From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #923 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 Friday, December 13 2002 Volume 01 : Number 923 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:49:06 -0600 From: pdhunter@wt.net Subject: [AML] _Out of Step_ DVD (Review) "Out of Step" DVD Director: Ryan Little Producer: Cary Derbidge Writers: Willow Leigh Jones, Nikki Schmutz, Michael Buster Movie released: February 2002 DVD relesed: December 2002 Movie produced by: Out of Step, L.L.C. DVD distributed by: Thomson Productions, Inc. Review by: Preston Hunter Really, this is a must-have for any fan of LDS cinema. This is the fourth LDS-themed feature film released in commercial theaters to become available on video/DVD, following "God's Army," "Brigham City", and "The Singles Ward." Of these, "Brigham City" is the best overall film, followed by "God's Army." But out of "The Singles Ward," "Out of Step" and "The Other Side of Heaven" I honestly couldn't tell you which I like best. They are so different that it is difficult to compare them. Each broke new ground in a number of ways and each have many commendable aspects, as well as definite flaws. The strengths with "Out of Step" are the acting and the writing. Michael Buster and Jeremy Elliott are good enough to be in any major Hollywood production and they really shine here. Clark is a newcomer but very watchable. Her character is quirky yet very real and believable. With her look and performance she creates an unusual screen persona that is nothing like standard Hollywood leading lady fare. The plot and dialogue are both excellent and full of surprises. Watching it the first time I did not know where the movie was going and was surprised in many places. Yet everything that happened was very true to life. Jeremy Elliott's non-member musician character is one of the best movie characters I've seen in a long time. He was nothing like I expected. I very much enjoyed "Out of Step" in the theater and it plays even better on a smaller screen. Unfortunately, "Out of Step" is marred by a low budget that shows in the uneven quality of film stock, some grainy scenes, sound problems, and other technical problems. These problems aren't disastrous, but they detracted from the film in the theater. Viewed on DVD on a television, these problems are far less noticeable. Don't let the low-budget or film stock keep you from buying the DVD. Most people won't notice. Although it used short ends, this movie WAS shot in 35mm and its visual quality still exceeds what you'll find in most videos and TV programs. Another nitpick is that a few of the performances by supporting actors didn't quite quite work -- perhaps because of the writing more than because of the talent of the actors. In particular Tayva Patch as Jenny's mother and T.L. Forsberg as Jenny's roommate have some odd moments because larger character arcs involving those characters have been cut from the film. Some of the scenes between Jenny and her parents are awkward. But nearly without exception this is an amazingly strong cast for such a low-budget feature. This was a SAG production and the quality of experience actors in supporting roles, such as Peter Asle Holden as Jenny's dance instructor, really raises the quality of the whole production. I was a little disappointed that in this movie about a dancer that there was not more dancing to watch. When there was dancing, it was not captured to film as well as has been done in many other movies. But there ARE some nice dance scenes that enhance the movie. Jenny is shown doing modern dance solo and as part of her class studies, but perhaps the best dance sequence was the swing dancing (with great music!) at the "Zephyr Club," featuring Jenny amidst "New York City swing dance enthusiasts" actually played by the very talented BYU swing dance club. In a way, this is not really a dance movie. Perhaps I was thinking of Fred Astair or Gregory Hines or Baz Luhrmann movies before I saw "Out of Step" -- movies with emphasis on dance, but far removed from reality. "Out of Step" is closer to an art film or an intensely realistic drama, so highly stylized, staged dance segments would not fitand, wisely, are absent. "Out of Step" is a character study. Don't expect "West Side Story," or even "Saturday's Warrior." "Out of Step" features an interesting story, great acting. A fresh, even daring look at a realistic romance between a Latter-day Saint and a non-member. As an old fogey I enjoyed it, but it's also something I would want my children to watch if they were teenagers. Of all the LDS-themed feature films released since "God's Army," this is the one that Richard Dutcher singled out and complimented. I highly recommend it. "Out of Step" is one to own. It is a movie that all of the people involved can feel proud to have been a part of. As both a work of art and as a piece of entertainment I would rank "Out of Step" among the best movies of the year, whether from Utah or from Hollywood. Of course it's not as good as the megahits such as "Minority Report" or "Spider-Man", or even "Brigham City." But it is more original and much more enjoyable than countless $20 to $100 million-dollar productions I've seen the last few years. OUT OF STEP DVD SPECIAL