From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #533 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 Monday, December 3 2001 Volume 01 : Number 533 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 09:47:49 -0800 From: jltyner@postoffice.pacbell.net Subject: Re:[AML] Harry Potter Movie I must say, I feel honored. One has not been properly chastised until one has been taken to the literary woodshed by D. Michael Martindale or Rob Lauer. With the continued indulgence of our most patient moderator I will attempt to try and tie-in Harry Potter with Mormon Lit/Theology. One of the special things about these books is that kids found them on their own, and they caught on by word of mouth. There are themes that run through the Potter books that should and does run through good LDS books-Good, evil, love, patience, sacrifice and a struggle to find one's way in life, one's purpose or mission so to speak. The power to choose between good and evil is also a main idea that is reinforced in powerful ways in this series. As far as Quidditch goes the parallel is this: I have noticed the British and Mormons tend to frown on exuberant displays of emotion, stiff upper lip sort of thing. The one venue where it's considered acceptable is at sporting events. Men especially can let themselves go and scream, shout and hug. I know, I've sat in Cougar Stadium freezing my tail off watching these nuts in action. Soccer,(called football elsewhere in the world), is an obsession everywhere in Europe. Quidditch is the wizard equivalent of soccer and the magical world is just as crazy about it. The snitch, (150 pt. flying doohickey), is very fast and difficult to see. If Harry tried madly chasing it about the stadium he'd never find it. He has to sit and be patient and pay attention to see it, then he has a chance of speeding on the broom to catch it. Isn't that something prevalent in LDS theology and letters-learning to be patient, then come the blessings? Concerning the ending, the director did take some license in having Quirrell crumble to dust like a villain in an Indiana Jones epic. In the book Quirrell does die and has his skin experience burning by touching Harry. The reason is because Harry's mother willingly sacrificed herself to save him. You know, an Atonement-like act, or "Greater love hath no man, (or woman)..." Very compatible with LDS thinking and literary themes if you ask me. The plot device for finding the stone was explained in the movie and the book. Only someone who wanted to find the stone, not use it for their own selfish purposes, would be able to obtain it. Remember Joseph was given a shock when he first thought about how the gold from the plates could benefit a family as poor as his. Until he was ready and his sole purpose in obtaining the plates was to do whatever God wanted of him, did he get the plates. With the Harry Potter books, if you like "The Chronicles of Narnia", or Roald Dahl's books like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "James and the Giant Peach" then you would probably like Harry Potter. Children generally like books with magic and fantasy that feature kids who have fantastic adventures. Who also struggle with ordinary problems in life, like dealing with bullying adults and kids and coming out on top, becoming heroes. I must also defend J.K. Rowlings literary style. She chooses excellent wording for both her dialogue and plot development. She does a lot of word play with character names that is very imaginative and fun. She weaves it all together quite well. I think it's great that you read H.G. Wells as a kid, so did my husband, but having worked in a library I can tell you most don't. My hope is that since Harry Potter generally appeals to children ages 6-13 they will want more and move up to H.G. Wells, and "Lord of the Rings". The upcoming movie is looking great in the trailers, but I think "Harry Potter and the Socercer's Stone" is helping to whet the appetite for kids to want more to go see "Lords". My hopeful opinion anyway. Kathy Tyner, Orange County, CA - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 13:49:21 -0700 From: "Scott Parkin" Subject: Re: [AML] Konnie Enos Virus? D. Michael Martindale wrote: > If you received a message that said "Have a look to the attachment" and > you opened the attachment, you've got the virus. I got an infected message from Linda Adams with an attachment called "me_nude.scr." While Linda may well be an exhibitionist (aren't all writers?), I thought this was a pretty good sign that she'd gotten an email replication virus and I would be best to delete without viewing. Not that I wasn't curious, but it just didn't seem like her style. At least not in response to an AML-List post. Scott Parkin - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 15:47:20 -0700 From: Terry L