Suteindo Garasu

Suteindo Garasu: Stained Glass the third of Kenneth Fenter's books about Japan, continues the stories begun In the first two, (Gaijn Gaijin and Mo Ichido: Once More) but adds a new dimension. The Fenter family re-enters life in the United States, but life has changed. Although their readjustment seems smooth, Fenter himself has some unfinished business in Japan, both practical and emotional. During the next three years he attempts to set up a business, making stained glass windows and lamps, which would allow him to move back and forth between two cultures. The book is an examination of the differences in those cultures, particularly in their business dealings, an insight into the working of an artistic mind, and a frank, personal view of a man in transition. Fenter's returning to Japan as a businessman instead of a teacher is a bit like Dorothy returning to Oz as an entrepreneur. Some of the magic and wonder is gone: reality is more apparent, but there is the possibility for really understanding the culture in more of its subtleties as he works his way through the system. Stained Glass adds a new dimension to the other books in its emphasis on the actual process of producing fine works of art. Beginning with the interviews with the customers to discover what they have in mind, mulling over design possibilities, settling on a final plan, making drawing, presenting them for approval, putting together glass and lead, and finally installing windows or lamps in less than ideal circumstances, Fenter lets us see the complexity of each step. It is a rare analysis of the creative mind at work presented humbly and introspectively. His book is worth reading for that alone. We learn more about Japan and Japanese customs in this book, but we also learn more about our own culture. For awhile Fenter is "gaijin" foreigner in both cultures and he applies his observation skills to both cultures, trying to find his place in one or both of them. The search is often frustrating and leads the reader to think how each of us receives value in our culture and what we might be willing to risk in another. Like the other two books, this is an adventure, a search, an initiation. It moves from the light-hearted to the poignant, from elation to frustration, to despondency and back with a sure voice. Wide-eyed absorption is gone; realistic evaluation takes its place. Any reader's understanding will be broadened as Fenter takes us through the maze of culture, artistic endeavor, and personal growth. Ronalee Ramsay Kincaid