FEATURES - The new DVD release of the Latter-day Saint-themed feature film "Out of Step" includes a number of special features, including 30-second trailers for 2 upcoming LDS-themed feature films: "The R.M." and "The Work and the Story." Both of these are trailers that we have never seen before, and which, as far as we know, have not appeared online. They are based on up-to-date versions of these movies. The cinematography for "The R.M." really looks fantastic. (As with HaleStorm's previous release "The Singles Ward," the Director of Photography for "The R.M." was "Out of Step" director Ryan Little.) "The R.M." was shot in 35mm and appears very professional, as well as funny. "The Work and the Story", a mockumentary, clearly used a mixture of video and less high-end film formats, but from the trailer it is clear that is jam-packed with funny ideas and situations, and a slew of interesting personalities, including Richard Dutcher and "The R.M." star Kirby Heyborne. The "Out of Step" DVD also includes a reel with about 5 deleted scenes, scenes you will recognize if you have read the novelization by Nikki Schmutz. The cuts were good cuts. Having read the novelization and listened to the director's commentary track, it is clear that there was much more in the movie before it was cut down to focus on its essential elements. Most of what was cut was additional scenes and dialogue relating to subplots and story arcs for the supporting characters. Such material would be entirely appropriate for a TV series, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with having it in novel, but it was just too much for a single film. With the cuts made, the movie is far more focused on the main character and her "journey." This DVD has one of the best, most interesting commentary tracks I have heard in a long time. Director Ryan Little is joined by co-writer and star Michael Buster (who plays the Latter-day Saint film student in the movie). Unlike many commentary tracks where every other sentence comments about how "brilliant" everybody in the movie and how unendingly wonderful the movie was, this commentary provides a no-holds barred look at a very low-budget, often troubled production. The fact that "Out of Step" is as good as it is despite how little money was spent on it and despite all the difficulties encountered is nothing short of a miracle. Fun trivia fact from the director's commentary that we didn't know before: Actress Nicole White-Robledo, who in "Out of Step" played the bigoted black Baptist college student who mellows and becomes Jenny's friend is MARRIED TO actor Luis Robledo, who played "Elder Sandoval" in "God's Army." Also mentioned is the fact that "Out of Step" original story writer and co-screenwriter Willow Leigh Jones is the wife of the movie's producer, Cary Derbidge. MAKING OF OUT OF STEP - The "Out of Step" DVD features a short "making of" documentary directed and edited by Chantelle Squires and photographed (videography) by Christian Vuissa and Calvin Cory. Austrian auteur Vuissa is best known as the founder of the LDS Film Festival and for his award-winning short film "Roots and Wings." - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 23:32:41 -0700 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] Titanic [MOD: I'm letting this through, but with a request that we all tone down the= =20 rhetoric on all sides of this discussion, and focus instead on simply=20 presenting our own ideas.] - ---Original Message From: D. Michael Martindale > > What a bunch of pretentious reasons to dislike Titanic! (In > my exceedingly humble opinion, of course.) > > I liked Titanic for one reason only: it gave me a new > experience that I would have never had. I felt like I lived > through the sinking of a ship. I feel like I have at least a > tiny inkling of what it feels like to be in that situation. > > Now that's what art is all about. > > And no sappy love story or CleanFlicks-cursed scenes can > diminish that. Talk about pretentious reasons for like/disliking something! Now that the name-calling is out of the way, you can't seriously hold up "gave me a new experience that I would have never had" as a yardstick for cinematic worth, can you? I have as yet never had the experience of being held upside down by my toes covered in savory nectar while neighborhood kids play pi=F1ata with a bee hive, either, but I'm not itching to head for a cinematic equivalent on the basis that new is good. And frankly, my imagination is good enough that I doubt watching Titanic is going to provide something I can't get any other way (particularly considering it is merely the work of anothers' imagination and not some newly discovered documentary)... Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 13:34:11 -0800 From: "Jerry Tyner" Subject: FW: [AML] Adultery and Consequences Gae Lyn, This was an amazing post. I wish I had had English teachers like you and = Margaret when I was in school all those many years ago. I may have even = come to be a writer myself if that had been the case. I will sign any = petition you circulate. Jerry Tyner Orange County, CA - -----Original Message----- From: Gae Lyn Henderson [mailto:gaelyn@mstar2.net] Some women are so emotionally weak from marriage to an abuser that = unless they find someone to help them get out they will never leave. Yes the problems of guilt and the taint of disloyalty are there. But still it = might be the best option. Only God and the parties involved would know. [snip] - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 15:10:11 -0700 From: "Amy Chamberlain" Subject: Re: [AML] New DB Policy - ----- Original Message ----- From: Robert Slaven > You see, a lot of people here are saying that 'we know lots of > people will buy the book' and 'it's strictly a business decision' are > incompatible statements from Sr. Dew. Not a lot of people. Just me. I disagree completely. I think what > Sr. Dew is saying is 'yes, we'd make a bundle from that book, but who knows > how much more we might lose in the long run from pinheaded morons who won't > shop at DB any more because we stocked a "naughty" book?' (Well, she might > not use the phrase 'pinheaded morons', but I would.) That may well be what Dew means. I suppose we can play the Interpretation Game all day--did she mean this? Did she mean that?--but I'm not sure how helpful that is. And when I look at those two statements, I still can't see anything but contradiction. Amy Chamberlain - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 14:22:49 -0800 From: "Jerry Tyner" Subject: RE: [AML] Titanic Kathy Tyner wrote: The Billy Zane character was drawn as such a creep as to be a cartoon villain. Granted, there have always been demanding, abusive men, but in that day and age men didn't usually try and ruin their fianc=E9e's reputation by going to bed with her before their marriage, would've been scandalous for both. And as much of a monster as he was, wouldn't most men object to some other man having designs on their wife-to-be? He was the one character who was allowed no redeeming characteristics. My husband however, disagrees with me about this character. Okay being her husband I guess I will have to weigh in (even if it = doesn't redeem me). My disagreement was with the statement that the Billy Zane character was = cartoonish. I felt he was very real to life for the aristocracy of the = early 1900s and his actions were about what I would expect as well. He = was arrogant, possessive of his fianc=E9e, and probably knew that her = family had financial problems so if he slept with her he could discredit = her and throw her away by saying she wanted to sleep with him because he = had money and status which she had lost unless she married him. I have = known people with this level of integrity and you wanted to wash every = time you were in their presence. He acted the way I would expect an = aristocratic creep to act in the late 1800's and early 1990's (and even = today) right down to chasing them through the ship as it was sinking = trying to shoot them both.=20 I was really rooting for him to get thrown out of the life boat! Jerry Tyner Orange County, CA - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 01:33:51 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] SMITH, _For Time and All Absurdity_ (BYU Newsnet) [This post includes two BYU Newsnet/Universe reviews of Robert Farrell Smith novels, the first one released in 2002, and the second one about an older novel.] 'Absurdity' sprinkles humor through predictable storyline Chris Seifert, NewsNet Staff Writer 10 Dec 2002 Mormon boy goes on mission and loses girl. Mormon boy returns from mission and struggles to get girl back. That's the long and short of it in Robert Farrell Smith's latest Mormon comedy, "For Time and All Absurdity." It's a book with a shockingly predictable storyline that somehow manages to give us a few brief nuggets of satisfyingly insightful surprise along the way. The story is told by Ian Smith, an ordinary teenage kid most of us can relate to. Ian's plagued by Murphy's Law, easily embarrassed by his borderline-psychotic family and instantaneously paralyzed by the mere sight of his one and only true love, Bronwyn. Ian is the proud owner of eight acres of secluded mountain land purchased with his portion of his grandfather's inheritance. Ian built a cabin on the land, and he dreams of one day settling down to a simple, blissful life in the wilderness with Bronwyn as his wife. But Ian's dreams remain just that: dreams. Even though Bronwyn and Ian's father work together, Ian can't quite seem to get Bronwyn to notice him. Ian leaves for his mission to Germany disappointed but hopeful Bronwyn will one day be his. His hope is shattered near the end of his mission when his sister bluntly and nonchalantly informs him in a letter that Bronwyn is married. The news sends Ian into an emotional tailspin. He's forced to admit he's lost a girl he never even had. Ian returns a few months later to a less-than-spectacular homecoming. He's disappointed and demoralized. When he spots Bronwyn at a ward social, he decides to speak to her. After all, he reasons, what's the pressure now that she's married? The conversation - their first - is going just fine, until Ian learns of Bronwyn's recent divorce. He's simultaneously sympathetic, elated and terrified. Now the pressure's on. Both Ian and Bronwyn soon head off to school at college where they're forced to endure the inanities of singlehood, insufferable roommates