From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #732 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 Wednesday, June 5 2002 Volume 01 : Number 732 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 18:19:07 -0600 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: Re: [AML] LaBute Essay Crude language aside, LaBute pretty much hits it on the head as far as far the appeal of theatre is concerned. There really is nothing like it. As an actor, I've done both stage and film. The rush of walking out on stage and getting an immediate reaction from the audience (and talking with them afterward if the venue permits) is nothing in comparison to the momentary thrill of seeing oneself on the screen. Also, theatre respects the playwright more than films do the screenwriter. In movies, the director is god. In plays, the director works for the playwright (well, actually he works for the producer, but the director of a stage play is more likely to suggest changes directly to the playwright than to hire script doctors as is commonly done in films). - ---- Thom Duncan The Nauvoo Theatrical Society "Mormon artists exploring Mormon life through theatre" - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 21:29:53 -0400 From: "Tracie Laulusa" Subject: Re: [AML] Baby Exhaustion Thanks for the example of sanity. David, my husband, has been laid off for six months and it's been wonderful. Challenging but wonderful. It has taken the full six months for the corporate mentality to wear off. He's working on the side at Graeters (ice cream) and loving every minute of it. - ----- Original Message ----- > > John spent a few years pursuing success in the corporate world--putting in > long nights at the office, travelling and such. I can't say that the damage > it did to our family is irreparable, but it came quite close. We've since > pulled back, re-examined our lives, our dreams, and our visions of the > future. [snip] > > Jana Remy - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 21:53:33 -0400 From: "Tracie Laulusa" Subject: Re: [AML] Accepting Each Other's Offerings Maybe Scott, part of it is that we often tell stories selectively, to make a point. When making a point we often look to extremes. And I'm with you in the sniveling category. I am so tired of being dead average in everything! My daughter likes listening to a radio show with teen prodigy musicians. I hate it. It's not really that I mind them being brilliant. I mind that I'm not. And everything I do, there is, of course, someone who does it better, faster, smarter, with more flair, funner............ I suppose that's part of being a human being, and maybe a part our society in particular encourages--comparing ourselves to someone else constantly. But then you can answer that question much more effectively than I could. You have a knack for writing a well put together, intelligent, thoughtful, provocative, insightful e-mail that I just don't have. :o) Tracie Laulusa - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 02:23:00 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] ADAMS, "Yellow China Bell" (Daily Herald) [The production notes say that this play is based on the life of a woman the playwright met while she was a LDS missionary in Russia.] ERIC D. SNIDER The Daily Herald on Monday, June 03 PROVO -- In "Yellow China Bell," a 15-year-old Armenian girl is kidnapped by a Russian man who takes her back to his dirt- poor village and makes her his wife, against her will. The social and cultural factors that might cause a woman to stay in such an arrangement are examined. It is not, one hardly needs to point out, a very fun play. It is emotionally wrenching and sometimes difficult to watch, especially in the tiny Margetts Theatre, where the brief physical distance between audience and actor makes the emotional distance seem smaller, too. There is no intermission, either, which maybe is only fair: If the characters don't get a respite from the turmoil, neither should we. That said, I hope no one shies away from watching it for fear of being traumatized. It is not so much disturbing as thought-provoking, the sort of jarring experience that knocks a few things loose but doesn't knock you out cold. In that sense, it's "enjoyable," in the way that a stimulating college lecture or an educational program on PBS is enjoyable. You may exit the theater crying rather than skipping, but you will feel something. Central to the show is Diane Lynn Rane's fantastic performance as Mina, the Armenian girl whisked away to Russia. Initially - -- and understandably -- Mina's outlook is dim. She tells Zara (Laura Reyna), her only friend, "I don't pray for happiness anymore. I don't think I believe in it." Life, she says, consists of "living, dying, and patience in between." By the end of the play, circumstances with her husband have forced her to reassess some of these attitudes. Rane's performance is often physical, using facial expressions and body language to express Mina's thoughts. She is much shorter than Jesse Ryan Harward, who plays her husband, and much smaller in frame than Daryl A. Ball, who plays the husband's lusty, gold-chained friend. Her fear of them is strikingly believable, as are all the other emotions she conveys over the course of the show. By my count, this is the sixth BYU mainstage play in the past 2 1/2 years