From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #101 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, July 14 2000 Volume 01 : Number 101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 14:02:31 -0700 From: "Christopher Bigelow" Subject: [AML] Re: ADAMS, _Prodigal Journey_ Is it available through one of the big Internet discounters? I don't like = ordering through DB's website because they charge full price plus $3.95 = for shipping. * * * * * * Read my novella about Mormon missionaries at http://www1.mightywords.com/as= p/bookinfo/bookinfo.asp?theisbn=3DEB00016373. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 15:35:24 -0600 From: Thom Duncan Subject: Re: [AML] Andrew's Poll Rachel Ann Nunes wrote: > Don't I know it. I have so many neighbors who have either never tried LDS > fiction or they don't read at all. True, but if you live long enough, you may someday take joy in an occurrence similar to one I recently had. It was testimony meeting. The First Counselor was conducting. He started off a list of three things for which he was thankful. The first one was for a story that I had written and published in the first issue of LDSF, back in 1979 (?). The story was called "The Glowing" about a closet doubting BYU Physics professor who invents a time machine that he uses to see if Joseph Smith really had a vision. I forget what the other two thankful things on his list were . Our brothers and sisters don't read as much of our stuff as we would certainly like, but some do. Hopefully, more and more will join the ranks as we each get better and better. - -- Thom Duncan - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Read the further adventures of Moroni Smith, the LDS Indiana Jones! The long-awaited second episode in the Moroni Smith LDS adventure series, _Moroni Smith: In Search of the Gold Plates_ is now available as an e-book at the Zion's Fiction web page: http://www.zfiction.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 17:24:33 -0500 From: "Darvell" Subject: [AML] Movings Ratings I just read an article on the Deseret News web site that appeared in the Los Angelos Daily News regarding the financial success (or the lack thereof) of rated-R movies. Apparently they are doing as well as lesser-rated films. Maybe giving a movie an R-rating isn't necessarily a good thing. Anyway, I found it interesting, given the recent discussions of movie rating here on the list. You can read the article at: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,175018965,00.html Darvell _____________________________________________ Free email with personality! Over 200 domains! http://www.MyOwnEmail.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 17:15:35 -0600 From: "Terry L Jeffress" Subject: [AML] Review Archive Announcement [MOD: Thanks, Terry, for your work on this. And I really will get over to your site and review the format--as soon as I get caught up on certain other current family matters... (delusion, delusion).] Today I finised formatting the old text reviews for the new Web Review Archive. The archive contains 368 reviews, including today's (12 July 2000) by Rachael Nunes. You can preview the Web Review Archive at http://www.xmission.com/~jeffress/aml/index.html Now before you send me hate mail because your recent review isn't in the list, Michael Martindale (the previous Review archivist) still has some reviews that he has yet to forward to me. As soon as I get those, I will format and upload them. On the other hand, if you know of a review that appeared in 1999 or earlier that's not in the Web Archive, please let me know so I can find the review in the list archive and include it in the Web Archive. You might also want to check entries that include your name. In some cases, I did have to choose from among many forms (Ed Snow, Edgar Snow, Edgar C. Snow, Edgar C. Snow Jr). [Should we try to analyze the personality difference Ed exhibits based on his chosen name form? :-) ] If you don't like the form I selected, let me know. If you don't like your name -- well, I guess let your parents know. The list features review counts, so you can easily tell how many times a title has been reviewed, how many reviews appear for a particular publisher or author, and how many reviews an individual has written. For example, here's the top six prolific reviewers on the AML-List: 1. Jeff Needle (35) 2. R. W. Rasband (25) 3. Harlow Clark (23) 4. Katie Parker (14) 5. D. Michael Martindale (11) 6. Benson Parkinson (11) These individuals have contributed almost one third of the reviews in the archive. I would like to offer a virtual "high five" to show gratitude for these indidivuals that have made such an excellent resource possible. [MOD: Amen!] Steps for the future: -- Move the archive from its staging area on my personal site to the official AML site on XMission. (Benson, my estimate was high. The archive's just over 4 MB.) -- Add new reviews to the archive at least twice each month (depending on list activity). When I update the archive, I will also post an announcement similar to this one listing the new titles available. You can always see the latest reviews by clicking "Latest" for a list of the 20 most recent reviews -- Investigate full-text searching for the archive -- Review each title in library of congress