and a life that has them hurtling toward one another on an apparent collision course. Smith's prose is simplistic, sometimes painfully so. He seems less a master storyteller and more a keen observer and gifted satirist of Mormon culture. He takes playful mini-stabs at the small but laughable incongruities of Mormonism. Early in the book, for example, Ian chastises his date for ordering a Coke. Later, Ian describes himself as too tired in the morning to pray on his knees. Instead, he prays for forgiveness while lying on his back. There are several comedic gems in this book, like a heart-to- heart between Ian and his father about the stick-pulling prowess of Joseph Smith. The book will no doubt please audiences looking for a light and light-hearted Mormon read. But for those seeking a bit more to chew on, disappointment is inevitable. The book has plenty of entertaining moments but fails to pull those moments together into a compelling whole. The vanilla plot dooms the story despite a mildly suspenseful side-plot dealing with a fraud investigation that could implicate both Ian and Bronwyn's fathers. In the end, "For Time and All Absurdity" is a predictable jaunt that doesn't exactly surprise us but doesn't really pretend it wants to either. Copyright =A92002 BYU NewsNet 'Baptists' a humorous look at eccentric culture By Heather Danforth NewsNet News Editor 10 Dec 2002 With the niche success of movies like "The Singles' Ward," it is becoming increasingly apparent that Latter-day Saints like to laugh at themselves. They like to see characters they recognize from their own wards. Even if those characters are a little exaggerated, they recognize a grain of truth, and it's that grain of truth that makes this genre sell. And it's that grain of truth that makes Robert Farrell Smith's book, "Baptists At Our Barbecue," a success. In this novel, Smith takes the noble theme of tolerance and acceptance, sets it in the crazy town of Longwinded, and clothes it in the craziest cast of Mormon characters that he could make up. The conversation between Ian and Tartan, two of the somewhat more normal characters in the book, sums it up: "Have you ever seen people like these here in Longwinded?" Ian asks. "Yeah, these people are just like those in my ward back in Utah. Granted, my ward in Utah had normal people as well. I think the ratio was one eccentric to every twenty normals. Here it seems to be just the opposite." The story centers around the character Tartan Jones, a 29-year- old Latter-day Saint single who has never been outside of Utah. He gets fed up with everyone in his ward trying to set him up with their daughters and nieces and friends, takes the first transfer out of town, and ends up in a town that the locals call Longwinded. Longwinded has exactly the same number of Baptists as it does Mormons. When Tartan shows up, he breaks the tie and brings on another feuding spat. To add to the injustice of his appearance, half of the Mormons' double-wide trailer meeting house is stolen. Accusations are flying when the little branch gets a new president, who proposes an inter-faith barbecue. "You mean, invite the Baptists?" the stunned saints of Longwinded say. When they are finally talked into it ("Just think how much more charitable this will make us look than the Baptists," Tartan pleads), a hilariously bumpy ride to tolerance and acceptance between the two groups follows. On the downside, the book was fairly predictable. Thee are no real surprises in the plot. You know what's going to happen from the first chapter - the question is simply how it will happen, which is sometimes surprising. Also, some of the humorous lines are forced. (Charity pushed her hair up over her shoulders and let it fall down her back. It reminded me of someone fanning a lengthy book. How novel.) But despite that, Smith accomplishes what he set out to do. His book is a humorous look at the more eccentric side of LDS culture. And that grain of truth is there. Reading "Baptists At Our Barbecue," you'll wonder how Smith found out about all the craziest people in your own ward. Copyright =A92002 BYU NewsNet _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.=20 http://join.msn.com/?page=3Dfeatures/featuredemail - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 18:55:49 -0800 From: "Michael Bencik" Subject: [AML] Re: [AML-Mag] Thomas Murphy Case Christopher, What I think is really interesting is that the group Thomas Murphy has become part of is Living Hope Ministries. They call themselves a non-denominational Christian church. Looking at their web site they pick apart the Book of Mormon, the prophet and use former members to speak against the book of Mormon and its teachings. I see no problem with the church excommunicating someone who no longer believes in the teachings of the church and has aligned themselve with those that are out to do harm to the church. Michael Bencik - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 21:22:33 -0600 From: "Kumiko" Subject: [AML] re: Film-Adapted Mormon Authors Rose Green wrote: >Blaine and Brenton Yorgason had a film adaptation (TV, I think) of their book Chester, I Love You (possibly The Thanksgiving Promise?) in the 1980s. Yes, The Yorgason's book _Chester, I Love You_ was