in which Harward has appeared, and I believe it is his best work. Victor is not meant to be a monster and nothing but; he seems to genuinely love Mina. Harward expertly walks the line between sympathy and derision, and I love this character as much as I hate him. An early scene in which Victor has just abducted the young Mina (played by Naira Galoustian) and intends to rape her has Harward and Galoustian doing terribly difficult work. They accomplish it with astonishing professionalism and emotion. Mina's mother, seen in flashbacks, is played with tenderness by Laurel Sandberg. A sort of interpretive dance chorus that provides movement and occasional narration is acted by Shelley Burton, Amanda R. Schutz and Veronica Naimova. The director is Megan Sanborn Jones, and the playwright is BYU graduate student LeeAnne Hill Adams. Should you go? It is intense and cathartic. So, yes. IF YOU GO What: "Yellow China Bell" When: 7:30 p.m. nightly (except Sundays and Mondays) through June 15 Where: Margetts Theatre, BYU's Harris Fine Arts Center Cost: $12 general, $9 students and faculty Info: Call 422-4322, or visit www.byu.edu/hfac Running time: 1 hr., 30 min.; there is no intermission Objectionable content: BYU is advising parental discretion, due to some adult themes. Copyright 2002 by HarkTheHerald.com _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 02:26:39 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] OVIATT, "The Sixth Wife" (Deseret News) Deseret News Sunday, June 2, 2002 4 plays to open this week in Utah By Ivan M. Lincoln Deseret News theater editor "THE SIXTH WIFE," an original drama written and performed by Joan Oviatt, will be presented at the Off Broadway Theatre, 272 S. Main, June 3-27. First produced at Brigham Young University and later for a 24 1/2-week run at the Edinburgh Festival of Arts, the drama is based on the life and times of Emmeline Wells (actually Emmeline Blanche Woodward Harris Whitney Wells), who was one of the most influential women in the American West. James Arrington is directing this production of Oviatt's work. (This is not being produced by the Off Broadway Theatre itself; Oviatt and Arrington are utilizing the venue for a month of weekday performances. OBT's Laughing Stock "improv" company will continue to perform on Fridays and Saturdays.) Performances of "The Sixth Wife" will be 7:30 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays. Tickets, available at the door, are $6 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and students. Seating for this show is not reserved. Copyright 2002 Deseret News Publishing Company _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 22:11:59 -0600 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] Baby Exhaustion - ---Original Message From: Ronn Blankenship > Just a minute, now. Who said it is the fault of the men for > thinking it is > all about themselves? > > How often is the reason the men are overworked is either (a) > to afford the > baby and all the stuff that goes with it or (b) because > someone-often the > wife-is asking them why Brother Jones down the street got a > promotion and > they didn't? Good point. Just as it is sometimes the husband putting pressure on the wife to work, it is also sometimes the wife putting the pressure on the husband to make more money. Both are wrong. Families are *important*. It is worth making *sacrifices*, having less stuff, trying to make do with less, in order to give better attention to our families. That's all I'm saying. And I'm not saying it's *all* the men's fault. I'm just saying that one additional facet of the problem of overwhelmed women is that sometimes their men are taking on too much and thus unwilling to alleviate some of the pressure. - ---Original Message From: D. Michael Martindale > I'm all for it, but how are you going to get the message > across, when the very essence of men's self-image is defined > by their ability to produce? And the very essence of men's > ability to attract women is defined by the same thing? (How > many women's personals do NOT insist that the man be a > professional?) The message you want to get out will be > utterly lost in the din of messages that regularly brainwash > men that they better have an impressive career or they are > nothing. Even a prophet of God point-blank telling them that > their career successes are meaningless if their families fail > didn't get the message across. True enough. But just because people don't want to hear it doesn't mean you stop telling the truth. And telling it again if you have to. And again and again and as long as you feel the message needs to be heard. Overkill exists, of course. Care, tact, and awareness of how best to support others are important. But it's still important to hear and say and at no time more important than for our young, unmarried adults (men *and* women). Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 22:39:05 -0600 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] Stresses on Men (was: Baby Exhaustion) - ---Original Message From: Ivan Angus Wolfe > > I don't think it is about this. Most guys I know who are > working two to three jobs and are hardly ever home are doing > it because its the only way to stay out of debt while raising > a family and going to college - and the church leaders keep > hammering on and on and on and on about how as men we are to > provide for the family and make sure thy are physically taken > care of and that we incur no debt at all. > > I;ve actually fallen into some debt because I decided it was > more worth it to be home at least some of the time and help > my wife out with the kids, but that apparently makes me a bad > father because I'm not "providing" for my family as much as > the next guy. Then they've learned the wrong lessons. You don't stay out of debt by earning more. Maybe we need to teach better financial lessons. You stay out of debt by spending less than you make--i.e. having less stuff. You do have an interesting point, though. There's a real problem if people think you aren't providing for your family as well as the next guy if you aren't providing the same stuff. That's bunk and needs to be exposed as the bunk it is. I, personally, will stand by any father who lives in a shack, drives a piece of hud, and can't afford to go to all the parties if he also spends more time with his family and knows who his kids are. And I'll back him against a successful businessman or doctor whose kids can't pick him out of a line-up. I've as much as done so in my Quorum. One man was explaining to me how he had taken a night job (in addition to his day job) and explained how they'd have the house paid off in five years. He made the mistake of asking me my opinion--so I gave it to him. I know that his wife is extremely frazzled and frustrated. I know that he didn't even tell her about taking the second job until it was a fait accompli. He looks confused when we're talking about things that I don't laud his sacrifice. Tough. In my opinion, *he* isn't making much of a sacrifice and I'm not a big fan of child sacrifice in any circumstances. > Perhaps this coudl be a literary thing - it seems that far > too often men are shown as negelecting their families to > pursue ladder climbing - are there cases where instead its > shown to be a result of a misplacede desire to follow the > church commandments of "provide" and "stay out of debt."? It had better be careful if it wants to show how damaging it is to follow the brethren. Like I said, you don't stay out of debt by earning more. People who think that you do are going to end up with mounting debts no matter how much they make--I know the truth of this from painful experience. And if you're not providing *spiritually*, then it doesn't much matter what you're providing physically. Or, in the cheesy, market-weasel way I put it yesterday in my lesson, "You can't preside in the home if you barely *reside* there." Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 10:25:07 -0700 From: "Richard R. Hopkins" Subject: Re: [AML] Upcoming Summer Movies It's very interesting to see what our creative LDS brothers and sisters are up to in the highly influential entertainment industry! But why was this one in the list? Is Mark Andrus LDS? Any other LDS connection? > DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD > Comedy-drama Warner Bros. > With: Ellen Burstyn, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, James > Garner, Maggie Smith. The idea: > Lifelong Southern friends stage unorthodox intervention for > a wayward daughter. > Writers: Callie Khouri, adaptation by Mark Andrus from > popular Rebecca Wells novels. > Director: Callie Khouri. > So? The women are engaging, and James Garner is > sympathetically fatherly. > [Screenplay by Mark Andrus, who was nominated for an Academy > Award for "As Good As It Gets", and also wrote the > critically acclaimed "Life as a House" and the tepidly > received "Late for Dinner."] Richard Hopkins - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 10:15:42 -0700 (PDT) From: William Morris Subject: Re: [AML] Baby Exhaustion The on-line magazine _Slate_ has been running an occassional report from new dad Michael Lewis (along with some wonderful photography by his wife Tabitha Soren). His reports are frank, funny and kinda scary for someone like me who has yet to go through the experience but hopes to soon. Lewis and Soren already have a daughter so some of the best writing has to do with how their first daughter is handling the arrival of their second one (and how that affects the entire family dynamic). You can find the series at: http://slate.msn.com/?id=3944&QueryText="Dad+Again"&SearchOn=Department The latest report is titled "Infanticide to Infatuation." [How's that for a teaser?] I imagine that similar work by a mother would be even more interesting, and, as we have already discussed, necessary. ~~William Morris __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 17:12:27 EDT From: Paynecabin@aol.com Subject: [AML] Virus Heads-up [MOD: Other AML-List members have also reported infections. As a general rule, I'd advise that you not open attachments from people who you find it puzzling to be receiving attachments from. AML-List, perhaps fortunately, is not set up to send out attachments, so it's unlikely that such viruses can be sent out over the List itself.] Hey Everybody, Ben Parkinson got an email, apparently from me, that carried with it an attachment (something about a "funny website") that is probably viral. I can only imagine that they connected Ben and me through the AML list. Please take precautions. I'm not referring anyone here to any "funny" sites. If it has an attachment of any