catalog and complete any missing bibliographic data in the existing reviews -- Read some of the highly recommended works myself Of course, I always welcome suggestions and comments. - -- Terry Jefffess - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 19:41:51 -0600 From: Scott and Marny Parkin Subject: [AML] Re: _Irreantum_ Call for SF&F Submissions At the end of the guidelines, it listed a PO Box for hardcopy submissions. I have been informed that this box is no longer in use. We prefer electronic submissions (send them to ), but if you really want to, you can mail submissions to: Irreantum c/o Assoc. for Mormon Letters 1925 Terrace Dr. Orem, UT 84097 Sorry for the mix-up. Marny Parkin - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 05:53:15 -0700 From: eedh Subject: Re: [AML] PERRY, _Tathea_ Eileen wrote: > So I am asking, is the book really poor writing and I am a poor judge of > what is good or bad writing, because I truly do want to learn. Do I not > recognize poor writing or am an I am nimble enough to leap over the bad > parts and just enjoy the good parts. Okay, here goes. Not that I know enough to teach anyone anything, necessarily, but I will try to explain what didn't work, for me, about _Tathea_. John Gardner (in _The Art of Fiction_) said that "fiction does its work by creating a dream in the reader's mind. We may observe, first, that if the effect of the dream is to be powerful, the dream must probably be vivid and continuous. . . one of the chief mistakes a writer can make is to allow or force the reader's mind to be distracted, even momentarily, from the fictional dream." That's what was frustrating to me. I was racing across that desert with Tathea. I was thrilling to the light and colors spilling over the sand. I felt the sand in my teeth, felt the dirt coating my skin. My horse was sweaty and exhausted. I was worried about what was over that next ridge. I was really there with Tathea. But when that old woman at the grave gave that long speech, I woke up from my fictional dream, shook my head, and said "Wait a minute! That wouldn't really happen! An old woman, mourning at a grave, would her third comment to a complete stranger *really* turn into that long speech?" I was skeptical. That speech woke me up from my fictional dream in the same way someone kicking the back of my chair during a movie in a movie theater would do. I was annoyed. But Anne Perry had so successfully put me into that fictional desert world that I was willing to forgive her, willing to hope that it was a mistake and wouldn't happen again. But I became annoyed again and again; the dream kept getting interrupted again and again. In the beginning of the third chapter, when Tathea woke up (after all the trauma she'd been through), would her first sentence *really* have been "Is truth all about power?" I could think of many, many things a person in her situation might say, but "Is truth all about power?" was not one of them. At that point, I was skeptical, and frustrated, and tired of being woken up from my fictional dream. In this way, for me, _Tathea_ did not succeed at being good fiction. I don't think this is a reflection on your ability to judge good fiction though. When John Gardner wrote about the importance of the fictional dream, he also said: "There may be exceptions to this general rule. . ." Later in the book he talks about some unconventional types of fiction where the author intends to interrupt the dream to get some kind of message across to the reader. Perhaps this is the kind of fiction _Tathea_ is supposed to be. And it sounds like you happen to like this type of fiction. It seems that I prefer the more conventional type. I think both types of fiction can get the message across--they just do it in different ways. - -Beth Hatch [MOD: I'm going to take this opportunity to emphasize that this is clearly a case where intelligent, sensitive readers can have different reactions to the same book. It's entirely appropriate to share your own reactions, whether positive or negative, and your reasons for them--as Beth has done here, and as Eileen also did. No one need feel ashamed or embarrassed at having a reaction that differs from--or is the same as--that of others.] - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 07:46:21 -0600 From: "J. Scott Bronson" Subject: Re: [AML] Writing About Religion On Wed, 28 Jun 2000 Eric R. Samuelsen writes: > By all means, write about the gospel. But that's in the background, > after you've done the hard work and research to make the novel or > short story or play about something else, something tangible and > real. What if that something else is God, or the Son of God? Are we "allowed" to do that? By that I mean, is there any kind of audience out here that will let us "put words into the mouth of God," a practice that Kristen Randle condemned in her treatise? Perhaps the reason I don't have a problem with doing that is two fold. One; I don't for a minute believe that someone else's version of the life of Christ (or some other divine figure) is the definitive version. I know I won't get that 'til much later. But I don't believe that should prohibit me from considering that artist's point of view. I can reject it if I want. Two; we put words into God's mouth every time we bear testimony, for