From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #818 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, September 3 2002 Volume 01 : Number 818 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 08:24:07 -0600 From: "Sharlee Glenn" Subject: Re: [AML] Teaching Literary Devices Etc. _Make Lemonade_ and _True Believer_, both by Virginia Woolf (no, not *that* Virginia Woolf) are also excellent, though these particular titles probably would appeal more to girls. Sharlee Glenn glennsj@inet-1.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Sep 2002 12:31:33 -0500 From: Jonathan Langford Subject: [AML] Labor Day Activity Folks, It's Labor Day. I'll be sending out 10-12 messages today, since it's a holiday for many--not a full complement, but some. That's not nearly all that's in the in-box, but at least it makes a dent... Over the next several weeks, I hope to get a system started that will involve sharing out some of the work of AML-List moderating. Please be patient as we attempt to bring this system online, and thanks to those who have agreed to help. Jonathan Langford AML-List Moderator - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 08:57:30 -0600 From: "Steve Perry" Subject: Re: [AML] "Profane" Settings for Religious Thought On Thursday, August 29, 2002, at 08:43 AM, Rich Hammett wrote: > This author takes an awfully narrow position about music, > though. He seems to be quite shocked at a hymn text being > used in a pop song, "By the Waters of Babylon" over acoustic > pop. > > This question seems particularly odd: "Does it ever do any > good to present religious thought in a profane setting?" He > also wonders if there can ever be an end to that debate. > > My question: Is there actually such a debate still raging on > the Wasatch Front? This wouldn't have surprised me so much > (I get most of my Utah news via the Sugarbeet) , except that > he teaches in the School of Music at BYU. To my jaded ears, > it sounds remarkably provincial and of short perspective to > define so (apparently) narrowly "profane". I thought Ron started by considering one position and took a journey to another. Having had Ron Simpson as a songwriting teacher at BYU and having worked with him in many musical capacities in years since, the last words I would choose to describe him would be "provincial, narrow, and short of perspective." He seemed to end the article by espousing exactly the opposite view than the one he proposed (as a straw man, I think) at the beginning. I like all kinds of music. If it's well-written, well-produced, and well-performed, or maybe just tons o' fun, I'm there. But as far as sacred/profane goes, I remember being taken to task once by cousin for some of the contemporary Christian music I was listening to. "They say 'Jesus' too much and 'Praise the Lord' and all that stuff," was the comment. Still, I think it got me through the day better--driving beat, belting vocals, "thank you, Jesus," and all--much better than the "give it to me baby all night long, it feels so right so it can't be wrong" that is the staple of the pop stations I surf past while driving around doing errands. Thank goodness for CDs and NPR! :-) Steve - -- skperry@mac.com http://www.StevenKappPerry.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 08:07:37 -0700 From: Jeffrey Needle Subject: Re: [AML] Church History Recommendations? Admitting that I haven't paid full attention to this thread, do we know the publisher? I'd like to get hold of a copy. Thanks. 8/29/2002 9:55:58 AM, "Brown" wrote: >Jeff, MORMONVILLE is a book that is just out, and so hot off the press that >nobody has had a chance to look at it yet. It's written by Jeff Call, a >writer for Deseret News, and THE PERFECT mainstream LDS lit. book. It's not >high brow lit, but it's really good. It's a book that could be written only >once, and this is it! I'm glad Jeff did such a good job. My committee for >the novel award gave it $1000 last March. Enjoy! Marilyn Brown > > >-- >AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > > > - ------------------ Jeffrey Needle jeff.needle@general.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 08:10:14 -0700 From: Jeffrey Needle Subject: Re: [AML] Jeff CALL, _Mormonville_ I will indeed let you know if I have better luck. I will call my local Deseret Book outlet and see what they have to say about the book. It's a bit astounding to me that just two stores won't be carrying it. And, as to your questions about reasons, I know there's a big upheaval at Deseret Book right now; perhaps this is one of the causes. I just don't know. More later. Must get in line to get this book! - ------------------ Jeffrey Needle jeff.needle@general.com 8/29/2002 11:16:50 AM, "Kim Madsen" wrote: > >I've been searching for MORMONVILLE since February or March, [snip] - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 08:11:47 -0700 From: Jeffrey Needle Subject: Re: [AML] Marilyn Brown Books Wow! Suggestions! The first is that you buy a scanner.... I've just begun "The Earthkeepers." One thing I'm noticing is a need of editing, in particular the need for someone to balance quotation marks. In the first 30 pages or so, I think I've seen at least three instances of lack of balance. More later! - ------------------ Jeffrey Needle jeff.needle@general.