adapted, largely by Glenn Anderson, into the TV movie "Thanksgiving Promise." Blaine Yorgason is also the author of _The Windwalker_, which was adapted by Kieth Merrill as the feature film "Windwalker" (1980). I haven't read the book, but the movie is quite good. According to DVD cover, Roger Ebert said of it: "A magnificent movie ... the vision and natural beauty of Dances With Wolves." Pretty successful little movie, too... Over $18 million U.S. box office gross. Among non-animated, non-documentary feature films directed by Latter-day Saints, "Windwalker" is surpassed only by "The Master of Disguise" and "Nurse Betty" in terms of box office performance. - - Preston Hunter - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2002 16:59:44 EST From: RichardDutcher@aol.com Subject: Re: [AML] Titanic In a message dated 12/5/02 8:51:06 PM Mountain Standard Time, boyd.petersen@attbi.com writes: << Here we have a tale about the undoing of hubris, of a civilization that thought they had built the unsinkable boat and the horrible consequences of their assuming they were right, and it all gets boiled down to steamy windows. That's what offended me about the film. >> Personally, I kind of liked the steamy windows. In fact, on my final day in mortality, I hope my wife and I get to steam up one last window. Richard Dutcher - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 22:15:37 -0700 From: "Kim Madsen" Subject: RE: [AML] Filling Our Minds Re: Linda and Thom's discussion of Judges 19...weird that I would have stumbled across that same story and used it in a different thread talking about "author of the scriptures". I haven't had any AML posts for about four days as I've been upgrading my computer. Today I got stuff for the first time in a bit, and used that same story without reading what Thom or Linda have been discussing. Shades of the Twilight Zone...do, do, do dooo. Kim Madsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 22:31:48 -0700 From: Russell Asplund Subject: Re: [AML] Filling Our Minds On Wednesday, December 11, 2002, at 03:06 AM, Thom Duncan wrote: >> The only One who wants >> or deserves that kind of resonsibility IS the author of the >> scriptures. > > And he allowed the erotic poetry of Solomon to be published in his > Bible, > the craven blood atrocities of the Lamanties to be printed in the Book > of > Mormon. > > If sex and violence is good enough for God, it's good enough for me. > > Thom Duncan But then again--when it came to the dealing of the people of Ether and their secret combinations, God does step in and tell the prophet not to put the details in the scriptures. Even though it is historical fact. So are there are some things, in some ways and some times, that are not moral to write about? There are two books that I have read in the past 10 years that struck me that way. I'm not even sure why--I've read more explicit or more profane books that I found quite moving. But these two I left feeling that the world would have been a better place if they hadn't existed. If I said what they were, people here would probably pounce on me. I don't really care about DB policy--but I do care about creating moral fiction--and I find I'm stuck right now. A bout of severe depression and social anxiety landed me in therapy a year or so ago, and uncovered some issues that I have no idea how to deal with in my fiction. Lying about it doesn't seem like a moral thing to do. But neither does letting the dark things overshadow everything else. Russell Asplund r_asplund@mac.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 00:30:52 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time) From: "Debra L Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] Titanic Susan, I have seen both of these films, own the Spitfire Grill and loved both of them. The fact that Sam Waterston is in August King helps. :-)=0D How would you like them picked apart? =0D Debbie Brown=0D =0D I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments on it, though. And I wish you'd = all=0D pick apart some other movies as well--like, maybe The Spitfire Grill, or = the=0D Journey of August King.=0D =0D Susan M=0D =0D =0D =20 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 23:22:23 -0700 From: "Morgan Adair" Subject: Re: [AML] Thomas Murphy Case >>> cornerstonepublishing@attbi.com 12/11/2002 12:46:35 AM >>> >Does all the fuss about Thomas Murphy surprise anyone else as much as it >does me? Hugh Nibley, among others, has stated in print since the late >1960's that the Book of Mormon only tells of a small genetic infusion = into >the mix that was present in the Americas. In fact, here's a conference >report from 1929 saying the same thing: Until fairly recently, the dominant view was that the Book of Mormon was a = history of the ancestors of all Native Americans and Pacific Islanders. In = 1971, Spencer W. Kimball said,=20 "With pride I tell those who come to my office that a Lamanite is a = descendant of one Lehi who left Jerusalem some 600 years before Christ and = with his family crossed the mighty deep and landed in America. And Lehi = and his family became the ancestors of all of the Indian and Mestizo = tribes in North and South and Central America and in the islands of the = sea, for in the