Jeffress Subject: Re: [AML] Point of View Jack Weyland's conclusion to _Jennifer_: - --- George came out of the boy's baptismal dressing room with his wet hair slicked back. His white shirt stuck to his chest and stomach in a few places he missed while drying. The missionaries held out their hands to George, awaiting the customary handshake, but George walked right past them. With a huge grin, he walked up to Jennifer and gave her a prolonged hug. As the hug ended, George said, "I'm sure glad I broke the Nerd's glasses, or you would never have given me that Book of Mormon." His tears ran down his face and added to the wet spots on his shirt. "Thanks for saving my life." Jennifer smiled, and her tears began to flow as well. She knew that a lot could happen between now and the end of George's mission in seven or eight years, but for now, she planned on being there when he got off the plane. - -- Terry L. Jeffress | The demonic paradox of writing: when you put South Jordan, Utah | something down that happened, people often | don't believe it; whereas, you can make up | anything, and people assume it must have | happened to you. -- Andrew Holleran - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 16:14:23 -0700 From: "Jeffrey Savage" Subject: [AML] Covenant as Publisher Scott, Your last two posts on Point of View and Writer's Lament got me thinking about something that I like to mention every so often. I think that there is an impression among a lot of people on the list that you can only publish with someone like DB or Covenant if you are writing after the style of Lund or Weyland. When I finished writing my first novel, I didn't have any idea that Covenant would consider a story that was basically about one guy using the Internet to nail some bad guys. I remember telling people, "But doesn't it have to be about the bad guys converting or something?" In fact Michael pointed out in his review that, "Mercifully we are spared any heavy-handed inspirational message when all we want is some fun reading." My thoughts exactly! I can't speak as much for DB, but I can tell you that there really are a lot of opportunities with Covenant beyond the standard Church History, Romance, and Doctrinal. Over the last year or so, Covenant has really opened up to SF, Thrillers, Time Travel, etc. While it is true that you have to stay within certain guidelines, (e.g. no profanity, graphic sex, etc.) that really comes back to the last line of your Point of View post, "To whom are you telling the story?" In this case, just remember that you are telling the story to an audience that is looking for the guidelines above. Other than that, knock yourself out. It's not that I am trying to push one publisher over another, but more that I want to tell all the talented people on this list who have not yet been published, "If I can do it you can too." As Terry and Michael pointed out in their reviews, my first book was far from perfect but it was a different voice from what is out there now. This was my first attempt to write a novel and my first try at submitting anything for publication. The editors read the story, seeing past the grammatical errors, and beginner mistakes and helped me pull it all together. The current LDS authors are very good, but there are lots of opportunities for new writers as well. So what do you get out of the deal? Well most importantly you get to see your book on virtually every church bookstore shelf. Which after 3 months is still a major kick. You get good promotion (great when you consider that it is for a complete unknown) and on my first book, I'll probably make $10k-$20k. Not in the millions, like Christmas Box, but as my Grandmother used to say, (for some bizarre reason known only to her) "It beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick." So if you have an LDS manuscript that you haven't submitted, to DB, Covenant, CF, etc, even if you think it might not be their standard fare get it out to them. It will never get published if you don't submit it. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 18:59:16 -0800 (PST) From: "R.W. Rasband" Subject: [AML] re: Beards One last comment about beards: they can be a literary affectation, ever since grizzled old Ernest Hemingway. When I first grew mine, an older ward member jokingly asked me if I was writing a book. So maybe on a sub-conscious level we are hoping some of the language magic will rub off on us. ===== R.W. Rasband Heber City, UT rrasband@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 15:26:12 -0700 From: Terry L Jeffress Subject: Re: [AML] Point of View On Wed, Nov 28, 2001 at 03:47:59PM -0700, Scott Parkin wrote: > Do you like to mix the sweet and sour chicken with the rice, or do > you leave them as distinct layers combined only at the moment they > (literally) enter the consumer's head? I'm