From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #244 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, January 30 2001 Volume 01 : Number 244 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 10:31:38 -0700 From: "mjames_laurel" Subject: [AML] Local Author Month at the Read Leaf Would it be appropriate to post this on the list--there are a few AML list people involved in this, and some authors listers might be interested in... thanks, Laurel [MOD: Absolutely!] > February Is Local Author Month!! > Here at The Read Leaf we're declaring February "Local Author Month!" Every > Thursday evening in February at 7:00 p.m. come listen to local authors talk > about and read from their books. And all of the authors will hang around > afterwards to sign copies of their books for you! You can bring your own or > buy them at The Read Leaf. > > Meet the Authors > Thursday, February 1, 7:00 pm > Marilyn Brown, author of many books including her most recent novel about > the Mountain Meadow Massacre, The Wine-Dark Sea of Grass, and Kjirstin > Youngberg, author of The Promised Twin. > > Meet the Authors > Thursday, February 8, 7:00 pm > Come revel in faraway places with Edna Smith Browne, whose novel Seabird is > set in Nova Scotia, and Anne Bradshaw, whose novel Terracotta Summer is set > in the United Kingdom. > > Meet the Authors > Thursday, February 15, 7:00 pm > Join our Third Thursday Book Club with authors Laurel Brady (Say You Are My > Sister, HarperCollins) and Betty Briggs (Quality Concealed and Image of > Deception, Sunrise Selections). > > Meet the Authors > Thursday, February 22, 7:00 pm > Science fiction and fantasy fans, listen up! Come meet Dave Wolverton, > author of many national titles, including several books in the Star Wars > series and David Richardson, author of The Enchanted Palace. > > The Read Leaf > 164 South Main St. > Springville, UT 84663 > Local 801-489-1390 > Toll-free 877-287-1332 > Fax 801-489-5179 - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 11:40:57 -0700 (MST) From: Ivan Angus Wolfe Subject: [AML] Re: Michael RITCHEY, _Disoriented_ (Review) > >D. Micahel reviewed: > > > >> DISORIENTED > >> by Michael Ritchey > >> 1999 Cornerstone Publishing > >> Hard cover, 280 pages > >> $18.95 I must say AMEN to all of his insights. I nearly reviewed the book, but unfortunately I could not be as civil as D. Michael was. The least offensive parts of my (discarded) review - never mind. I must remain civil. However - I will point out a few more weaknesses in the book that bothered me: First there are the "Moral lessons" the book teaches: 1. Meditation is evil - anyone who meditates will eventually be possessed by Satan. (it's like a drug - light meditation will lead to deeper meditation which will lead to contact with evil spirits which will lead to deals with the Devil and possesion by said evil spirits). 2. All Vietnam war vets are psychopaths (I might have let this slide if only one character had been a Vietam vet and a psychopath - but there were at least three - and I don't recall any well - adjusted Vietnam vets anywhere in the book) 3. Mormons don't believe in Metaphysics (perhaps not - but all those articles written on "Mormon metaphsyics" by BYU professors and others -like Sterling McMurrin - might disagree). I must say I was sort of impressed when the main character died (very few writers will kill a main hero so early on) - and wasn't too bothered by following him to the spirit world (but by that point my expectations were very low). But then (Spoiler warning to those who may still want to read it): He gets brought back from the dead in a very dubious way - perhaps his dissolved body might be reconsituted - but does his spirit have to rejoin it? the book was full of plot holes - no real terror for the main characters, and a too easily wrapped up ending where everything turns out okay (He even fooled me - - I started to get some respect when it looked like a few things would never be resolved and thus the heroes would still have consequences following them after the book ended - but alas - no such luck. Everything finally does get resolved). AndI agree with D. Michael that the exclamation points are overused. One does not need them to make a point. Sentences like "The sun was hot! The ground was moving!" were all too common. When 90% of the exclamtion points are not in the dialouge it reveals weak writing - the author isn't confident that the narration or description will stand on it's own and so puts in !!!!!!s so as to give it some punch, I guess. If this is the beginning of Mormon Sciecne Fiction - it is a very early stage in the evolutionary chain - must move out of the seas at some point - beginning. - --Ivan Wolfe - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 14:56:12 -0600 From: Linda Adams Subject: Re: [AML] SAMUELSEN, _What Really Happened_ (Performance) Either way is fine with me. Linda > >I'd be happy to make this available on the List, if no one objects. Or > I could just email it to Linda, if you don't mind a hundred page file > showing up. What do y'all think? > > > >Eric Samuelsen - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 15:17:51 -0600 From: Linda Adams Subject: Re: [AML] _Odd Couple_ Performance At 11:05 AM 1/29/01, you wrote: >I know it's a long way away. But I think somebody ought to come and see a >very professional