially) nonsmoking in the front and smoking in the back. Which led to about two customers up front and the rest in the back. We got a complaint about it and immediately complied. Who made the complaint? The front bartender... said it wasn't fair he should lose money. See, it's not about right and wrong... just simple economics.
POSTED BY GNOSSOS ON JAN 16: My local watering hole/secondary living room has ignored the ban from the start. A few days ago they got a visit from SPD and were told there had been complaints. This was a prelude to fines. The solution? It's nonsmoking when there are tourists and smoking when it's down to the regulars. Tonight, there were one or two regulars who lit up earlier in the evening and were asked by the bartender to put 'em out. By midnight the last of the delicate flowers had folded up their petals and exited. By 12:20 a.m. smoking resumed... it was down to known entitiesâthose who actually pay the rent and keep the place alive.
Bicker, whine, report from your corner of the city (whatever you do, don't let the smoking-ban debate die!) at forums.thestranger.com.
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