From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #643 Reply-To: aml-list Sender: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk aml-list-digest Tuesday, March 12 2002 Volume 01 : Number 643 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 06:28:52 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] HALE, "The Singles Ward" (SL Tribune) After 'The Singles Ward' Got Raked Over the Coals, Readers Did the Same to Me Sunday, March 10, 2002 BY SEAN P. MEANS I didn't want to argue in front of company -- but now that the Olympics are over, it's time for a Utahns-only talk about "The Singles Ward." Saying I didn't like this made-in-Utah production, a comedy about a guy trying to survive the meat-market atmosphere of an LDS singles-only ward, is an understatement. In my Feb. 1 review, I gave it one star and wrote that the movie "is parochial, accessible to a chosen few, standoffish to everyone else, and smugly suggests that a superior moral tone is more important than filmmaking skill." The response was heavier and angrier than any I have received for any other review. The letters included accusations of incompetence, anti-LDS bigotry and even "moviemaker envy." Let me answer a few points raised by the letter writers: "When you suggest that this movie is accessible to a chosen few, you are correct. . . . As one of the chosen few, I enjoyed this movie." -- Shane Kelson It's possible to make a movie about a subculture -- Mormons, gays, Native Americans or any other group -- that is familiar to that group's members and still entertaining, even enlightening, to people who don't know the code. Other entries in LDS cinema, like "The Other Side of Heaven" or Richard Dutcher's "God's Army" and "Brigham City," managed the crossover. "The Singles Ward" went out of its way to alienate those not in the know. My friend Scott Renshaw, over at the City Weekly, put it succinctly: "Don't slam the door in my face and then complain when I say you're being rude." "Even if it did really suck, you should be rooting for the home team and encouraging Utah filmmakers." -- Eric Martinis That would be unfair to my readers, to other Utah and LDS filmmakers whose movies I have praised, and ultimately to the makers of "The Singles Ward." A negative review can teach, let a filmmaker see what works and what doesn't, and maybe provide lessons for the next movie -- if the filmmaker takes the review in that spirit. I wouldn't bet on this happening with the folks who made "The Singles Ward." One e-mail I received from the guys in director Kurt Hale's office read, "We're still looking for your public apology." A week after opening, the producers ran an ad that butchered negative reviews by me and two other critics to produce positive quotes. Hale told Eric D. Snider, the Daily Herald's critic and another of the ad's victims, that the ellipses-filled quotations were meant to be funny -- and, judging by the lame standards of his movie's humor, Hale probably thinks they were. "Next time you review a 'local, low-budget film,' try not to compare it with anything Ron Howard has done. He probably spent more on craft service in one day than the entire budget of 'The Singles Ward' was." -- an anonymous staffer in "The Singles Ward's" production office. This is what I wrote: "When you must pay the same $7 that gets you into 'A Beautiful Mind' or 'The Lord of the Rings,' amateur hour is over." Hale told me he made "The Singles Ward" for $400,000. That's double what the 2002 Sundance Film Festival entry "Tadpole" cost, and it had Sigourney Weaver and Bebe Neuwirth going for it. The only budget that matters is the moviegoer's -- and until theaters give discounts based on the size of the movie's budget, it's fair to compare the local guys to Hollywood's heavy-hitters. "It was intended to be only one thing: entertaining. And using that as my criteria, I would say the movie achieved its goal enthusiastically." -- Jeff Jensen This comment, which I hear about many movies, suggests there are filmmakers who try not to be entertaining. There are a few - -- bomb-throwers like Todd Solondz ("Happiness") or Catherine Breillat ("Fat Girl") -- but most moviemakers want viewers to get some entertainment value out of their work. The comment also implies critics don't want to be entertained. Trust me, I want to be entertained every time the house lights dim. The question is, "What is entertaining?" For every person, the answer is different. What entertains me is an original movie that genuinely makes me laugh, smile, cry, get angry -- or experience any unfabricated, honest connection on a human level. The fact that I am entertained by David Lynch and Daffy Duck is not a contradiction, no more than anything else is in life. "I'm guessing nobody trusts your reviews anyway, as I tried to attend Friday and Saturday [on the opening