when we testify (which we are doing when we speak in sacrament meeting or teach a class, etc.) we are essentially saying, "This is how the world should be according to my understanding of what God has said." And since we can't really give out God's word any way but through our own understanding, we are -- in a sense -- putting words in God's mouth. So, does it shock anyone if I confess that as far as I'm concerned all my writing, in one way or another, is a manefestation of my testimony? For me to offer my "worldview" to you is the same as bearing testimony. Everything I write is me putting words in God's mouth, for everything I write is me saying, "This is how the world ought to be." Now, if I were not a follower of Christ; if I were a follower of some other individual or philosophy, I would be putting words into the mouth of that individual or philosophy. We speak for whomever (whoever?) we follow. And according to my understanding of God's word ... there are only two ways to go. J. Scott Bronson--The Scotted Line "World peace begins in my home" - -------------------------------------------------------- We are not the acolytes of an abstruse god. We are here to entertain--Keith Lockhart - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 10:57:51 -0500 From: "Nelwyn Thurman" Subject: [AML] NUNES, _Ariana_ Series (was: Andrew's Poll) Hi Rachel, I was visiting a friend a few days ago that I collaborate with from time to time (just finishing up the first draft of the third in a trilogy - great fun, even if it never goes anywhere), and this friend has a teenage daughter. The daughter has all your books, and my friend commented that she keeps finding the books all over her house so she knows her daughter is really reading them. Sorry, I assumed you pronounced your name Noon-YES. Nelwyn (Finally back from the computer-dead and glad to be seeing that the list hasn't changed much) - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 09:39:16 -0700 From: "Christopher Bigelow" Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Thesis Database The letter said the following notice will appear on the web site in = conjunction with the thesis: The right to download or print any of the pages of this thesis is granted = by the copyright holder only for personal or classroom use. The author = retains all proprietary rights. Any reproduction or editing by any means = mechanical or electronic wihtout the express written permission of the = copyright holder is strictly prohibited. Please write to the Copyright = Permissions Office [address provided] to request permission. The letter notes: "We will not be granting permissions. Request from = patrons will be forwarded to you." [Chris Bigelow] * * * * * * Read my novella about Mormon missionaries at http://www1.mightywords.com/as= p/bookinfo/bookinfo.asp?theisbn=3DEB00016373. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 12:08:14 -0600 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: Re: [AML] Good Writing Tony Markham (a relative? I'm a Markham on my mother's side) wrote about = Plato's Republic: > The rational and well-ordered personality who deals with the >hard >blows of life with peace and equanamity is a sorry subject for >drama = (fiction) >and is seldom portrayed. 2) The poet (fiction writer) seeks to >represent= life >as is and merely creates a copy of what is real, and the copy is = >inferior to >reality in every respect. 3) Weak-minded people and children will >be = deceived >by the copy and will mistake the illusion of the artist for the reality = >of >life. >Artists, visual and poetic, have struggled with Plato for 2500 >years. Actually, not really. Within a few years of the Republic, Aristotle blew = him out of the water with The Poetics, and Plato, thank heavens, hasn't = been taken very seriously ever since. His point 2 is particulary suspect, tied up as it is in risible Platonic = notions of Ideal Forms. Drama, and by extension literature, deals with an = imitation of an action, a human effort to struggle with adversity and = conflict. We learn from it what we can, and we enjoy ourselves in the = process. That's Aristotle's common sense response to Plato's timorous = maunderings. Besides, you don't get the full flavor of Plato's Republic = without that nasty little shot about 'weak-minded people and children.' = Unsufferable elitist snob; there are some scholars today who think the = Republic is a parody. It's so preposterous, they can't imagine an = intelligent man having done it seriously. I don't think there's a person = on this List who would last three days in Plato's fascistic little = paradise. He's just not worth taking seriously, at least not in the = arts.