ODD COUPLE at the Villa's Little Brown Theatre in >Springville. Scott Wells is a professional director who has run an entire >successful theatre in North Carolina. It's a great show! (Of course I would >say that--AND hilarious) Odd Couple runs Fri, Sat, and Mon at 7:30 p.m. >Tickets $6-8.Marilyn Brown One of my favorite plays! I wish I was in Utah to see it. Marilyn, you don't say the actual dates here--is that this Friday? Linda ====== Linda Adams adamszoo@sprintmail.com http://home.sprintmail.com/~adamszoo - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 14:57:16 -0700 From: Terry L Jeffress Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Regionalism On Fri, Jan 26, 2001 at 04:27:15PM -0700, Barbara R. Hume wrote: > This comment makes me think of that Western movie in which Gene Wilder was a > Polish rabbi who came to the American west to marry, and Harrison Ford was > the outlaw who befriended him. Wilder's rabbi found himself in an alien > culture that bewildered him, but the strength of his faith carried him > through. And when he reached the Jewish community, he joined with the > people there who shared his beliefs and his cultural heritage, symbolized by > the wedding ceremony with the crushed wineglass and everything. (I do find > it hard to imagine marrying Gene Wilder when Harrison Ford is standing right > there, but it was a movie. . . . .) The Frisco Kid (1979) directed by Robert Aldrich For more info, see the Internet Movie Database: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0079180 - -- Terry L Jeffress AML Webmaster and AML-List Review Archivist - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 16:44:52 -0800 (PST) From: plus two Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Regionalism A little bit more on Mormon regionalism: Jan Shipps has written a rather recent article for Beliefnet.com about the 'M' word i.e. Mormon. She sees the rejection of this designation by many of the (esp. young) saints as a move away from a regional Utah-based Mormonism. Her essay ends: "It seems obvious to me that in moving to curtail use of the Mormon label, the church is marking the move away from a past in which being a peculiar people meant being part of an ethnic group whose homeland is located in the inter-mountain West. Other than their being a temple-going people, exactly what the new essence of Latter-day Saint peculiarity will be is not entirely clear. But the history of the way signs of LDS peculiarity have been modified as situations have changed indicates that this particular Church of Jesus Christ and its members will find ways to keep themselves set apart well into the latter days." I think in my recent theorizing about a new kind of Mormon regionalism, I am expressing the hope that literature will contribute fruitfully to the 'new essence of Latter-day Saint peculiarity.' I think it must for cultural documents that are portable, easily transmissable [that don't rely upon the close ties of a small community to be passed on and reproduced] allow for a cross-fertilization of experience and thinking. That is to say, as much as I agree with and respect the mission of the official church magazines, obviously they by themselves can not constitute the sole peculiarity of Mormons---and if they do, I shudder to think of the form that Shipp's 'set apart' will take. That reminds me. How long before we have a large enough market that it's worthwhile for an LDS publishing house to translate our 'major' literary works into other languages (especially Spanish)? ~~William Morris __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 21:26:20 -0700 From: "Annette Lyon" Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Dialogue > People choose the way they talk. Not everyone is even _aware_ of "the way" they talk, and even fewer choose it. My in-laws, for example, have many regionalisms that many would classify as "uneducated." They are very aware of the importance of "proper" English, but aren't always aware of what that is. Last summer on vacation my mother-in-law corrected her daughter's grammar (don't remember how right now). But not two minutes later she herself said something like, "The dishes need washed." She was completely unaware of her own grammatical error. As for myself, I didn't pick-up on the Utah accent until I had been away from Utah for a good period. Then I heard a friend's voice on tape, and freaked out at what a hick she sounded like. You have to be exposed to a lot of types of speech to consciously choose one. Even with such expsure, certain people are more aware of different dialectal differences, registers, etc. than others. _Those_ people "choose" the way they talk. Most people, like my in-laws, don't. I'd hate for someone to judge my in-laws as stupid by thinking they chose to talk that way. They are far from stupid. Annette Lyon - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 09:13:51 -0500 From: Richard Johnson Subject: Re: [AML] RE: Mormon Dialogue At 08:51 PM 1/2/1997 -0700, you wrote: >Having been railed on and thoroughly chastised for _coming into an area and >making fun of the way people talk_ may I make a final comment in my defense. >I was born and raised in *this area* and I attended college at BYU, Utah >State and Weber State. People choose the way they talk. My friend from >England has an elegant English accent that she