weekend] and was turned away due to sold-out shows. Keep up the good work. Maybe you should try reviewing the Jazz -- you both suck!" -- Andy Porter A movie review is not an election, it is a vote -- my vote. Each reader must decide whether to trust that vote. The only thing I can do to maintain trust is to stand behind my reviews, unswayed by box-office success or angry letters. Correction: In my "Singles Ward" review, I referred to "The Other Side of Heaven" and Dutcher's two movies as being "self-distributed." That was wrong. Though they were released outside the Hollywood studio system, they did in fact have a distributor, Excel Motion Pictures Distribution. My apologies for the error. Copyright 2002, The Salt Lake Tribune _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 09:37:29 -0700 From: "Brown" Subject: [AML] _Death of a Salesman_ Performance (was: Educating an Audience) [MOD: This is a combination of two posts from Marilyn] DEATH OF A SALESMAN is such a powerful script, I find something different in it each time I see it. It is really remarkable. And it's about the wages of dishonesty, the "salesman" hype. He always has to add some bright spin to reality. Something we have been talking about that might be one habit of the Mormon audience? (If you want to see a great production, visit the LITTLE BROWN THEATRE on Friday, Sat. or Monday, 239 S. Main in Springville, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $6, $7, and $8.) Cheers! Marilyn Brown Michael Martindale wrote: Fiction is a great way of getting some vicarious experience. HELLO listers out there! Bill Brown says I can offer you a deal this weekend. If you will bring this letter printed off on the Internet, you may get a two-for-one admission to DEATH OF A SALESMAN this weekend. The offer is good for three performances at 7:30, 239 S. Main in Springville: Friday, Saturday and Monday (Mar 15, 16, 18). That means you can each get in for $4. It's worth it, I promise! (After that it will be $8 or $7 for students and seniors.) I have DEFINITELY become an Arthur Miller fan. I can't believe this script. I'm studying it astutely. The amazing lines echo! Hope you'll come! Marilyn Brown - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 11:20:46 -0600 From: Jonathan Langford Subject: Re: [AML] J.C. Duffy on _Brigham City_ I haven't seen _Brigham City_, so I can't tell whether I find John-Charles's argument persuasive or not. But I'd like to comment on the question of audience and genre, which Jacob raised (most notably) in his initial comment: "John-Charles' essay was a dry academic piece with little relationship to the actual movie." I guess it might seem that way to someone who doesn't enjoy academic papers. I actually found it (on reading, as posted here on AML-List) both clear and interesting. Certainly it's thought-provoking, as demonstrated by the various responses it has already prompted on AML-List. But its genre, as Gae Lyn points out, is definitely the academic conference paper--and I think it's important that it be judged in that light, since the AML Conference is, first and foremost, an academic conference, at least as I understand the event (having never been able to attend one myself, except for once about 15 years ago, if I recall correctly). Jacob and, I believe, others have criticized John-Charles's paper because it doesn't address the movie as a whole, including its strengths and weaknesses, and instead makes a fairly narrow argument about one dimension of its message, including a discussion of what the movie wasn't as well as what it was. Unbalanced and inappropriate for a review, I'll agree. Except that this wasn't a review, and to read it by the standards of one is (to coin a phrase) to judge it not by what John-Charles was doing, but by the standards of something else. Typically, an academic paper does precisely this sort of thing: focus in on one area in sufficient depth to make a focused argument. Academic papers *aren't* balanced, and they aren't meant to be. Rather, they're designed to make a case--generally speaking, as strong a case as they can--in one particular direction. Balance, if it comes, is seen as the product of many different people expressing their different "takes" on the work of art in question--including disagreement with each other, in many cases. (Indeed, if there's general critical agreement, I'd go so far as to say that there's something wrong with the conversation, in an academic setting.) As Jacob is doing in this case, and more power to him. But it's very rare for a particular paper to express a balance of views, and in an academic setting, fairly useless. The academic is like a lawyer: committed to making the best case for his client idea that he can, barring downright dishonesty. As a community, we're committed to the notion that vigorous intellectual advocacy on