kind, it's not from me. Hope nobody gets hurt, Marvin Payne __________________ Visit marvinpayne.com! "Come unto Christ, and lay hold on every good gift..." (From the last page of the Book of Mormon) - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 21:28:44 GMT From: daryoung@juno.com Subject: Re: [AML] Baby Exhaustion Oops. I said, "But you should know that a book of the second type you describe has already been written: _A Joyful Mother of Children_, by Linda Eyre." That was wrong. The book is actually called _An Emotional First Aid Kit for Mothers_ (by Linda Eyre). There is a book by that other name, but it's not the one I was referring to, and I'm actually not sure who the author is of that one. By the way, I can't say enough how much I have appreciated this discussion. Women, or at least this woman, tend to compare themselves to other women. I'm not sure we can or should help doing this. It's a way of participating in something that is natural to women: evaluating herself and finding ways to be better. I can't help observing how other mothers parent their kids--not because I am innately critical but because I am innately thirsty for ways to do better. And there are women in AML, women whom I have met and who post regularly on this list, to whom I have compared myself many times before. In particular I am thinking of Gae Lyn, who caught my attention when I first met her because she is raising boys as I am. When I heard how many she had, I was right then pondering how many we should have. "Wow," I thought, "She has that many, and look--she has done so much else with her life! She has a career I would love, a great mind and lots of interesting thoughts. Maybe! I could (and should) have more kids." And now I hear her thoughts about how many she has had and I do a double-take. All this has made me realize that we can only benefit from being more open with each other. And also that I need to find another way of knowing how many kids to have than just by comparing myself to others. Thanks, all of you, for sharing. [Darlene Young] ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 10:32:58 -0700 From: Robert Slaven Subject: Re: [AML] Random Thoughts Of course, there's *Lost Boys* by Orson Scott Card. It doesn't 'address' the 'issue', as it were. But if you don't have a rock in your throat the size of Gibraltar during the last chapter, you're not human. I suppose that book gets out the message 'it could be anyone, anywhere' and 'as much as you try to protect your kids, it could still happen', but that's not the primary focus of the book. Someone else suggested 'from a mother's point of view'. One heck of a story could be made, say, from the point of view of a mother whose husband/father or husband/stepfather or brother/uncle or father/grandfather or older son/older brother or friend/Primary/YM/YW teacher is molesting one of her children. It'd be a trip to hell and back to write, though. Certainly nothing I'm up to.... (All I'm up to so far is three somewhat-harmless SF stories which I'm submitting as soon as I can get a hold of some US stamps for the SASE's. If any of you are really bored and want to read and/or criticise them, let me know. They're not at all LDS, though; think about some of OSC's early SF short stories.) Robert ********************************************************************** Robert & Linn-Marie Slaven www.robertslaven.ca ...with Stuart, Rebecca, Mariann, Kristina, Elizabeth, and Robin too 'Man is that he might have joy--not guilt trips.' (Russell M. Nelson) - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 11:52:57 -0600 From: "Clark Goble" Subject: RE: [AML] Lit-crit Recommendations ___ Stephen ___ | Norton has just issued a MAMMOTH anthology of western literary | criticism. It's about 2000 pages long in 8 point type. If you | just want an overview of the players, it's a place to start. ___ This is good as a nice overview of all the figures in literary criticism. It has leading critics, philosophers, and literary figures. However it tends to have such short excerpts from them that you get only a very general idea of what they are really saying. I enjoy my copy, but it tends overall to not be as helpful as I thought it might. It is great as a starting point for finding more information. Plus the biographical sketch it gives of each person really is very well written. Just don't expect to be able to really understand their positions from the anthology. It is more a "wet the appetite" sort of thing. - -- Clark Goble --- clark@lextek.com ----------------------------- - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 16:52:34 -0700 (PDT) From: William Morris Subject: Re: [AML] Baby Exhaustion - --- William Morris wrote: > The on-line magazine _Slate_ has been running an occassional report from > new dad Michael Lewis (along with some wonderful photography by his wife > Tabitha Soren). His reports are frank, funny and kinda scary for someone > like me who has yet to go through the experience but hopes to soon. > Sorry about that. Here's a link that works. It's to the first installment in the series: http://slate.msn.com/?id=2064335 If you scroll down to the bottom of the piece you will find a box that lets you link to the other reports in the series including the aformentioned "Infanticide to Infatuation." ~~William Morris __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2002 10:00:45 -0600 From: "Annette Lyon" Subject: Re: [AML] Congrats I just had an article published in the Ensign on singles in the ward family. Kathy [Grant] *** Kathy, that's great! I love hearing about fellow writers' successes. Thanks for telling us. Annette Lyon - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 10:35:33 -0600 From: Melissa Proffitt Subject: Re: [AML] Baby Exhaustion On Tue, 4 Jun 2002 21:28:44 GMT, daryoung@juno.com wrote: >By the way, I can't say enough how much I have appreciated this = discussion. Women, or at least this woman, tend to compare themselves to= other women. I'm not sure we can or should help doing this. It's a way= of participating in something that is natural to women: evaluating = herself and finding ways to be better. I agree with you about self-evaluation and improvement. But I don't = think that comparing ourselves to other women generally has a positive effect; = if anything, it's the opposite. I think most women, when they look at other women, tend to think "she's not doing it the way I'm doing it...I MUST BE DOING IT WRONG!" We frequently use the example of others not to build ourselves up, but to berate ourselves for our shortcomings (real or imaginary). So if that's the way we compare ourselves to others, yes, I think we should stop doing it--or figure out how to do it constructively. (I, for example, was thinking, "How can Darlene write such a good story = AND take care of her kids? I must be so lazy if *I* can't do it too." :) = Good story, by the way.)=20 But your example about Gae Lyn shows perfectly why we women get into = trouble comparing ourselves to others. We compare our intimate self-knowledge of our faults and struggles with the attractive facades of others. Of = course those other people aren't really superficial, but we tend to assume that whatever we see is, in fact, all there is. We forget that they have problems that aren't readily visible, just like we do. >All this has made me realize that we can only benefit from being more = open with each other. This sentence gave me pause. I would rather *not* be open with the women around me (my ward, basically) because, to be brutally honest, I don't = think my problems are any of their business. I know that's a nasty selfish way= of living, but most of what I'm dealing with is not something I can casually share in Relief Society. BUT. The context of the above sentence is not just about how we benefit from being open about our struggles, it's about how others benefit from learning that WE are not the pillars of = perfection we appear to be. And I guarantee you that every one of the women on this list has at some point been looked up to by someone else who was thinking "Boy, I wish I was like her; she does everything right." Sometimes it = helps to know that the people you admire struggle too. >And also that I need to find another way of knowing how many kids to = have than just by comparing myself to others. You could cast lots, like that Haman guy in the Bible...no, wait, he was = the bad guy, don't do that. :) I think it's a really personal thing--not just the decision, but how one comes to it. For us...it was mainly the knowledge that the cost to our existing children was far greater than the benefit of having another. We have four. I'm the oldest of nine. Jacob is the oldest of eleven. Four barely seems like a family, to me. But it's enough for us. Melissa Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2002 08:28:20 -0700 From: "Rex Goode" Subject: Re: [AML] Virus Heads-up [MOD: Excellent advice!] Marvin (and Jonathan of course), You are probably talking about the KLEZ virus. It is clever and dangerous. It is able to appear to be coming from a mailing list like AML-List. It isn't. It gets the list name from someone's address book, and then spoofs itself to look like it is from a friend, a mailing list, a businesses associate, or anyone else in the infected person's address book. They're fairly easy to spot once you know what to look for. They have an attachment, around 124K in size. The attachment is the virus. If you run it, everyone in your mailbox can either get it, or can be made by the virus to appear to be sending it. It also does some destructive stuff on your computer. It is a good personal policy to never open any attachment that you don't know is coming. I ask friends to send me an advance email describing any attachment they plan to send me. If someone sends me an attachment without a head-up that it's coming, I write back and ask them to tell me what they sent and why. I don't open any attachment without this information. Rex Goode - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 14:14:35 EDT From: HOJONEWS@aol.com Subject: Re: [AML] Dave SHIELDS, _The Pendulum's Path_ (Review) In a message dated 6/4/02 9:51:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time, jeff.needle@general.com writes: > . From a > dominating, hypocritical father to a submissive, and deeply > flawed, mother and family, this isn't a feel-good account of > forever families. Instead, it is a graphic description of the > effect of dysfunction and repression in a publicly-respectable > Mormon family. Father, Bishop and, later, Stake President, is a > thoroughly unappealing character. The children are easier to > like, but as Shields shows, this isn't necessarily a good > indicator of later success in life. > Jeff and AMLers: Jeff, this is a lovely review. As an author, I was especially touched by your ability to stumble over roadblocks (poor editing) without condemning the entire work. It is also a rare (maybe professional) reviewer who can write a paragraph like the one above about a subject he/she holds dear and not be put off enough to downgrade the overall rating. Thank you for that. As an aside, if Dave Shields is not part of this group, he should know about it. A greater number of fine literary minds in one place, I have not encountered. Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Author of This is the Place, an award-winning story about a young journalist who writes her way through repression into redemption For a FREE First Chapter Click Here or send to: carolynhowardjohnson@sendfree.com FREE Cooking by the Book at http://www.tlt.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 13:01:26 -0600 From: "Annette Lyon" Subject: Re: [AML] Baby Exhaustion I have enjoyed reading this thread, as I can relate to much of it. But I have kept wondering why, even though I have experienced a very real level of baby exhaustion, I have never doubted the church, I never felt like I wasn't worth anything, I usually felt I had something to give and never had the well dry up completely. Why? I think I figured it out, and I think that any book written on the subject should probably address coping mechanisms, which somehow I blundered upon and which I believed saved my bacon. When our first child was born it was easy to end up doing it all myself, but when number two came along, I realized some of that had to change, and began reordering my expectations for myself and my husband. Now I have people constantly amazed when I tell them that my husband and I take turns putting the kids to bed--they are amazed that he ever does it, as if that's some huge thing. Had I not *asked* him to do that, he wouldn't have. But I did, so he does, and the kids love it. They have their own "daddy" rituals on Daddy nights. I also made a point of taking time for myself, be it a hot bath, a piece of chocolate or a good book (or if I was lucky, all three). Sometimes that wasn't more than once a month, but anything helps. At one point a friend (who had the same number of kids at about the same ages) and I would take turns tending each other's children. It was only once a month (one month was my turn to go out, the next was hers), but there were no rules beyond the fact that we were expected to go out for at least two hours. It wasn't a lot, but two hours every other month all to myself to do whatever I wanted was liberating. I have found the regular exercise is a must for me to remain emotionally there for the kids. I am a much happier and healthier person when I've exercised than when I don't. And finally, I write. I've mentioned on the list before how when I don't write, nothing seems to go the way it's supposed to--the house is messier, the kids more irritable, mom is a wreck, etc. I have learned the hard way that my family can't afford me to stop writing. I do have to keep a real balance--so long as I have little ones at home, my writing will never be a big chunk of my day--but that outlet keeps me sane and the family functioning. I believe everyone has their own outlet and needs to use it. For some people it is gardening, for others quilting or cooking or photography or music or painting or a dozen other things. But it needs to be something that isn't necessary to feed and clothe and otherwise care for the family and it needs to be something that takes care of the mother of the family so she can keep doing it. I look back at my hardest baby exhaustion years (kids at four years, two years, and a new born), and wonder how I did it. Only now do I recognize how hard it was (there's that exhaustion fog that hangs over you at the time), but I think the above is how I managed to get through it with a smile on my face--and with energy to really enjoy the little ones and soak up wonderful memories. What other coping strategies have you used that could be included in such abook? Does your writing play a part? For that matter, how has the baby exhaustion affected what you write about? Annette Lyon - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 14:19:35 -0600 From: Kellene Adams Subject: [AML] Baby Exhaustion Book [MOD: I think it's great to see how Kellene is developing this idea. At some point, it might be worthwhile to go off-List with discussion of specifics, but at this point I still think it's interesting to see all the ideas different people have...] I've actually talked to a couple of potential publishers about this baby exhaustion book idea and have seen a fair bit of interest. At this point, what I'm trying to do is come up with 10-15 different chapter subjects/topics, i.e., realistic expectations, what really matters (prioritizing), knowing when to say "no" (to your children, to those around you, to having more children. . .), mothering in the world but not of the world (recognizing that we don't need the Bach tapes, the Early Reader book series, the Fisher Price megasaucer, etc., that a spoon and aluminum pot and time spent in the yard work just as well), partnering with papa (how to work closely with Dad), doing it all alone (for single