middle of their history there were those who left America = in ships of their making and went to the islands of the sea. . . . .The = term Lamanite includes all Indians and Indian mixtures, such as the = Polynesians, the Guatemalans, the Peruvians, as well as the Sioux, the = Apache, the Mohawk, the Navajo, and others. It is a large group of great = people." (Spencer W. Kimball, "Of Royal Blood," Ensign, July 1971.) The preface to the Book of Mormon still says that the book tells the story = of the "principal ancestors of the American Indians." Mounting linguistic and anthropological evidence brought this view into = question until church scholars had to start evaluating alternate models. = The publication of John L. Sorenson's _An Ancient American Setting for the = Book of Mormon_ in 1985 established the limited geography model that = currently predominates, but many members of the church still hold the view = articulated by Pres. Kimball. MBA (Morgan B. Adair) - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 23:07:50 -0800 From: Kathy and Jerry Tyner Subject: Re: [AML] Thomas Murphy Case Although Bro. Murphy states he wants to remain a member of the LDS church, me thinks he doth protest too much. From the gist of the press release it sounded like he would wear an excommunication like a badge of honor. Either that, or his press people are spinning it that way. I, for one am glad no excommunication or disciplinary council took place. I think it will be more productive for Thomas Murphy's Stake Pres. to sit down and chat with him and let him present his case and findings. I would also like him to present his findings to all interested parties be they pro, con, or if possible, neutral to his theories and work. Having had a look at the Mormon Challenge website I was quite taken aback to see what looked like nothing more than a professional anti-mormon site. I'm shaking my head over this. Why would a scholar like Professor Murphy let his work be put out in such a venue? If it was done without his permission he needs to sue. If not, he needs to rethink allowing a site/organization not known for it's accuracy to be one of the ways he hopes to diseminate serious academic work. There are, I'm sure, much better sites for studious discussion than this. I'm interested to hear what he has to say, but so far the way this has been handled by himself and his supporters doesn't have me too impressed. Kathy Tyner Orange County, CA - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 02:16:56 -0700 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] Filling Our Minds Linda Adams wrote: > Anyway, a side tangent, but I wanted her story told better here, that's > all. It really affected me. It sounds like a story I'd enjoy making into a movie. But it would be rated R, I would be condemned by my fellow Saints, and Deseret Book would ban the video. - -- D. Michael Martindale dmichael@wwno.com ================================== Check out Worldsmiths, the new online LDS writers group, at http://www.wwno.com/worldsmiths Sponsored by Worlds Without Number http://www.wwno.com ================================== - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 02:20:56 -0700 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] Film-Adapted Mormon Authors "Travis K. Manning" wrote: > > I'll tell you what author I'd like to see have a film adaptation: Brady > Udall's recent book _The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint_! I think it would be > great. > > Richard D., why don't you get on that in a year or two, or somebody. Hand me 200 grand, and I'll do it. (Oh, and the rights, too. I don't want to squander any part of the 200 grand on getting the rights. I'll need it all for the movie.) - -- D. Michael Martindale dmichael@wwno.com ================================== Check out Worldsmiths, the new online LDS writers group, at http://www.wwno.com/worldsmiths Sponsored by Worlds Without Number http://www.wwno.com ================================== - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 07:49:41 -0700 From: "Nan McCulloch" Subject: [AML] Syllabus for Young Ladies I subscribe to _The Journal of the Independent Women's Forum_ which = sends out a women's quarterly. In the Autumn 2002 issue they have = compiled a reading list for every young woman. They asked a = distinguished group of writers and intellectuals to name four books they = consider essential for the educated woman. Not surprisingly, Jane = Austen won with most mentions. Aristotle and Thucydides tied for second = place. Roger Rosenblatt, award-winning essayist, listed _The Great = Gatsby_ as number four. As some of you remember about six months ago = list members compiled a list of the ten most important books they had = read. When I listed _The Great Gatsby_ Steve Perry asked me why I = listed this book. Of course I consider it extremely well written, but I = thought that some of you might like to know why Rosenblatt put it on his = list. He wrote, "Before you roll your eyes to heaven, let me assure you = that I did the same thing at your age. And yet it is an endlessly rich = novel, not just because of the old theme of yearning, but because every = character counts. And every character represents a major American