the part of all parties is the best way to arrive at understanding. From that perspective, an unbalanced but intelligent argument is a highly useful thing, particularly if it provokes vigorous response. And as I said earlier, that's something John-Charles's paper certainly has done, and is doing. Which I applaud. By all means, disagree away! But I think it's important not to blame an academic paper, in an academic setting, for being precisely what it is. And I think it would be very unfortunate to leave the impression that this is the sort of paper we *don't* want at AML Conference, when to my way of looking at things it seems precisely on-target for an event of this type. Jonathan Langford Speaking for myself, not AML-List jlangfor@pressenter.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 10:54:53 -0700 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: [AML] German Translator Needed Is anyone qualified to do written German translation and accurately proofread German text? The nutritional company where I work is looking for freelance help. The LDS Church translation dept. doesn't give out info, but is there somewhere at BYU I should contact? If you or anyone you know might be interested, please contact me at chris.bigelow@unicitynetwork.com. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 14:30:18 -0700 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: RE: [AML] "Name Withheld" Sugar Beet Article Huh. We're already embroiled on staff about whether this piece makes fun specifically of suicide, and now you've added a new wrinkle. I have to say, I felt absolutely no reservations and absolutely no vibes of misunderstanding or insensitivity regarding this piece (whereas with the Packer piece previously discussed, I felt a teensy bit of hesitation). I'm surprised it seems to be this issue's hot spot (I thought my LaBute piece might provoke, but it hasn't so far). Clearly Eric is sending up the Ensign's Name Withheld scapegoat used for nearly all the sins discussed in the magazine, and he has taken it to the next bizarrely logical step for humorous purposes. I don't see how it could be read as making fun of all the actual ills that have been heaped onto Name Withheld's head (Lord knows I've suffered a few of them myself, or been intimately involved with those who have). I wonder what the hot spot in the NEXT issue will be . . . (I hope we always have at least one, or we're doing something wrong.) Chris Bigelow - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 14:54:54 -0700 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: [AML] _Saturday's Warrior_ Doctrine Regarding Saturday's Warrior: <<< it helped keep me focused that there was someone who only I could touch be it member or not of our faith. You can't imagine the impact something like this has in your life unless you experience it yourself. >>> This is one of the examples of SW's doctrine that really freaks me out, both because it is so common in the Church and because I just can't wrap my brain around it. Though my own mission was suffused with this doctrine, I saw it and still see it as really sentimental and misguided to think that way. It's a way of putting pressure on missionaries and others NOT TO DARE MISS a divinely appointed encounter, but I don't think or feel life really works that way. Of course, I can't prove that it never happens, but I also don't think anyone can prove that someone else couldn't have touched a particular person too. It's similar to the one-and-only spouse, or the preexistent bargains that partners and families supposedly made, some of which comes out in SW, I believe. I'm somewhat open to those ideas--I'd like to believe I knew my mother in the preexistence--but I think they're taken way too far. If someone can conceive of such a possibility, too often they automatically assume it's fact. (It also really bugs me when people talk about all these things the Lord has supposedly done in their life, all these strings he's pulled and coincidences he's arranged. I don't deny the hand of God in human affairs, but the way and the degree to which it plays out in Mormonism really freaks me out. Our attitude is almost to ascribe everything to the Lord's direct intervention unless proven otherwise. I think the truth is more that he has set up a sphere where chance and self-will rule all variables except when human faith is strong enough to invoke his direct influence, which is relatively rare.) Chris Bigelow - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:08:58 -0700 From: margaret young Subject: Re: [AML] Validation from GA's You've heard Eliza R. Snow quoted all over the place, haven't you? And I recall a Conference talk wherein the speaker read some of S. Dilworth Young's poetry. Maybe more significant is the number of hymns whose lyrics are written by GA's. To note a few: Elder Hanks's "That Easter Morn"; Loren C. Dunn's "Testimony"; and of course ALL of the poetry of the early GA's--Parley Pratt's "An Angel from On High"; William Phelps's "The Spirit of God" (and many more). And of course, Emma Lou Thayne has been SUNG at General Conference ("Where Can I turn for Peace?") [Margaret Young] - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:10:24 -0700 From: Terry L Jeffress Subject: Re: [AML] Educating an Audience On Sun, Mar 10, 2002 at 05:10:39PM -0700, J. Scott Bronson wrote: > Yeah, whatever. But DB doesn't carry Signature books on their shelves, > and as far as I know, neither does Seagull. Just running a quick check of Signature titles carried by Deseret Book. (From www.deseretbook.com) Dancing Naked 1 copy in St. George store Riptide 0 in stores, but avaliable online The Backslider 1 copy in West Valley City (Valley Fair Mall) Love Chains 0 in store, but available online Of Curious Workmanship 0 in stores, but available online Sanpete Tales In 10 stores Set in Stone 1 in ZCMI Mall The Last Pioneer In 12 stores So from just this small sample of titles that I pulled from the AML Reviews Archive, I would have to conclude that Deseret Book does indeed carry Signature Book titles in its stores and makes them available through their website. You will have to take it on anecdotal evidence that I have seen Signature titles in Seagull Book. Certainly Deseret Book will want to promote its own titles over the titles from other publishers, but the bookstore managers (and the purchasers in the corporate office) certainly do not want to pass up a title that sells well and makes them a profit. - -- Terry L Jeffress | Suspect all your favorite sentences. South Jordan, UT | -- Kenneth Atchity - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:18:11 -0700 From: "K.D. Enos" Subject: [AML] Mormon Publisher Guidelines I just have a question. How do I get submission guidelines for LDS = publishers? I got on-line and found Horizon and Ceder Fort, but couldn't find the = guidelines for the others. Where do I look? [A follow-up]: Sorry Jonathan, you may want to combine these. I got that wrong. I found Covenant and Ceder Fort's guidelines on line, = not Horizon's. I do have addresses for all of them but I'd like the guidelines before I = contact them. Thanks, Konnie Enos - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:31:01 -0700 From: "Cherry Silver" Subject: Re: [AML] Validation from GA's You have the nugget of a paper for the Annual Meeting 2003. Why don't you expand on what LDS poetry would serve to illuminate gospel principles. Cherry Silver - ----- Original Message ----- From: Darlene Young > I've seen the works of LDS visual artists shown in > conjunction with General Conference talks. I've heard > non-LDS poets quoted within Gen. Conf. talks. I've > even heard non-LDS movies discussed within Gen. Conf. > talks (who can forget Elder Monson and _Home Alone_?) > But, aside from hymns, I've never heard LDS poets > quoted. Why is that? Wouldn't you love to hear > someon say, "As LDS poet Emma Lou Thayne says, . . ." > (or another poet) instead of another rendition of > "trailing clouds of glory from God who is our home"? - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 14:45:06 -0800 (PST) From: William Morris Subject: Re: [AML] Validation from GA's - --- Darlene Young wrote: > I've seen the works of LDS visual artists shown in > conjunction with General Conference talks. I've heard > non-LDS poets quoted within Gen. Conf. talks. I've > even heard non-LDS movies discussed within Gen. Conf. > talks (who can forget Elder Monson and _Home Alone_?) > But, aside from hymns, I've never heard LDS poets > quoted. Why is that? Wouldn't you love to hear > someon say, "As LDS poet Emma Lou Thayne says, . . ." > (or another poet) instead of another rendition of > "trailing clouds of glory from God who is our home"? > I'm no GA, but I was asked to speak in my ward on Mother's Day last year. I spoke on sorrow as an important part of women's experience. I relied heavily on scriptural occurences (from Eve and Sarah to Esther and Hannah). But I also scoured the LDS.org church magazine archive for poetry that has appeared in the _Ensign_ over the past thirty years. I actually found at least three that fit in with my theme. I didn't have much to choose from. But I did find those three, so I used them and made sure to mention the names of the authors and the fact that they appeared in the _Ensign_. Granted my ward is somewhat liberal (Oakland First), but I got a lot of positive reaction from the women in the ward--both for my subject and the poetry. I gleaned two things from the experience: 1. There are a few good sources out there with the official stamp on them, and I'm puzzled why nobody (including the general authorities) uses them. 2. It's too bad that there