mothers), how not to be alone (sources of help, support, encouragement), etc. Once I get the chapter topics identified, I think I'm going to ask for some anecdotes (no holds barred, the publishers I've talked to have stressed that they don't want whitewashed accounts, they want a real, true, honest accounts of the struggles and challenges) to use in the chapters. I would, of course, and if people wouldn't mind, love to use some anecdotes I've read here on this line, as well as any others that are shared. (I've kept track of all the posts.) I would be in touch with anyone and everyone personally before sharing your story. I think I'd like to introduce each chapter with a true-life experience, then expound with the insight, answers, advice, etc. that might be pertinent that I can gather from everyone and anyone willing to contribute. So that's kind of the plan. I actually mentioned the idea of a collection of essays from young mothers and didn't get as enthusiastic of a response to that approach as I did to the one just outlined above. I'd love suggestions for the chapters (which I started to outline above). I'm talking to a few family counselors/therapists to get a feel for what they feel some of the most common and most challenging problems might be, but I'd like to balance that with other sources as well. So, feel free to jump in with your top-five (or top-ten) challenges as a young mother. . . I'd welcome it. Thanks, Kellene > > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! > Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! > Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: > http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. > > > > > -- > AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 15:43:35 -0500 From: "Preston" Subject: [AML] Box Office Report May 31 2002 Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of May 31, 2002 Report compiled by: LDSFilm.com [If table below doesn't line up properly, try looking at them with a mono-spaced font, such as Courier - - Ed.] Natl Film Title Weekend Gross Rank LDS/Mormon Filmmaker/Actor Total Gross Theaters Days - --- ----------------------------- ----------- ----- ---- 10 The New Guy 1,415,261 1,676 24 Eliza Dushku (lead actress) 26,818,276 23 ESPN's Ultimate X 186,677 48 24 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 1,869,860 26 Murder by Numbers 121,658 217 45 Ryan Gosling (lead male actor) 31,309,821 49 The Believer 16,380 9 17 Ryan Gosling (lead actor) 110,113 59 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 13,087 5 759 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 13,333,699 64 The Other Side of Heaven 9,585 15 171 Mitch Davis (writer/director) 4,523,292 John H. Groberg (author/character) Gerald Molen, John Garbett (producers) 67 China: The Panda Adventure 7,493 6 311 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 2,395,910 68 The Singles Ward 7,248 6 122 Kurt Hale (writer/director) 752,069 John E. Moyer (writer) Dave Hunter (producer) Cody Hale (composer) Ryan Little (cinematographer) Actors: Will Swenson, Connie Young, Daryn Tufts, Kirby Heyborne, Michael Birkeland, Robert Swenson, Lincoln Hoppe, Gretchen Whalley, Sedra Santos, etc. 70 Galapagos 6,444 5 948 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 13,353,501 96 Mark Twain's America 3D 680 1 1431 Alan Williams (composer) 2,226,352 HOT FILMMAKER FROM MEXICO CITY: Newly listed at http://www.ldsfilm.com is Jorge Ramirez, a Latter-day Saint and BYU graduate who wrote to let us know about the projects he is currently working on. While he was in Utah, Ramirez directed The Fiancee trilogy, which won at the Utah Student Film Collective film festival and the Valle Verde film festival in Mexico City. (He is currently writing a feature length screenplay based on the Fiancee characters.) Ramirez is currently the executive producer on "Hermanos", a feature length film written and directed by non-LDS director Juan Pablo Villase=f1or. (Villase=f1or's previous films include "Por si no te vuelvo a ver", 1997, and "Y yo que la quiero tanto", 1987. The director has won Mexico's Silver Ariel Award for Best Director, the DICINE Award and FIPRESCI Award at the Guadalajara Mexican Film Festival, the Patron's Award at the San Diego International Film Festival, and other awards.) The project is in pre-production, with principal photography to begin in October. Ramirez is also also in the development stage for "Blue Demon", an action adventure film to be shot in mid-January, also in Mexico City. BRIGHAM CITY FINAL NUMBERS: Excel Entertainment reports that after collecting all figures from the last few remote theaters to report... The final U.S. (or perhaps North American) box office total for Richard Dutcher's critically acclaimed "Brigham City" is: $905,073. The reported budget for the movie was $900,000. This return puts "Brigham City" 3rd among "LDS Cinema" films in terms of box office gross, coming behind Mitch Davis' "The Other Side of Heaven" ($7 million budget) and Dutcher's "God's Army." HaleStorm's "The Singles Ward" (Hale/Moyer/Hunter; approx. $325,000 budget) which is still playing in theaters, with plans to slowly role out a few states at a time, has earned $752,069, and may at some point surpass "Brigham City"'s box office performance. "Brigham City" is currently one of the top-selling video/DVDs in LDS bookstores. MORE