type, = thus idea. There are no minor characters in Gatsby. _Huckleberry Finn_ = may be the novel of the discovery of our national soul. But Gatsby is = about the way we turned out. It really is as good as the people you = mistrust say it is." We don't talk about *making every character count* = much on this list, but as a reader I consider it crucial to good = writing. Levi Peterson did a good job on his characters in _The = Backslider_. I have started reading a lot of Mormon fiction and there = is room for improvement. Another idea you may find interesting was from = James Bowman, a resident scholar at the Ethics and Public Policy Center = and American editor of the Times Literary Supplement. He wrote that = "the reader who encounters at an impressionable stage Anne Elliot in = Jane Austen's _Persuasion_, or Becky Sharp in Thackeray's _Small House = at Allington_, or Sophia Baines in Arnold Bennett's _Old Wives' Tale_ = will have a much harder time keeping her focus on women as mere victims = of the male social hegemony in those benighted times." He considered = these characters strong feminine role-models. I think the most = interesting thing about this list was why they chose what they chose. Nan McCulloch - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 08:53:38 -0700 From: "Paris Anderson" Subject: Re: [AML] Joyful Noise at Center Street Theatre (Daily Herald) Kim Madsen wrote: > Only one sad thing about this article and the posting on the list--there is > no information on how to get tickets or where the theater is located > (address), or what the dates of the run are. The article convinced me to > want to see it...but now I have to track down how, when, where... It will be worth the time and effort. I saw it last Friday with my wife. One of my wife's friends brought her bookclub and that was the same day that Eric Snider's article came out, so the audience was pretty big--about 50-70 people. It was glorious. It was the most powerful theater experience I have ever had. It made me--a tough old bastard who will rip your lungs out--it made me cry. It made me think maybe Christ's redemption is for ALL of Man. And the next morning I thought maybe Christ's redemption is for this man. (Funny how one night in the theater can do what 40 years in Church can't.) One thing I would like to point out is the costuming. It was bad. One girl wore shoes with rubber soles. None of the actors wore period clothing. None of them had shoes that fit the time and location. Nothing about the costuming fit. I guess they didn't have the budget to do it right. But that is exactly the feature that was so moving. Here was a bunch of hooligans doing their damnedest--and doing a good job--but some things didn't fit. And even though some things didn't fit, in the end they found redemption. It's one of those things you hide away in your heart before you go back out into the dirty world. Paris Anderson - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 09:45:46 -0700 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: RE: [AML] _The Sopranos_ (TV) >shoulders above most of its competition, including the vastly >overrated "The West Wing." "The West Wing" is rated exactly as it should be, not over- or underated. It is a quality show and one of the best fantasies ever to have hit the small screen (fantasy because we see a moral president who actually does care about the people). Thom Duncan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 09:56:05 -0700 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: RE: [AML] Thomas Murphy Case >I *DON'T* >want to get >into a debate over Church policies, or into Church-bashing; >but I think it >is *possible* that this announcement could lead to some interesting >discussion on elements related to Mormon culture that are on-topic for >AML-List. If not, then so be it.] > >Um. Why am I getting anti-Mormon propaganda over AML-list? What you call anti-Mormon, I call it news. It's very appropriate for this list as it has to do with academic literature coming into conflict with ecclesiastical authority. Thom Duncan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 09:44:37 -0700 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: [AML] _Jesus Christ Superstar_ (was: Adultery and Consequences) D. Michael wrote: >Yesterday I listened to the original recording of _Jesus Christ >Superstar_ once more. Every so often I feel a compulsive urge to listen >to that thing and come away feeling dirty. >I feel dirty because I enjoy the music, but cringe at the message. The >message is blatantly antichrist, belittling what Jesus did and stood >for, even if one does not accept him as the Son of God. I will go to my grave insisting that this is a grotesque misreading of one = of the great works of Christian art in this century. Jesus Christ = Superstar shows some of his disciples doubting His divine calling, and = being confounded for their short sighted ignorance. The protagonist is, = after all, Judas, and the work directly and explicitly shows how wrong he = was. Personally, I love Superstar, and when I want a direct infusion of = the Spirit in my life, I give it a listen. Eric Samuelsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #923 ******************************