are more sources out there that could be legitimized. I wouldn't have any problem going outside for references (threw in an _Anna Karenina_ reference in my Elder's Quorum lesson yesterday---high councilor who sat in on the lesson came up to me afterwards and said "Good lesson. _Anna Kareina_. I like that intellectual stuff.") but I'm sure most people wouldn't be in to that. What'd be great is if we could come out with an anthology of poetry (bring back some of Emmeline B. Wells and Orson F. Whitney stuff, etc.) that had the orthodox stamp to it. Kind of a Clark and England's Harvest meets Out of the Best Books/Especially for Mormons thing. I mean, there's some decent home lit poetry out there---stuff that at least has some art to it and while didactic is not horribly cliched. [And lest you think I bummed everybody out, I did move from sorrow into the hope that comes from the sorrows of temporal experience illuminated by the light of the Saviour's redemption]. ~~William Morris __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:32:38 -0800 From: "Richard R. Hopkins" Subject: Re: [AML] Death of Neila Seshachari This is so unexpected. Any chance we may know the cause of death? Richard Hopkins [MOD: The last I heard was probably stroke.] - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:39:35 -0800 From: "Richard R. Hopkins" Subject: Re: [AML] Fiction v. Nonfiction D. Michael Martindale wrote: > You can only learn so much in the lecture hall. Sooner or later, you've > got to sign up for lab and get some hands-on experience. Fiction is a > great way of getting some vicarious experience. As med students practice > on cadavers before going to live surgery, fiction can be the safe > laboratory conditions where we explore how to implement eternal > principles without actually hurting anyone when we screw up. This is a great way to put it. As one who has written some of the nonfiction, D. Michael speaks of in the snipped portion of his message, I have come to the conclusion that what the world needs now, more than Mormon sermons is Mormon fiction. Right now, I think a pot of honey will bring healing to this sin-drenched planet faster than a tankard of ointment. Richard Hopkins - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 9 Mar 2002 12:53:55 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN News Briefs: New Documentary Chronicles Mormon Sea Voyage to California New Documentary Chronicles Mormon Sea Voyage to California NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- New York LDS Church member Scott Tiffany has written and produced a full-length documentary on the voyage of the ship Brookly, the longest religious sea voyage in history. Under the leadership of Sam Brannan, more than 200 Mormon pioneers sailed from New York City to meet the main body of the Saints in what was then called "Upper California." After stops at Juan Fernandez Island and Hawaii, the ship eventually landed in what is now San Francisco, after traveling 24,000 miles. However, the Daily Universe's coverage of the documentary, scheduled to be released on video this month, is somewhat flawed, leaving the impression that the group was trying to escape persecution in New York City. Source: BYU graduate's documentary tells tail of Latter-day Saint persecution BYU NewsNet 7Mar02 A2 http://newsnet.byu.edu/story/37379 By Brittany Brough: NewsNet Staff Writer >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 9 Mar 2002 12:54:29 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN Washington DC Sunstone Symposium Cancelled This Year: Sunstone News Release 2Mar02 US UT SLC N4 Washington DC Sunstone Symposium Cancelled This Year SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- There will not be a Sunstone conference in Washington D.C. this year. Several factors, including 9/11 and school pressures from one of the DC symposium's key organizers, have made us think it is time this year for a one-year sabbatical for that symposium. The D.C. Symposium will be held in 2003. The other Sunstone Symposiums will still be held this year: April 19-20 in Pasadena, California; August 7-10 in Salt Lake City; October 19 in Seattle, Washington. We also hope to receive more proposals for sessions for our Salt Lake Symposium! First deadline (priority consideration) for proposals is April 30th. Source: Sunstone Symposium in DC Sunstone News Release 28Feb02 N4 >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 09:31:14 -0700 From: "Ethan Skarstedt" Subject: RE: [AML] Educating an Audience BJ Rowley's post was an extremely interesting one for me. In particular this comment struck a chord with me: "I'd like to see someone at the top give all of us struggling and=20 hardworking artist some validation. It seems to me that plenty of=20 airtime (and Ensign space) is devoted to the subject of avoiding the=20 