chooses not to use. Another >friend moved to Texas for one year and picked up a Texas accent that she >continues to use 20 years later. My children and I lived in Texas for 25 >years and although we love Texas and consider ourselves Texans, we choose >not to speak with a Texas accent. I don't care how people speak, except >when it applies to theater. I believe in *excellence in theater* and it is >annoying to me to see someone on stage portraying a well-educated, >cosmopolitan person using their regional accent. It makes me feel that they >are not giving their best effort. Yes, this is my problem and since I am a >theatre-goer and an actor, I must deal with it. I support all theater and I >will continue to do so, but I can't help but wish it was different. > >Nan P. McCulloch As the primary "railer", please let me clarify that I did not, and would not identify any particular person who posted. In fact I specifically identified folks who were from an area and made a good living poking fun at their own accents and areas. (Hear Andy Griffeth's _What It Was Was Football_) My comment was for those who _did_ come from outside and criticize, and who identified themselves as being in that situation. I agree with what you have to say about theatre, though it is not true that all people "choose" to speak the way they do. Adopting or changing a pronunciation pattern is very difficult for "some" people. The just really can't hear the difference. When directing _A Lion in Winter_ (some thirty years ago) I had a young actress playing Alais who simply could not get rid of her Southern accent. She spent hours with a therapist, more hours in front of a tape recorder and the result was that if the mention of her accent occurred in rehearsal she broke down in tears. It reached the stage where she was concentrating on speech so much that she lost all sense of character. Finally, to avoid recasting her (in a college play that only had a five week rehearsal period anyway) I told her that we would just accept that she was from the "South of France" and to concentrate on the character. Interestingly enough one of the judges for the American College Theatre Festival made a comment in his critique that he found it interesting and useful that I chose to differentiate Alais from the English rulers by "giving" her that accent. I guess he didn't know that the English royalty at the time spoke mostly French. Richard B. Johnson Husband, Father, Grandfather, Puppeteer, Playwright, Writer, Director, Actor, Thingmaker, Mormon, Person, Fool I sometimes think that the last persona is the most important http://www2.gasou.edu/commarts/puppet/ Georgia Southern University Puppet Theatre - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 21:32:01 -0800 From: "Craig Rossiter" Subject: RE: [AML] SODERBERGH, _Traffic_ (Movie) I saw _Traffic_ this weekend. From my perspective as a law enforcement career person, it was a very accurate portrayal of drug trafficking, abuse, and corruption. It was a very disturbing film; disturbing to see what I have basically understood for a long time, that we are losing the "war" on drugs, and that the demand for illegal drugs is the major part of the problem. That is the appeal of drug legalization-it may take the profit out of illegal trafficking. The movie was very well done, and I was amazed that 2.5 hours had passed when it was over. Several others in the theater around me made the same comments. I don't remember exactly what Hatch said, he had a 15 second part in the film, but it seemed like something you would expect him to say. Sure, it was vivid. It was authentic, in my opinion. Talk to anyone who has been involved with cocaine or heroin. It is vivid. Craig Rossiter - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 23:27:44 -0600 From: Larry Jackson Subject: [AML] Re: First Attempts to Be a Writer Bob Hughes: Meter is very subjective, sometimes it is clear, sometimes not. The challenge for the poet writing in meter is to make it unmistakably clear. In this poem, one could argue that the meter is okay as originally presented, iambic tetrameter: Thy LUSTS and PASsions WIther COLD, esPECially SINCE i've GROWN so OLD. _______________ I don't know my tetrameters from my iambics, and maybe this should go under the subject Mormon Dialogue. (And I do not wish to offend anyone.) So, with those disclaimers out of the way (makes a lawyer proud, doesn't it?) ... Perhaps someone thought the word "especially" has four syllables instead of three: esPECialLY since I'VE grown OLD. So, is the poet challenged to know whether a person thinks a word has three or four syllables? And is it worth squishing a four syllable word into three to keep the added meaning of the extra "so", the dictionary notwithstanding? Larry (who has not yet posted his first attempt to be a writer) Jackson ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 01:27:58 -0700 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] Michael RITCHEY, _Disoriented_ (Review) Darvell wrote: > Let me caveat that with the statement > that I did think the characters were a shallow. But this isn't a story > where the character need to change, or discover the purpose of life, or > anything like that. It is an action/adventure story. It's a plot driven > story and not character based -- like all of the James Bond movies. It wasn't shallowness of