=20 Eric Samuelsen =20 - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: (No, or invalid, date.) From: "Marilyn & William Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] What Can AML-List Do for Me? Michael, you put this so well, I hope you don't mind if I quote you somet= ime! I believe this SO MUCH! Yes, yes, yes. The writers I absolutely love= have always been excellent, but they've communicated: Andrea Barrett wit= h VOYAGE OF THE NARWHAL, Rose Tremain with MUSIC AND SILENCE. Willa Cathe= r, Dickens, Hemingway. Tyler, Erdrich, etc. ad infinitum. I am SO MUCH = looking forward to seeing your novel. I am always hungry to read a good = novel written by a Mormon I trust. If nobody wants to publish it, let Sal= t Press do it. Okay? Marilyn Brown - ---------- > Sam Payne wrote: > > > It seems to me that while using art as a > > tool to *commune* with people (not necessarily to transcend them) may= not > > get the Great Mormon Novel written, it still could be a pretty pure = place to > > be coming from. Is that thinking too small? > > I think that the opposite is true. Creating art that resonates with > people is a much more charitable act than the self-serving urge to > create art that is applauded by the elite, but inaccessible to people > generally. > > -- > D. Michael Martindale > dmichael@wwno.com > > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > Check out Worldsmiths, the new online LDS writers group, at > http://www.wwno.com/worldsmiths > > Sponsored by Worlds Without Number > http://www.wwno.com > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > > > > > - > AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm > - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 11:43:03 -0600 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: [AML] Re: Writing About Religion Back from London, then straight into foot surgery and rehab, and now, = finally, once again, I'm able to respond to some old e-mails. The new Jane Smiley novel is called Horse Heaven, and yes it's about = horses and thoroughbred racing. Marvelous book; I can't tell you how much = I loved it. Chris responded parenthetically to my last post as follows: (adultery is = abstract? Hmmm). Yes, I would say that adultery is an abstraction. Sex is concrete; sex is = real. 'Adultery' is the category into which we place certain sorts of = sexual activity. 'Murder' is similarly an abstraction. Killing someone = is very concrete and real and specific. And then afterwards we decide = whether or not that act falls into the category of 'murder' or 'accidental = death' or 'justifiable homicide' or 'war.' =20 I think adultery is an interesting subject for LDS people, for example. I = just wrote a new play Peculiarities (which is going to receive an = 'under-the-radar' BYU production this next March) which deals, in part, = with sexless adultery, which I think is something that happens a lot in = LDS culture. 'Marriage' and 'adultery' are very interesting, and = ever-shifting, concepts, aren't they? =20 Eric Samuelsen (who is on lots of painkillers right now, so inclined to = ramble.) - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 13:46:09 PDT From: "Eric D. Snider" Subject: Re: [AML] Movie Ratings > >I just read an article on the Deseret News web site that appeared in the >Los Angelos Daily News regarding the financial success (or the lack >thereof) of rated-R movies. An online news story I read Wednesday was discussing the lack of a clear-cut "blockbuster" so far this summer, and how the box office is overall down from last year. Several theories are offered for the downturn (competition among similar movies, no major surprises, etc.), and one of them is "an abundance of R-rated pictures." "Notwithstanding 'Scary Movie,' several pictures have been hurt by the adult rating. 'The Patriot' and 'Me, Myself & Irene' are the highest-profile examples. And while it's a worldwide smash, 'Gladiator' arguably surrendered some of its gross in the U.S. due to its rating." (One could also argue, of course, that "The Patriot" and "Me, Myself & Irene" were additionally hampered by some bad reviews.) So there's an article written about the industry in which the idea of an R rating discouraging some viewers is a given -- apparently an accepted notion in the business. Eric D. Snider ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 22:32:39 GMT From: "Dallas Robbins" Subject: Re: [AML] Review Archive Announcement Terry, You have done an wonderful job on the new review archives. Excellent format, and easy navigation. Just wanted to let you know all the hard work is appreciated. Dallas Robbins editor@harvestmagazine.com http://www.harvestmagazine.com >From: "Terry L Jeffress" >Today I finised formatting the old text reviews for the new Web Review >Archive. The archive contains 368 reviews, including today's (12 July >2000) >by Rachael Nunes. > >You can preview the Web Review Archive at > http://www.xmission.com/~jeffress/aml/index.html ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 16:49:49 -0600 From: "J. Scott Bronson" Subject: Re: [AML] List Interruption > Apologies for this morning's interruption of List posts. > Mother and child doing well. > > These two items, of course, have nothing whatever to do with each > other. :^) > > Jonathan Langford While my wife was in the hospital in labor with our fourth child, I was making phone calls from her room to finalize details with the program for the Castle Theatre productions that year. She still talks about it. Go be with your wife and baby Jonathan or you'll never hear the end of it. scott - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 10:01:55 -0500 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" (by way of Jonathan Langford ) Subject: [AML] (On Stage) Lessons from London [MOD: With this we initiate another new column, this one by Eric Samuelsen= =20 relating to Mormon theater and