degrading material that's out there -- be it R-rated movies, sexually=20 explicit fiction, internet pornography, etc. _But I don't see them giving=20 the members much in the way of viable alternatives._" (emphasis added) When I was younger my father taught me that if you're going to criticize something you had better have a suggestion on how to improve it. I agree with BJ in the assessment that "those at the top" seem to be breaking this rule when they tell us to avoid all those bad things but fail to steer us toward an alternative. =20 Unfortunately, I think I know why they fail to do so, and it makes sense. Reading good literature is _not_ necessary to achieve salvation. It is a side issue. While it's certainly a good thing to seek out good literature, the Article of Faith that tells us to seek out good things does not say to seek out good LDS anything, literature or art or music. It is entirely non-specific. It seems to me that BJ and others I've read on this list are pining for the GAs to validate her/his(What does BJ stand for?) work because it has an LDS author first and because it is well written dead last. "Why can't the leaders encourage the members to support their own? Wouldn't it be=20 wonderful if they would just point in our general direction and say,=20 "Look, there IS worthwhile stuff out there. Clean, wholesome, uplifting, enlightening, satisfying, and rewarding. And some of it actually very=20 well written."" And so my point is illustrated, in a back-handed kind of way, by BJ's words in the above quote. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they COULD just point in our general direction and say, "Look, there IS worthwhile LDS stuff out there." I don't think they can for two reasons. 1. They know that some dimwit will mistake whatever specific suggestions they make for doctrine and either lose their testimony over it or start yet another wave of false doctrine washing over the membership. and 2. I've read some published LDS fiction. It stinks. While I haven't read much, what I have read is either soap opera melodrama ("Work and the Glory") or just really badly written, "Race Against Time" "Disoriented" And from what I've gathered from the discussions on this list there's not much out there that's any better. In order to find good fiction I have to go to mainstream publishers. Until that changes I won't be reading much more LDS published fiction. And until someone writes good literature that a lot of LDS people will want to read the LDS publishers aren't going to be publishing anything new. Finally, I don't think those at the top _want_ to offer validation to authors that have not earned it. If you're going to write to an LDS audience then the only way to earn your validation is to earn it from them. It's a hard thing but if the LDS audience is not buying your work then you have not earned validation and if they are then I'm betting you already feel validated. So, if we want to feel validated in our efforts as "LDS" authors we must write words of such quality that hordes of LDS people will want to buy them. And if we want a General Authority to validate our work then we need to write something that they like and are uplifted by. Of course, from listening to conference talks we know that in order to accomplish that last one we'll have to compete with Shakespeare but so what, there's no law decreed in heaven that says ol' Bill was the last word. - -Ethan Skarstedt P.S. I have to add a caveat to this post. I have read Scott Bronson's "The Whipping Boy" and it does not stink. It was excellently written and thought provoking. The fact that it has not been published is IMO a symptom of a whole different set of issues in the LDS publishing industry and our LDS culture. Ditto for his play "Stones" wow. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:50:00 -0800 From: "Richard R. Hopkins" Subject: Re: [AML] Validation from GA's Darlene Young wrote: > But, aside from hymns, I've never heard LDS poets > quoted. Why is that? Wouldn't you love to hear > someon say, "As LDS poet Emma Lou Thayne says, . . ." > (or another poet) instead of another rendition of > "trailing clouds of glory from God who is our home"? I know I would, Darlene. Problem is, we don't seem to have produced many decent poets. Occasionally, I see a piece of poetry by a Mormon writer that a) rhymes intelligently and b) has the right (and consistent) meter, but hardly ever does it actually say something as profound and inspiring as Wordsworth's immortal lines. Poetry is hard. It's takes a lot more thought than prose and it cannot be achieved by simply typing words in a poetry-looking format! Do you have some examples of the kind of poetry that should be quoted in General Conference, because, if you do, we'd like to see it published. Richard Hopkins - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 