FROM EXCEL: Excel also reports that according to AC Nielsen EDI, Excel Entertainment "ranks eighth on the list of top niche distributors, just behind Sony Classics and ahead of Fine Line. Miramax tops the list of niche film distributors with a 33.6% market share. Niche or limited-release distributors are those with films playing in less than 600 markets... The numbers are especially significant in light of the fact that Excel is a relative newcomer to the film distribution business. The company dove into film distribution in 2000 with the independent hit 'God's Army' and went on to distribute 'Brigham City.' Most recently, Excel was responsible for the national release of the film 'The Other Side of Heaven,' which has grossed over $4.4 million and is still playing in theaters around the country. "[Excel president Jeff] Simpson adds, 'What we are trying to do at Excel is show that there is a significant and under-serviced market for entertainment, especially film, that addresses real life stories and issues from a faithful perspective. We are unique among film distributors in that we've proven that we can reach audiences looking for that kind of quality entertainment.' " AC Nielsen EDI data shows Excel Entertainment with 3.3% market share, behind Miramax, U Focus, IFC, USA, Lions Gate, Fox SearchLight and Sony Classics. Since forming in 2000, Excel Entertainment has distributed three films, which have grossed more than $8 million at the U.S. box office. BATTER UP: The ball is now in Kels Goodman's court. The next feature film made by and about Latter-day Saints is "Handcart", Kels Goodman's fictional epic set against the backdrop fo the Martin Handcart Company's trek to Utah. The trailers have played online and in theaters, posters are up. Like Dutcher, Goodman has previously produced and directed a feature film prior to his theatrical feature debut. "Handcart" premiers July 24th. KelsGoodman.com reports that "during the past week rough copies of the film have been shipped every day to Germany to Eric Hanson for the final written score. Then early June, Kels Goodman himself and Eric Hanson will fly to Pheonix. Arizona to record the film score with a full piece orchestra." CHARLY POSTERS ("one-sheets") are now in movie theaters throughout the Wasatch Front, according to the producers of "Jack Weyland's Charly." DAY OF DEFENSE PREMIER: "Day of Defense" will premier September 21st at Kingsbury Hall in SLC. "Shades of Gray", which performs sounds on the soundtrack, will perform live at the premier. No word yet on whether or not the movie will have a limited theatrical release beyond that, or go straight to video. KIETH MERRILL ON CLEAN VIDEOS: Meridian Magazine has posted a new article by Kieth Merrill which features a detailed discussion of and look at the clean video-editing industry. The article is at http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/020604clean.html (If you're not familiar with the clean video movement, think of it like this: You know how in many video stores you can buy or rent Hollywood videos in Spanish -- they're basically the same, except modified for Spanish-language speakers, with a dubbed sound track or subtitles... The clean video movement is basically like that, except for the Latter-day Saint/family market. Well, read the article. Merrill explains it better than I do. POLL POSITION: The exciting polling at http://www.ldsfilm.com/polls.html continues. In answer to the question "Which upcoming film are you most looking forward to seeing?", "Handcart" is currently ahead of "Charly", but only by a few votes. In answer to the question "Which is your favorite 'LDS Cinema' movie?", the current tally is: "The Singles Ward" - 28%; "The Other Side of Heaven" - 26%; "Brigham City" - 23%; "God's Army" - 17%. If you haven't voted yet, what are you waiting for? GALACTICA DVD POSTPONED: SciFi.com reports that Universal Pictures Video Australia announced that it is postponing the planned June release of a Battlestar Galactica DVD box set until mid-2003. WINDING DOWN TO UNWOUND 2002: Tucker Dansie's "Unwound 2002" short film exhibition is just two weeks away. The short film exhibition, with free admission, will take place on June 15th at 7:00 p.m. at the Jewett Center for the Performing Arts at Westminster College below the corner of 1700 S. 1300 E. in Salt Lake City. There will be a "meet and greet" after the films are shown so that all in attendance can meet the director and many of the actors. For more information, see the official website at: http://www.tuckertdansie.com/unwound.htm MORE CARD: Orson Scott Card's novel "Lost Boys" has just been optioned by Universal for director Jonathan Mostow. Card is not writing the screenplay. In the novel, the main characters are Latter-day Saints, but per the author's request, their religion will be unspecified in the movie, so that non-LDS writers don't get the cultural details wrong. Card's novels "Treasure Box" and "Treason" are currently under producer (rather than studio) options. CORRECTION: Orson Scott Card's grandfather Lester's last name is PARK, not CARD. (Lester Park produced the first-ever feature Mormon commericial feature film, "Corianton", way back in 1931. The full story is here: http://www.ldsfilm.com/ar_aesthetic.html - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #732 ******************************