Mormon takes on theater. I don't know how=20 many columns Eric has in mind or how often they'll be coming, but here's the= =20 first one.] ON STAGE (Inaugural Column) by Eric Samuelsen "Upon the Stages of a theatre can be represented in character, evil and its= consequences, good and its happy results and rewards; the weakness and the= follies of man, the magnanimity of virtue and the greatness of truth." = These were the words of Brigham Young, found in the Journal of Discourses= (v. 9, 242-245), on the occasion of the dedication of the Salt Lake= Theatre. And with these words, theatrical entertainments are specifically= and directly specified as an essential part of a healthy culture, as an= inherently moral art form. In this column, I hope to build on Brigham's= words, and begin a conversation about the place of the dramatic arts in= current LDS culture, and the place of Mormons in contemporary world= culture, as represented theatrically. =20 I'm an opinionated cuss, and I hope you'll forgive my more extreme= outbursts. Above all, I hope that this column will prove stimulating,= interesting, and valuable. =20 Lessons from London I just returned from seven weeks in London, where I directed a BYU Study= Abroad program. In that time, I saw forty-eight plays, essentially one a= day, two some days, none on Sundays. So I thought I would write my= inaugural column about London, and specifically what I learned as a Mormon= artist and critic in the best theatre town in the world. A few things you need to know first. Theatre in London is divided into= three categories: West End, Off-West End, and Fringe. =20 I would also divide West End shows into three categories. First, there are= the two great subsidized theatre companies, the Royal National Theatre= Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. During the summer, the RSC= performs in their three theaters in Stratford, then during the winter= months moves to its second home, in the Barbicon in London. The National= also runs three theaters; the small and intimate Cottesloe, the medium= sized Lyttleton and the Papa Bear sized Olivier. I saw nine shows= altogether at the National, and six at the RSC. Most were amazing, three= were mediocre, one was goshawful. =20 The other two kinds of West End theatres are what I would call tourist= houses and regular West End houses. Tourist houses are theaters that carry= the big musicals that tourists love--Les Mis, Cats, Buddy Holly, Mamma Mia,= Whistle Down the Wind--and other star studded shows, like the much= ballyhooed The Graduate, with naked Kathleen Turner. I saw Buddy Holly,= and liked it a lot, Whistle Down the Wind and despised it. The rest, I= avoided. The other West End consists of some really interesting shows,= where the audience is mostly not Americans, including some of the best= things I saw in London. They put some amazing things on the West End,= shows that you just don't think are going to be commercially viable, like a= stunning production of Miss Julie, or a wonderful Mother Courage. =20 West End tickets are typically high priced, but I never paid more than= fifteen pounds for anything. Tickets at the National cost us eight pounds.= The current exchange rate is about 1.5 dollars-1pound. Off West End shows are in smaller, but still quite substantial venues, a bit= further out of central London, with tickets a bit lower in cost. The Young= Vic's production of Macbeth is the single best thing I saw in London, and= it was Off West End. Fringe shows are in small theatres, often just a big room above a pub. The= shows are experimental, daring, strange. Tickets are very reasonable, and= many Fringe venues have a 'pay what you can' night. Some great things are= done on the Fringe. Some wretched shows are also part of the Fringe= experience. =20 I saw a lot of theatre in London. Had I gone to shows on Sundays, I could= have seen more. But I estimate that I saw about a third of all the shows= that were playing at any given time. It's simply not possible to see= everything. So you pick and choose. So, I went there. I saw a lot of theatre, mostly together with BYU= students. We saw a lot of Shakespeare. We saw a lot of new plays. We= heard the F word a lot. Nudity was part of at least 8 shows we saw, maybe= more. What did I learn; what did we learn? First of all, it was confirmed to me more than ever before that theatre is a= viable, important and exciting art form. In fact, I'm convinced that= theatre is the greatest of all possible art forms. I love movies, and= defend TV, and all that, but none of it compares with the glory of the live= theatrical experience.