15:55:22 -0800 From: "Richard R. Hopkins" Subject: Re: [AML] Fw: MN Broadcast March 10 Celebrates Mormon Composer Helen Taylor: BYU Press Release 5Mar02 US UT Prov D3 > Broadcast March 10 Celebrates Mormon Composer Helen Taylor I heard this broadcast on an earlier date (or a similar one), and I really hate to be a critic, but after all the hoopla and the wonderful introduction provided by her talented husband, I was terribly disappointed with her music. It makes great accompaniment for interpretational dance, and might be excellent as background music for certain motion picture scenes, but to listen to it for pure enjoyment, well...it just wasn't my cup of tea. I guess I'm just one who wants to hear a melody, not just something melodious. Sorry. Richard Hopkins - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 18:42:45 -0500 From: "Tracie Laulusa" Subject: Re: [AML] Desensitized Nudity I have a few comments inserted in various places below. - ----- Original Message ----- > > Clothing allows each individual to > > determine their own climate control in relation to an > accepted norm (I > > can wear less if I find I am often too warm, or more if I find I am > > often too cold). > > Do you know this from experience? Actually, clothing is wonderful because it's insulating properties are effective in both hot *and* cold climates. Ever seen desert nomads--you know, people who actually have to live in hot climates (as opposed to us wimps who have the luxury of darting from climate control to climate control with little extended exposure)? They aren't nekkid for a very good reason. The body's dissipation of heat and the utility of sweat is enhanced by the presence of clothing. In fact, clothing helps us gain the benefits of hair in places where we don't actually have any--to contain and prolong the benefit of our natural cooling mechanisms. Tracie relates the following: We have(had) a newspaper meteorologist who every year, as the weather turns cold, goes out somewhere in the woods in the buff and sits. Many hours later he goes in, drinks something--I think it was a stiff alcoholic beverage--and then goes through the winter never needing a coat or feeling cold. On the other hand, we have an oncologist in our ward who is adamant about covering up to protect yourself from the sun. >From my personal study, I would say that clothing's ability to protect and regulate depends largely on the material, which most of us pay absolutely no attention to. For instance, I've heard that jeans are the one of the worst things to wear in the wet or cold as they retain both. But it seems in the winter jeans are still the pant of choice. > Sexually oriented > example: the girl who dresses provocatively, but won't "put > out." She used clothing to express all sorts of sexual cues > she didn't intend. Hello date rape. If a girl is provocatively dressed, chances are she is fully intending her sexual cues. She might not want sex, but it *does* mean that she wants to provoke sexual thoughts. Frankly, this is exactly why lascivious behavior (male or female) is condemned in the scriptures at all instead of being content to merely condemn fornication and adultery. Not on the same level, mind, but it *is* wrong to send inappropriate sexual signals. Which is a good reason why the General Authorities send so many messages to our youth to dress modestly (to us adults, too, but those messages tend to be couched in terms of temple garments). Tracie says: While a young girl may wear clothes that adults and males consider sexually provacative, the girls themselves may not intend that. They may be fairly clueless about what sexuality is. I know it can be said that no child can grow up clueless in our media age, but I think they can. They may see in the media that certain styles supposedly make them more attractive and desirable, but they might not realize what that really entails. They could be totally clueless about how a male is wired for reaction. They may not even recognize what their own desires are. Or they may be sending a mixed signal. They desire an emotional connection and this seems to them to be the way to send that message, while the male receiving end is seeing 'sex, sex, sex, sex'. I agree, Jacob, that it is one of the reasons we need to teach girls to dress modestly--and the whys behind the instruction. We all know that make-up makes a woman look sexually aroused.......right? In a total aside, we recently watched A Room With a View. There is a scene where three male persons cavort around a pond in the buff. It is totally hilarious because you know exactly what is going to happen next. And then there they are, Lucy, her fiance, and Lucy's mother come strolling down the path. Up until that point there is absolutely nothing sexual about the scene. But as soon as the women appear there is a layer of