not convinced it's a > question of one being better than the other, but rather what > emphasis you want to create in the story. It's just a technique > that remains a slave to the fundamental question: What story are you > trying to tell? The second fundamental question is like unto it: To > whom are you telling the story? I think you have also demonstrated that authors cannot arbitrarily choose a narrative technique. Narrative techniques have as much effect on the story as the "facts" -- the details from the plot. To properly tell a story, you not only have to get the details right, but you must carefully choose the methods you use to reveal those details. Obviously, the writer with the greater set of narrative tools will have a greater set of options to choose from when composing. Like choosing to paint the landscape with oils instead of watercolor or chalk or pencil or etched wood. Your technique communicates as much about the story as a narrative detail. I also liked your point about the expectations that the various narratives created in the readers. Todd's clearly created an expectation for not only backstory about the tension between Jennifer and George but also creates an expectation that we will learn a lot about Jennifer's philosophical makeup. If I had continued my version, I doubt that I would have commented much about George's previous taunts, but you bring up that Jennifer might feel guilt about not intervening earlier -- an interesting aspect that I didn't consider while writing my version. The various versions also limit the plausible conclusions. In my mind, the story would progress as Jennifer tried various means to embarrass George, all but the last backfiring and turning the embarrassment onto Jennifer. Michael's version could go the same route, but to me he created a much more emotional character that would have to find a revenge that not only embarrassed George, but reinforced Jennifer's emonionality. Todd would have to address the boy-girl conflict, and could possible even end the story without Jennifer ever exacting revenge, but coming to a more satisfactory understanding of her place in the sixth-grade social continuum. (Incidentally, I pictured the characters about fourteen or fifteen, while Todd made them twelve.) I too have enjoyed watching the various transformations that various authors have applied to my original. In particular, I thought it curious how some authors juxtaposed certain facts. Michael changed the order of events: the sidekicks laugh at the tears became the sidekicks' laughter causes the tears. Todd's narrative distanced the sidekicks to "the boys." My example had the events just outside the schoolyard, and i think one example placed them clearly on school grounds. All these subtle changes demonstrate to me how much of the story really exists in the reader's head and not in the words on the page. I think the best storytellers have learned to include only those details the reader needs to reconstruct the narrative. I think of this as a sort of lossy compression -- like MP3s or JPGs. With MP3 audio files, the MP3 algorithms analyze the full original details (usually a WAV file) and decide which details to leave out that the listener will probably not miss. The same happens with JPGs -- you can recreate the image, but you cannot create exactly the same image you started with. Fiction works the same way. The author has a complete picture in mind of the characters and their actions. The reader only needs certain details to recreate a close approximation to the author's picture, and the author must choose the correct details. Thus, not only must an author have the ability to create interesting mental pictures and sequences of events, but the author must also construct an efficient lossy compression algorithm for selecting the details necessary for inclusion in the final production. Along these lines, I have played with the idea that perhaps you should never give *any* physical details of your POV character. That to give physical details that conflict with those of the reader creates conflict between the reader and the protagonist and makes it harder for the reader to identify with the protagonist. (Of course, not giving the main character a specific gender creates interesting implications if you ever place your protagonist in a romantic situation.) - -- Terry L. Jeffress | There are three rules for writing the novel. South Jordan, Utah | Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. | -- Somerset Maugham - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 22:18:22 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN Student places in national fiction-writing competition : BYU Press Release 24Nov01 US UT Prov A2 Student places in national fiction-writing competition PROVO, UTAH -- A student at Brigham Young University