character that botheres me. It was falseness of character. James Bond may be shallow, but he's his own man, his shallowness is well developed, and you can expect certain behavior from him in certian situations. The characters in _Disoriented_ weren't developed, in my opinion, not even shallowly. They were given a two-dimensional backstory, then manipulated around by the author as the needs of the plot dictated. I didn't feel any definition to the characters. Just place holders for required behavior. > I must say that I > predicted the ending and didn't really like how it turned out, but it was > still good. Amen to that! It was one of my "Mystery Science Theater 3000" remarks earlier on, and it turned out to be the real ending! (Wish I could tell the rest of you what I'm talking about without spoiling the ending.) > If Michael's review discouraged anyone from wanting to purchase this novel, > then take courage in my recommendation. Read it for yourself and see. In > contrast to Michael's words, I'm GLAD that I read this book! I have very mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I hope my review doesn't cause the book to tank. Like I said, I do hope Cornerstone succeeds big time. On the other hand, I would really like to see better stuff coming out so LDS SF doesn't get the same negative rap that general LDS literature has received for so long. I don't want people picking up _Disoriented_ and saying, "If this is LDS science fiction, then I don't like LDS science fiction," like too many of us did with earlier LDS mainstream fiction. - -- 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 http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 01:50:46 -0700 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] Michael RITCHEY, _Disoriented_ (Review) Jeff Needle wrote: > I very much appreciate this review. I came close to purchasing this > book. I may hold off having read your summary. Oh, dear, it's happening. I'm going to come across as completely contradictory and say, I don't think my horrendous review should discourage people from buying and reading the book if they were planning on it. Especially someone like you, Jeff, who seems on the way to becoming the official Reviewer of Record for LDS literature. I think it's an important work in the budding genre of LDS science fiction. It would be like not reading Frank Herbert's _Dune_, because you heard that one guy at the BYU science fiction symposium last year berate it as an awful book, labeling weaknesses many of the things most readers think are strengths. Apparently, like _Dune_, most people enjoyed _Disoriented_ in spite of its flaws. Maybe I'm just a lone, raving lunatic out there, like that fellow at BYU whose opinion of _Dune_ didn't go over well at all. After all, I have a very personal interest in LDS science fiction. I took _Disoriented_ very personally. Part of it may be that I've already done a great deal of thinking about what LDS science fiction would be like, so the things _Disoriented_ tried to do didn't catch me by surprise like it might other people. Maybe reading _Disoriented_ will be like the movies. If a movie is hyped too much, it may be incapable of living up to the hype. But if you hear it's really bad and go into the theater expecting nothing, you may actually enjoy it more than you would have. - -- 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 http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 02:24:09 -0700 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Regionalism William Morris wrote: > This wide field has been very > fruitful for LDS science fiction, and I think that > there is evidence that it is providing excellent > fodder for literary fiction as well. Thanks for the reminder. LDS authors are disproportionately represented in mainstream science fiction, and the publishing industry has noticed! In science fiction, I think LDS authors are ahead of the curve that general LDS authors are trying to follow. But there is a caveat. The LDS authors got there way by writing good mainstream stuff--not LDS stuff. Orson Scott Card had a rule for himself that he would never have any Mormon characters in his stories. He has since broken that rule--like just about every other literary rule he's held himself to--but it was probably a wise policy to follow as he established his career. In other words, LDS science fiction authors used an "infiltration" strategy, rather than one of confrontation. Before the rest of the world knew it, they were well established in science fiction. > Of course, for things to really take off, the market > for LDS publishers needs to continue to mature and > grow. This is where publication like _Irreantum_ come > in. For growth, you need exposure, and for exposure > you need venues that feed readers into specific titles > (i.e. reviews, author profiles etc.) Pssst, don't tell anyone--it's a secret. But I'm planning on doing an Internet counterpart to what you're suggesting here. Nope, that's all I'll say for now. > ~~William Morris, who is right now working at > University PR, so while this isn't my preferred career > track, who knows, I could become the first Mormon > literary super agent. Watch me spin, baby! Press > release and book tour, anyone? What a hoot. A Mormon William Morris agency. - -- 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 