=20 Second of all, theatre more than anything else, is a social art form, an= exquisite forum for social criticism. Right now, for example, the New= Labor movement, and the government of Tony Blair, is a hot topic of= discussion in Britain. The plays reflected a sense of unease, and= discontent, a sense of massive communal wrongness. The Porter, in Macbeth,= suddenly broke out of his 'equivocation' speech to ad lib a stand-up= routine, including a spot-on Tony Blair impression. A wonderful new play,= Blue/Orange dealt with mental illness, and asked a very hard question--why= are a disportionate number of young black men diagnosed as mentally ill? = And worked in a very subtle indictment of the ways in which the National= Health service treats mental patients. London is a wealthy city, in a= prosperous nation, and everywhere you go you almost trip over the literally= hundreds of homeless people. Play after play dealt with issues relating to= poverty and homelessness, some overtly, some more subtlely. Theatre points= out problems, picks at scabs. Theatre makes people uncomfortable--that's= its function. Theatre says what a lot of people are thinking but would= rather not articulate. Good theatre is and must be an essential part of a= healthy culture. That's one of the things I learned in London. Here's another: the choice to= use nudity and bad language in a play are aesthetic, not moral choices. I can't emphasize this enough. Some plays we saw included a lot of nudity. = Others did not. Some plays used lots of foul language. Others used none. = But there was no correlation between the artistic, aesthetic, moral and,= for me and my BYU students, spiritual impact or success of the show and the= amount of nudity or bad language contained in it. None. One show we saw,= The Villains' Opera, had lots of bad language and graphic sexual behavior,= and was a complete bomb, a terrible show. And the huge Olivier theatre was= 90% empty when we saw it. Another show we saw, Victoria, had just as much= nudity and bad language, and was deeply moving, and profoundly inviting to= the Spirit. This was my experience. This doesn't mean that bad language= doesn't carry with it certain moral implications. All aesthetic choices= are also moral choices, of course. And our students were certainly not= unanimous in what shows they liked and didn't like. But shows like Stones= in His Pockets, Copenhagen, The Weir, Lady In The Van, Albert Speer, Mother= Courage were pretty much universally liked by the kids. Some of those= shows had bad language, some had nudity. Others didn't. It didn't matter. Finally, let me say that all the great shows we saw were profoundly= compatible with the best values of the Restored Gospel. I believe with all= my heart that great plays are great because they reflect true principles= revealed to prophets past and present. This was certainly true of the best= Shakespeare we saw, and we saw a lot of brilliantly performed Shakespeare. = Henry Goodman's Shylock, for example, turned the National's Merchant of= Venice into the most profound and troubling indictment of anti-Semitism I= have ever seen. Antony Sher and Harriet Walter gave us the most human and= touching and terrifying Macbeth couple I can imagine. And that's a true= play, about the corrosive power of naked ambition. (But it only works if= we see real human beings succumbing to that power.) But new plays have the= same truth and profundity. =20 Above all, theatre in London is inspiring. I wrote a new play while I was= there, and got two thirds finished with another one, and that while= teaching a full load. Great art begets great art. The best cure for= writer's block I know is a trip through an art gallery, or a trip to the= symphony. Or reading a terrific novel. I spent seven weeks traveling from= theatrical fantasy to theatrical fantasy, and have never felt more grounded= in what's real, and what really matters. =20 I expected to come back to Utah and be instantly depressed by a complete= lack of interesting theatre in this fine state. And of course Utah hasn't= the population base to support fifty West End houses and seventy Fringe= venues. But I Am Jane was playing in Springville. I had foot surgery and= couldn't go, but there's a marvelous piece of theatre. While I was gone,= Provoans saw a magnificent new play, Echoes of Black Canyon. There are= still great things happening in this state. And many more to come. =20 =20 Eric Samuelsen=20 - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 17:25:12 -0600 From: Richard R Hopkins Subject: Re: [AML] Re: ADAMS, _Prodigal Journey_ We'll have it at Barnes & Noble pretty soon. Amazon is a bit difficult to work with, so we'll see. Richard Hopkins On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 14:02:31 -0700 "Christopher Bigelow" writes: > Is it available through one of the big Internet discounters? I don't > like ordering through DB's website because they charge full price > plus $3.95 for shipping. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 19:11:36 EDT From: "Rex Goode" Subject: [AML] PARKINSON, _Into the Field_ (Review) PARKINSON, Benson _Into the Field_ Aspen Books 2000 Softcover 226 pages $12.95 [Reviewed by Rex Goode] When Richard Dutcher's, _God's Army_, first came to Portland, Oregon, I asked my daughter who was home from BYU for the summer if she had seen it. She replied that she had, then brashly commented, "But it doesn't accurately show what being on a mission is like." I smiled and asked, "How would YOU know?" Such was my fear upon having the opportunity to review Benson Parkinson's _Into the Field_. I wasn't certain whose decision that was, but figured it was not someone who knows me. Somehow, I figured that a major task in reviewing a novel about life on a mission should include a value judgment as to believability. I haven't served a fulltime mission, so how indeed would I know if the story was an accurate portrayal? My second fear was that I had not read the book