won honorable mention in the national Stony Brook Fiction Contest. Nathan Chai, a native of Salt Lake City majoring in English, received the honor in an extremely competitive contest that receives more than 1,000 entries from colleges across the United States and Canada. The Stony Brook Fiction Contest, designed to award students who write exceptional short stories, is hosted by Stony Brook, a state university of New York. "I was very excited when I got honorable mention," Chai said. "It is a difficult task when there are so many entries." Chai says he feels more confident about entering in next year's contest because he will be a senior and his writing has improved. - -###- Source: Student places in national fiction-writing competition BYU Press Release 24Nov01 US UT Prov A2 http://www.byu.edu/news/releases/Nov/Fiction.htm >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 22:17:06 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN New Products: Books for Youth: Kent Larsen 28Nov01 US NY NYC A2 New Products: Books for Youth NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- Loyal readers of Chris Heimerdinger's popular 'Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites' series are glad to see his latest installment in the popular series. "Warriors of Cumorah" takes the series heroes to the last battle at the hill Cumorah, making it the last book in the series -- at least we assume so. But Heimerdinger isn't the only popular youth author who has a new product out. Comic youth speaker John Bytheway has a new talk on CD out, and Cedar Fort is providing a new guide for those leaving their youth -- and moving on to a mission. New and recent products: Are Your Standards Fences or Guardrails? by John Bytheway Bookcraft Talk on CD; LDS Publisher; Non-fiction; Mormon Author and Subject $12.95 Well-known LDS youth speaker Bytheway says that the Church is more than just a long list of rules that keep youth from fun. Arguing that the standards of the Church are guardrails on the highway to happiness, Bytheway discusses the three M's: Media, Modesty, and Morality. Heavenly Father's Angels: The Ultimate Missionary Guide by Marcus Sheridan Cedar Fort Book; LDS Publisher; Non-fiction; Mormon Author and Subject $12.95 A new guide to missionary work says that every missionary can be great. The book gives a step-by-step progression to help new missionaries feel up to the task and help seasoned missionaries improve their skills and keep the Spirit. Discusses each phase of missionary work chronologically, beginning with what to expect at the MTC. Tennis Shoes Adventure Series: Warriors of Cumorah, by Chris Heimerdinger Covenant Communications Book; LDS Publisher; Fiction; Mormon Author and Subject $14.95 The Tennis Shoes Adventure Series continues as its heroes are again transported back in time to witness the final days of the Nephite civilization. This time the children are reunited to stop villains from changing the landscape of history. Joseph Smith The Seer soundtrack by Kenneth Cope Excel Entertainment Music CD; LDS Publisher; Mormon Performer and Subject $15.98 Cope's latest album includes instrumental music he composed for the "Joseph Smith: The Seer" interactive CD-ROM. His music was inspired by the life of The Prophet and sets the tone for the CD-ROM's learning experience. See: More about "Joseph Smith The Seer soundtrack" by Kenneth Cope at Excel Entertainment >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 07:22:57 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN Who Should Be 'Mormon Of The Year?': Kent Larsen 29Nov01 US NY NYC P2 Mormon Lit connection--three on his list of nominess are authors and such. Do we really need a mormon of the year? Debbie Brown Who Should Be 'Mormon Of The Year?' NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- With the new year approaching, Mormon News will look back at the major Mormon news stories and people that made news in the past year. As part of this review, we are starting a, hopefully, annual process to name the "Mormon of the Year," the person who has had the biggest impact, good or bad, during the past year on Mormons and on the way Mormons are perceived by others. For most LDS Church members the answer to the question of who is the "Mormon of the Year" is simple and clear, and basically the same each year -- the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley, clearly has the biggest impact (assuming we are talking about mortals, of course). So, since that much is clear, we have decided to change the question slightly. The "Mormon of the Year" is then: The person, other than the Prophet, who has had the biggest impact, for good or bad, during the past year on Mormons and on the way Mormons are perceived by others. Of course there are a couple of other qualifications. First, the