http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 02:31:08 -0700 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] "The Big KSL Holiday Broadcast" (Musical) "R.W. Rasband" wrote: > From now on I will keep an eye open for future > productions from Provo Theatre Company. It may be > their next shows won't be so conservative--in the past > they put on David Mamet's "Oleanna." Mamet in > Provo--now that would have been something to see. I watched a filmed version of "Oleanna." I understand what you mean with "conservative," but it was humorous to see non-conservative applied to that piece, since it was a biting indictment of political correctness, which is traditionally considered a liberal cause. - -- 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 http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 09:42:45 -0700 From: "Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Regionalism The key, Laurel is YOUNG PEOPLE AND CHILDREN. It is a different world. Try mainstream. Nice, though! I'm so glad for you! Marilyn Brown - ----- Original Message ----- > My experience with my editor at HarperCollins has been exactly the opposite. [large MOD snip] > > Laurel Brady - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 09:44:59 -0700 From: "Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] _Odd Couple_ Performance Every Friday, yes. The play closes Feb. 12. So every Friday, Sat. and Monday until Feb. 12. Do see it. It is EXCELLENT! (239 S. Main in Springville, 7:30 p.m.) Marilyn Brown - ----- Original Message ----- > > Marilyn, you don't say the actual dates here--is that this Friday? > > Linda - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 10:02:02 -0700 From: "bob/bernice hughes" Subject: [AML] Poetic Stress (was: First Attempts to Be a Writer) > >Perhaps someone thought the word "especially" has >four syllables instead of three: > > esPECialLY since I'VE grown OLD. > >So, is the poet challenged to know whether a person >thinks a word has three or four syllables? And is it >worth squishing a four syllable word into three to >keep the added meaning of the extra "so", the >dictionary notwithstanding? > >Larry (who has not yet posted his >first attempt to be a writer) Jackson As I mentioned, the challenge for the poet writing in meter is to make it unmistakably clear. You can force the line, as you have proposed, but it doesn't sound natural. Seldom would you ever have any stress on the final syllable of the word "especially." It could happen, but the meter would have to be so firmly established earlier in the poem to make you think it was a natural pronunciation when you got to that word. I don't think the two line ditty that was presented establishes that rhythm. One of my biggest mistakes in the past was to try and force meter, to count syllables instead of listen to natural stresses. It was an especialLY hard lesson for me to learn. - - Bob Hughes _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 10:47:58 -0700 From: Kellene Adams Subject: [AML] Two Requests for Information I'm not sure if this request is appropriate, but thought I'd try: I am currently working on a compilation (for personal use primarily, although it may turn into something else depending on what I end up with) of Christmas/New Year traditions from countries and cultures around the world. I have spent quite a bit of time searching online and in libraries and am not finding as much as I thought I would. Does anyone out there have any ideas/suggestions/observations about places I may go to do this type of research? While I'm at it, I am also currently putting together another issue of Pioneer Magazine (a publication produced by the Sons of Utah Pioneers). Our next issue is on education, and we are at the very beginning stages of hammering out the next issue. In reading the list the last few days, I thought an article on the Deseret Alphabet would be great. Any other article suggestions about pioneer (1847-1869) education? Also any volunteers for writers? We can't pay (it's all a labor of love) except in complimentary copies and profuse praise and gratitude. I've worked with a couple people from the list in past issues and received wonderful articles and ideas. Thanks! Note to Mod: If you feel okay about posting this, you can have them reply to either request to me personally (kelleneadams@earthlink.net). Thanks, BTW, for your great work. I sure enjoy reading this. . . Kellene [MOD: Thanks! And requests of this sort are certainly on-target for the List as I see it.] - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 10:56:16 -0700 From: Thom Duncan Subject: Re: [AML] Michael RITCHEY, _Disoriented_ (Review) D. Michael Martindale wrote: > Jeff Needle wrote: > > >> I very much appreciate this review. I came close to purchasing this >> book. I may hold off having read your summary. > > > Oh, dear, it's happening. > > I'm going to come across as completely contradictory and say, I don't > think my horrendous review should discourage people from buying and > reading the book if they were planning on it. Then what good is a review? With so little precious time to spend on reading, any review that saves me some bucks and time is greatly appreciated. > I think it's an important work in the budding > genre of LDS science fiction. It would be like not reading Frank > Herbert's _Dune_, because you heard that