sexual awareness and embarrassment that, to me, illustrates the influence of culture. The men aren't behaving in a sexual manner. They are not sending any sexual messages. But as soon as a woman is there it becomes a very different situation. I wonder if any of us can really overcome the cultural conditioning along with the 'way we are wired' (to borrow from Eric Samuelson) to be totally unaware of the sexuality of the opposite sex. I think we can act like we are, and maybe even come very close, but totally....? Maybe all the Finnish Sauna people have an opinion on that one. I've never personally been put to the test. Thanks to both Jacob and D. Michael. I love it when you guys start debating. I makes me think. Tracie Laulusa - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 20:49:43 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN "Final Cut" March 12-16 showcases BYU student films: BYU Press Release 9Mar02 US UT Prov A2 "Final Cut" March 12-16 showcases BYU student films PROVO, UTAH -- A centenarian recalls the past 100 years, Africans struggle with a rampant skin disease, a store clerk takes pity on an inept thief and a father is alarmed when members of his family join another church. These and 28 other stories will be told Tuesday through Saturday (March 12-16) during "Final Cut," a showcase of student films at Brigham Young University. The festival's preliminary screenings will be held in the Varsity Theater and in the Crabtree Building Tuesday through Thursday (March 12-14) beginning at 7:30 p.m. A panel of judges will select the "Best of Final Cut" from those two programs. "Best of Final Cut" will be shown twice each night on Friday and Saturday (March 15-16) in the Joseph Smith Building Auditorium at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $3 to $6. Discounted tickets are available at the Wilkinson Student Center Information Desk. For advance ticket information, call (801) 378-4313. Proceeds from the festival go toward funding future student film projects in the form of grants. Films run from 30 seconds to 26 minutes and include narrative, documentary and experimental films as well as animation and commercials. "The appeal of my film is in who it is about," said Brad Barber, from Knoxville, Tennessee. His documentary, "Inspire or Damage," was selected to be screened. "I used camera moves that mimic life from a wheelchair. I hope that gives the film appeal, too," Barber said. "Final Cut" is BYU Theatre and Media Arts Department's annual film festival. It is the highlight of the year for an unusual group of students who express their talents with an eye to the camera. Many of the films are capstone projects that have been in the works for years. The primary appeal for entering a film in "Final Cut," however, is not monetary. It is the opportunity for a filmmaker to screen his or her film to a live audience, although the expense of producing a film is often enormous. One entry has a budget of $12, but many films cost students thousands of dollars. Four of the 32 projects came in with budgets over $10,000. This is the first year "Final Cut" will be taken off campus. BYU-Idaho has scheduled a screening for the end of March in Rexburg, Idaho. "Making a film is a collaborative effort of several people who feel strongly about a subject," said Chris Rawson, a senior from Palmdale, California. "We put our hearts and our time into each piece. Students at BYU have important stories to tell and 'Final Cut' provides a big audience." The popularity of "Final Cut" in the past prompted several changes in this year's program. Because scores of moviegoers were turned away last year, additional screenings of the "Best of Final Cut" have been scheduled. Another welcome addition is entries from the newly established animation major. Animation students have contributed several interesting projects to the lineup. "The Lion and The Mouse," a retelling of Aesop's fable, is one such piece. With a budget of $20,000 and storyboards covering an entire hall in the Brimhall Building at BYU, the work-in-progress gives the audience a peek at animating a feature film. "Final Cut" entries in the past have gone on to be honored at prestigious festivals around the country. Matt Janzen's film, "Funky Town," won a student Emmy for best sound. Bryan Lefler's film, "War Play," won best picture and best director awards at the Eclipse Film Festival and was honored at the Slamdance Film Festival. "We expect no less from this year's group of films," said Carolyn Hanson, administrative assistant to the Theatre and Media Arts Department. "We guarantee entertainment." - -###- Source: "Final Cut" March 12-16 showcases BYU student films BYU Press Release 4Mar02 A2 http://www.byu.edu/news/releases/Mar/finalcut.htm >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #643 ******************************