to which _Into the Field_ is a sequel, _The MTC: Set Apart_. I pondered my added inadequacy in doing a review because I couldn't judge the sequel's flow from its parent. I hoped that there would be at least enough development of characters that most readers got to know in _The MTC: Set Apart_ so that I wouldn't have to suffer through shortcuts in characterization. My third fear was in being asked to review the work of someone I had come to regard as a friend and mentor. Could I give a thumb's down if I believed it deserved it? One area that Ben Parkinson and I have frequently discussed, as it relates to literary criticism, is the idea of the identity of the reviewer. It is fair game to review a work based on who I am, as the reviewer, and how the work resounds in my consciousness. It is really irrelevant whether I am externally qualified to judge the content as believable, consistent, or worthy, as long as I tie it in with who I am. In other words, a review of a novel about missionary life is as valid by someone who didn't serve a mission as by someone who did. My identity is that of a man who consciously chose to not serve a fulltime mission. The reasons are not important to my review, so I will forbear to tell them. In a culture where the mission a man served in is an important badge of honor, a man like me has no satisfying answer to the question, "So, where did you serve your mission?" I think that men who served missions don't really notice how often the question is asked. You can get to the point where you are not only sick of the question, but are also longsuffering of the endless stories that ensue if you happen to be around men who can answer the question satisfactorily. It was with this distaste that I picked up _Into the Field_ and began to read, hoping it wouldn't turn out to be like those socials I hate, where the men stand around and tell tall tales about their missions and their wives tell war stories about the delivery room, complete with near-death experiences bringing precious spirits from beyond the veil. I digested the prologue a few times, to make sure I had the characters straight, and then plunged pleasantly into the rest. The picture I had of the story grew rapidly dark. Where I expected enthusiastic missionaries going about their labors and gaining converts with relative ease were some intensely apathetic creatures and absolutely no converts. My mission-life cynic was really liking this. Still, it seemed a little too bleak to me, which is where the believability issue started to come in. I mean, if you were to believe the pep talks about missions being the best two years of a young man's life, you would expect that these kinds of slackers would be the exception rather than the rule. I also pondered that even if a mission like this were a possibility, it would take great audacity to write a story about it, given the cultural climate that ties everything up in such sweetly alluring packages. I entered the second chapter wondering when I'd get back to Elder Wilburg. Not any time soon, I discovered. I kept reading. By the time I reached the Burns Conference section, where a general authority comes and lays the mission out with a roundhouse to the head, I was cheering for the man. These missionaries needed their rumps kicked and Elder Burns was just the man to do it. Despite my unorthodoxy, I'm a rule-follower, often to the letter, and when someone shows disregard for the rules, even for rules I don't agree with, I like to see him get his attitude squarely adjusted. With everyone adequately chastised, I was certain the story would take a miraculous turn, and the missionaries would rout Satan and convert the whole mission. Instead, I saw seemingly fruitless work progress. Part of me wanted to jump to the end and read the triumphant ending just, to happy me up. It was upon this consideration that I noticed something about myself, something that the story helped me see. Here are these missionaries, fighting discouragement, doing the mundane things they were expected to do. They didn't start out that way. They started out lazy and over-expectant. When they finally start doing things right, the expected rewards don't follow. Baptisms, baptisms, baptisms? Where were the baptisms? Without being visibly rewarded, they keep going. Wasn't that a perfect summation of my life? Here and there, I saw in the story the subtle growths in spirituality, the personal, but hidden rewards of faithfulness. They weren't there to get baptisms. They were there to learn to do things right, to keep going when the carrot wasn't out in front where it belonged. Whether this story is a believable portrayal of missionary life, it resounds inside this soul as an aerial view on an important truth. Anyone who goes month after month, year after year, and decade after decade doing things right, but never realizing their expected reward, must do so from an inner strength and spirituality that is not reward-oriented. I can't tell you if _Into the Field_ portrays the missionary life accurately. I can't verify that it is true and consistent with _The MTC: Set Apart_. I can breathe a sigh of relief by giving it a hearty recommendation. Well done, Benson, and thanks. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #101 ******************************