one guy at the BYU science > fiction symposium last year berate it as an awful book, labeling > weaknesses many of the things most readers think are strengths. LDSF has been budding since 1990, with Tennis Shoes, Gerald Lund, and Moroni Smith. _Disoriented_ is far from a trailblazer, so can be ignored on that level alone. And no, it would be like not reading the other Dune books, which did indeed stink. Dune actually is good. Disoriented sounds, based on your and the other review, like amateruish drivel. > Apparently, like _Dune_, most people enjoyed _Disoriented_ in spite of > its flaws. Again, thers is a difference. Dune won a Hugo. Maybe I'm just a lone, raving lunatic out there, like that > fellow at BYU whose opinion of _Dune_ didn't go over well at all. No, you are a voice in the wilderness. > > After all, I have a very personal interest in LDS science fiction. I > took _Disoriented_ very personally. As you should. I've read some of your short stories. You are miles above the author of Disoriented in writing style, sence of story, and ability to characterize. > Part of it may be that I've already > done a great deal of thinking about what LDS science fiction would be > like, so the things _Disoriented_ tried to do didn't catch me by > surprise like it might other people. You and I suffer from the same disease. As SF fans, we've read the best the genre has to offer. Once you've worshipped at the feet of the masters, it's very difficult to find solace in the works of lesser mortals. I've seen too many well-produced plays in my life to ever be satisfied again with a Road Show. Thom Duncan - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 11:10:05 -0700 From: Gideon Burton Subject: RE: [AML] SODERBERGH, _Traffic_ (Movie) The first thing I did after seeing Traffic was go home and have a frank chat with my 12 year old son about drugs (which we both laughed about because he truly is above suspicion), but when I probed him about the general environment at his Middle School, he told me he regularly sees marijuana being smoked by 7th graders. We talked some more. Traffic is the sort of film that would offend mainstream LDS viewers. I suspect they would see it as a worldly exploitation of drugs. I would argue against it being exploitative. The movie is shocking, but showed restraint in a number of instances where other directors/writers would not have held back. It focused the shock effect appropriately, in my opinion, toward its central themes. It is not a diatribe against government efforts to stop drugs; rather, it shows the government's best intentions, partial successes, and ultimate limits in being able to stop drugs. The movie makes you realize how many borders drugs crosses--not just US/Mexican, but especially the borders between public and private, appearance and reality. Drugs are more deeply embedded in our culture, community, economy, and homes than we realize, and at each of these places drugs cause lasting damage (and at each of these levels there is a place to take action). To me the movie was a sobering wake-up call, not an exploitation film. Senator Hatch should have been proud to be associated with something more apt to engage real thought about the drug problem than many a political sermon could do. Gideon Burton - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 16:07:06 -0600 From: "Rose Green" Subject: [AML] Author's Say in Book Layout Question--How much say does an author (excluding someone who is both author/illustrator of a picture book) have over the book layout? I recently read a book that had a terribly distracting layout, as far as I was concerned. It looked almost double-spaced and yet had very narrow margins, especially in the gutter (is that the right word? in the middle). It almost looked like someone had just copied out their own typed-up manuscript and bound it. I guess it was supposed to look like that, though, because it was published by Alfred Knopf. Regardless of publisher, I would HATE to have a book end up looking like that. Is the author just stuck with it, or can one complain about the packaging? Rose _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 22:19:39 GMT From: Jeffrey Needle Subject: Re: [AML] Michael RITCHEY, _Disoriented_ (Review) You realize what you've done, don't you? You've taken away my excuse fo= r=20 not spending more money on books. =20 As a confirmed biblioholic, I need for people to tell me, NO! Don't buy= =20 more books!!!! You are preventing my recovery. Thanks for the clarification. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< On 1/30/2001, 12:50:46 AM, "D. Michael Martindale" =20= wrote regarding Re: [AML] Michael RITCHEY, _Disoriented_ (Review): > Jeff Needle wrote: > > I very much appreciate this review. I came close to purchasing this= > > book. I may hold off having read your summary. > Oh, dear, it's happening. - --=20 Jeff Needle jeff.needle@general.