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 16:14:31 GMT From: Larry Jackson Subject: [AML] Re: BYU Education Week Event Tony Markham: When I read the original blurb of this article in LDS Blipvirps (ten points to anyone who can footnote that allusion) I was sickened. Thanks to Jacob for reminding me that I'm not alone. _______________ I enjoyed Max Headroom, although I didn't care for the guy who exploded from watching too many--what were they called?--uh, very short advertisements. Yeah, that was it. Just a blip on the commercial radar screen. Blipverts, wasn't it? Larry Jackson - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 10:22:13 -0600 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: Re: [AML] BYU Education Week Event > > Snipping of the rest, how is this any different that Christ's NT teachings "If > thy eye offend thee, pluck it out" and similar quotes. The difference is that Christ is speaking symbolically. > > I have had times when I have had to get rid of a CD or a book I felt was not > personally enriching me. I think its a good principle, as long as specific CDs > aren't condemned. If he just condemns "CDs that don't invite the spirit" he's > made it general enough to allow each person to make their own decision. > > Sounds to me more like making NT teachings relevant to modern times, not > groupthink. Sounds like censorship to me. How is what this Sem Teach do any different than the book burnings conducted by Religious Right Wing Nuts? A person embued with the correct Spirit would teach the principle of self-control and let the students decide which CDs or movies not to see. Thom Duncan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 10:30:01 -0600 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: Re: [AML] Church History Recommendations? > > The original question of this thread was which Church histories we would > recommend to someone who wanted to learn about Mormons. But our digression > into Peterson vs. Lund illustrates a good point--we know that works of > history often offer a slant or try to prove an underlying point, so how does > one determine for themselves either the authenticity of a work or its slant? > Are there any good, neutral histories to go along with those that are trying > to either prove or disprove the Church's divine origins? The First Mormon by Donna Hill is the best neutral history of Joseph Smith I've ever read. You don't come away from reading that book feeling particularly assaulted by an attempt to persuade you one way or the other. As an example of bad history, I offer the book on Hyrum Smith (can't remember the title) by Corbett Somebody (I set the book aside when I got to a passage where Hyrum's thought process was described as he heard Joseph's recounting of the First Vision and I couldn't find any footnotes to suggest where he got the information). Thom Duncan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 10:57:32 -0500 From: "Preston" Subject: [AML] _Charly_ (Movie) Distributed by Excel Subject: Excel to Distribute CHARLY Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 From: "Mary Jane Jones" FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29, 2002 Contact: Mary Jane Jones Excel Entertainment Group Media Relations 801-358-7020; mjjones@xelent.com EXCEL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP to Distribute "Jack Weyland's CHARLY," New Film Based on Best-Selling Novel Salt Lake City, UT * Excel Entertainment Group, the Salt Lake City-based independent film distributor, has announced that it will handle the theatrical distribution of Jack Weyland's CHARLY, a new independent film based on the best-selling novel. Produced by Kaleidoscope Pictures and Focused Light Films, CHARLY has been highly anticipated as the latest independent film with meaningful ties to LDS or Mormon culture. Following Excel's successful releases of films like THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN and GOD'S ARMY, the distributor anticipates that CHARLY will put in a strong performance at the box office when it opens in selected theaters in late September. CHARLY tells the story of Sam, a likeable if overly earnest returned Mormon missionary, who falls in love with the intriguing, beautiful and non-Mormon Charly. Their romance sparks conflict, and as the circumstances of their situation develop, both Sam and Charly must examine what they truly believe about life and love. The dramatic love story captured the imaginations of a generation and had a revolutionary impact on LDS publishing when it was first published in 1980. Jack Weyland's first novel, Charly, became a word of mouth phenomenon, fueled largely by women and teenagers who devoured the love story and then passed on their copies to friends and family. The novel quickly sold out of its first printings, and has gone on to be one of the top-selling novels in the region. Excel anticipates that the film will create a similar word of mouth phenomenon by attracting two primary audiences=97first, the audience who read and loved the novel, and second, a new audience who will relate to the updated love story. Advance screenings have already been met with enormous support and excitement. Excel will release the film to theaters in the Intermountain West in late September. Additional details surrounding the film's Salt Lake City Premiere and opening date will be released in the next week. As one of the nation's leading niche film distributors, Excel hopes that CHARLY will follow in the footsteps of other niche love stories like this summer's surprise hit, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, which started as a regional hit and slowly expanded to reach a mass audience. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Sep 2002 15:55:12 -0500 From: "Paris Anderson" (by way of Jonathan Langford ) Subject: [AML] M. Moreno ROBINS, _Estipac_ and Alternative Publishing I would like to tell everyone about "ESTIPAC", an unpublished manuscript by M. Moreno Robins. I had a very unsatisfactory mission. Most of the painful episodes were very much related to the fact that I am rebellious and independent. Some problems came directly from not understanding the Mexican culture. And some can be attributed to my physical condition. There were other painful episodes that make me look back and wonder if it was all worth it . . . and I end up shaking my head and resolving not to think about it anymore. The first novel I published was called "Waiting for the Flash." It was an attempt to relive my mission and maybe resolve some things and come to feel more comfortable with it. In a way it did help me to put the whole thing to rest, but it was still painful if I ever ran into a situation that brought it up again. My oldest boy was born about nine years ago, and I gave a copy of "Waiting . . ." to the pediatrician as a gift to thank him for his efforts. On our next visit he gave me a manuscript he had written called, "Estipac." It ends up Dr. Robins had been both a missionary in Mexico when my father was a missionary there and a mission president shortly after I left my mission there. His story, "Estipac," is the story of opening a village to the missionaries. Intertwined are history lessons and lessons about Mexican culture that helped me understand that confusing period in my life. I was very grateful that he let me read the manuscript, so to express my gratitude I type-set and handbound a copy. As soon as he saw it he ordered thirty more. I want to mention this manuscript because it was very valuable to me. It helped me feel more comfortable with my mission. I also want to show what is my vision for an alternative press for Mormon literature. This manuscript would not stand a chance at a traditional press. The potential audience is too narrow, and the quality of the writing is not good enough. But still, it is a valuable piece of work. It deserves to be made into a perminant record. I envision this alternative press as a small run press where individual authors could pay to have a limited number of books printed and bound. And then the author could have a number of copies to sell or give as gifts. Perhaps two extra copies could be made for an AML library. Paris Anderson - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 10:39:45 -0600 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: Re: [AML] Text as Authority > What I don't know is either the immediate or general context of the > statement, the intended audience, and whether the statement was later > offered as doctrine by the Church or was reprinted in an official > publication of the Church (thus lending it authority as doctrine). Fortunately, no, not that somehow lessened the power of such a statement. You and I may be able to tell the difference between official church doctrine but many people in the Church tend to look up every utterance of a GA under any condition to any audience as having universal appeal and a godly impramature > I can't argue with that. We're told that the Ensign is a sort of adjunct > scripture, a recording of the wisdom of modern prophets, such that the words > that appear in the Ensign do carry more weight of authority. Which is part > of why I'd like Thom to produce his reference, because if the unnamed GA's > words weren't offered as pseudo-scripture in an official publication of the > Church, I think the GA's base opinions are completely arguable. I know the name of the GA and purposely kept it quiet on this list. I found the source in Mormonism, Shadow or Reality by the Tanners. They have copies of the news stories where these statements were made. > More importantly, the anecdote was offered in an effort to support the idea > that the institutional Church was aggressively racist, and I'm not sure > that's a fair characterization based on the other words offered by the > general authorities of the Church at the time. While the Church defended the > policy on the basis of scriptures we have now come to understand > differently, the broad message delivered by the general authorities was one > of love, charity, and compassion regardless of race or national origin. Even > during WWII the Church leaders were either silent on the intense racial > animus shown to people of Japanese origin, or they preached tolerance and > charity. I suggest this attitude changes depending on whomever's in charge at the time. As Margaret can probably verify, none other than the FP under Joseph F. Smith once counseled Church leaders to have Black members sit on the back row of the chapel so as not to offend others. Thom Duncan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #818 ******************************