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 15:50:59 -0700 From: "Christopher Bigelow" Subject: [AML] Handling Agents Here's an update on my marketing efforts for my memoir _Confessions of a Mormon Missionary_ (I've dropped the _A Southern Cross to Bear_ title for now.) Four agents said yes to my snail-mailed query letter, and all 4 have rejected all or part of the manuscript. Over the past few weeks I've cut about 30,000 words and tried to tighten things up, and the other day I sent out a bunch more e-mail queries to agents. Now I have 14 more solid requests for readings. Apparently I have a killer query letter, but my manuscript ain't clearing the infield yet. (Hopefully this new version will do better.) I thought agents would disregard e-mail---I initially got a lot of bad addresses and autoreplies, but I started getting good replies within less than an hour and a phone call within two hours. My question is, a New York agent named Richard Curtis telephoned and asked for a 10-day exclusive look at the manuscript, which I thought was reasonable, so I let the other 13 know I'd be delaying them a couple of weeks. But I just got the following e-mail: <<>> Does anyone have any advice (or good articles/book chapters to refer me to) that will help me understand how to handle agents? Are exclusives a bad idea? I'm already kind of into it up to my knees. Also, anybody heard of Susan Schulman, 454 W. 44th St., New York, NY 10036? She wrote back: <<>> By community, she's referring to Mormonism. It's a lot of fun being popular at the dance, but I'm looking for a spouse. (By the way, I also have yes answers from editors at Villard Books, Henry Holt, and Chicago Review Press, but I'm putting them off until I see if an agent will take me on and handle the submissions.) Chris Bigelow - -------- For a sample copy of IRREANTUM, a Mormon literary quarterly, send $4 to the Association for Mormon Letters, 262 S. Main St., Springville, UT 84663. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 14:52:48 -0800 (PST) From: cratkinson Subject: Re: [AML] Editing Changes As a copy-editor, I found Jonathan's post quite interesting. I've edited mostly for grammar/usage problems, although I often find many of the other types of editing he mentioned bleeding into my work. I happen to have the kind of brain that remembers that twelve chapters ago, on the right-hand side, toward the bottom of the page the character had steely blue eyes and now he has moss green eyes. (My brain also likes to remember movie lines, obscure facts and other useless trivia but feels no need to recall where I put my car keys five minutes ago. ) So editing for consistency, clarity and detail is second nature. <<* Editing for gross structural or content problems (e.g., plot doesn't work, character doesn't hold water, organization of the story is completely wrong). . . . As a writer, you may have to play detective to figure out what the problem really is: i.e., "What problem in what I wrote could have led the editor to say *that*?" >> This is great advice. The most frustrating editing experience I've had was a woman's first novel. I edited it fully - twice! The first time, the poor thing was red from front page to back. Besides the spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistency errors (two characters changed names halfway through, one changed spelling randomly and thirteen of seventeen characters had names beginning with "D") it had gross structural and content problems. (Thank you, Jonathan. I couldn't have thought of a nicer way to say it.) When I returned the manuscript to the author the first time it was full of questions like, "Where are they for this scene?" and "Why did Sally do this?" and "This speech doesn't sound like it's coming from Fred. It doesn't match the way he speaks in the rest of the book." Instead of doing what Jonathan suggested and reviewing the problem areas for clarity, flow and structure, the author explained to me why she'd written what she had. I don't know how many times I told her that the questions were simply meant to point out areas that were confusing or vague and each time she simply insisted on explaining her choices to me. I finally had to tell her rather forcefully (not my favorite way to approach these things) that I wasn't asking the questions because I wanted to know the answers, but because they weren't answered in the novel. She finally understood - or so I thought - and began her revisions. When I got the novel back for the second pass, she had "fixed" the problem areas by including lines like, "They were in the South Pacific," and "Sally did it because she felt that it was the best choice in the situation." She answered my questions in the text just as she had in person. Obviously, this is a writer without a great deal of skill or understanding, but some people I've worked with are so attached to what they've written that they're not willing to "play detective." They're more likely to shrug off the obvious stupidity of the editor for not understanding what they meant. So, here we get to the reason I'm writing this: I think the *trust* between writer and editor is the most important piece of the relationship. If the writer trusts the editor, the changes and suggestions will be considered more seriously and the writer will know the editor is considering his voice and style during the editing process. I don't think an good editor (or writer, on the other side of this coin) is someone you can randomly choose, but more someone you can work with and train to be good - for you! - -Christine Atkinson _______________________________________________________ Send a cool gift with your E-Card http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/ - - 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 #244 ******************************