person must be Mormon some how - even if that only means that his or her parent was a member of a Church that believes Joseph Smith restored the gospel. Second, the person must have been living at some point during the year 2000. Our process for naming the Mormon of the year is fairly simple. We will, at least for this first year, let our readers choose the "Mormon of the Year". The process will work like this: First, starting today, Mormon News will take nominations, sent to the following e-mail address: MOTY-nominations@MormonsToday.com In addition to the name, please include a sentence or two describing why you think this person should be considered, and please include a link or reference to a news story from this past year indicating that impact. It should be easy to find such a news story in Mormon News' archives (use our new search feature on Mormon News' home page at http://www.mormonstoday.com/ ). News stories from other sources are also acceptable. We will keep an updated list of those nominated on the MormonsToday website at the URL: http://www.mormonstoday.com/subjects/MormonOfTheYear.shtml On December 15th we will close nominations and open voting at that same web page. Voting will consist of ranking nominated people in a 'top ten' list. Each place on the list will be given a number of points, and the person with the most overall points will win. To get things started, I've compiled my own list of 10 nominees to start (in alphabetical order): Gary Crowton As the replacement for famed BYU Coach LaVell Edwards, who retired last year, Crowton only had to do as well or a little better than Edwards had last year to be accepted as adequate. Instead Crowton has led the Cougars to their first undefeated (so far) season since their National Championship in 1984. See: Crowton Will Be Named BYU Coach Today Mormon News 7Dec00 S2 http://www.mormonstoday.com/001208/S2GCrowton02.shtml Eugene England Known for his untiring attempts to bridge the gap between liberal and conservative LDS Church members, W. Eugene England died August 17th of brain cancer. His example made a lasting impression for Church members of how to live in a community with conflicting views. See: Remembering England Mormon News 25Aug01 A2 http://www.mormonstoday.com/010824/A2EEngland02.shtml Tom Green While not now an LDS Church member, Tom Green has been in the news this past year as much as any other Mormon. The Utah polygamist, once an LDS Church member, appeared in newspapers worldwide during his trial on bigamy charges. Although Green wouldn't see it this way, he gave the LDS Church more opportunity to disavow itself of polygamy than it would otherwise have had. See: Polygamist Green Given Five Years, $78,000 Judgement Mormon News 27Aug01 N5 http://www.mormonstoday.com/010831/N5TGreen01.shtml Orrin Hatch Hatch continues to have a major impact on U.S. policies, including his groundbreaking decision to support the use of federal funds for stem-cell research. With Hatch leading the way, all five Mormon senators eventually supported stem-cell research, and the views of many conservatives were moderated on this issue because of his decision. See: Hatch Favors Stem Cell Funding, Draws Pro-Life Ire Mormon News 6Jul01 T2 http://www.mormonstoday.com/010706/T2OHatch01.shtml Paula Houston Lawyer Houston was named Utah's Porn Czar to handle citizen complaints about pornography and help Utah's local governments draft laws that meet constitutional muster. The unique nature of her new job led to national attention. LDS Church Member, Utah's 'Porn Czarina,' Gets National Attention Mormon News 9Mar01 T2 http://www.mormonstoday.com/010309/T2PHouston01.shtml Elbert Peck For fifteen years Elbert Peck led Sunstone magazine, despite criticism from conservatives and continuing struggles to keep the magazine growing. In spite of the criticism, Peck has maintained his belief that Sunstone provides a needed and enduring role in the Mormon community. See: Long-time Sunstone Publisher Elbert Peck Resigns Mormon News 14Jun01 N4 http://www.mormonstoday.com/010615/N4EPeck01.shtml Naomi Randall A longtime leader of the LDS Church's Primary organization, Randall was best known for authoring the favorite LDS hymn, "I am a Child of God," in 1957. Randall died May 17th at age 92. See: 'I am a Child of God' Author Naomi Randall Dies Mormon News 21May01 P2 http://www.mormonstoday.com/010525/P2NRandall01.shtml Mitt Romney When Romney took over the Salt Lake Organizing Committee in January, 1999, he became one of the most visible Mormons in the world, known for rescuing the 2002 Winter Olympics from a bribery scandal that could have put it in the red. And since the 2002 Games he is preparing for is in the Mormon heartland, he has also become visible to many Mormons. See: Deseret News Profiles Mitt Romney Mormon News 7Jul00 S2 http://www.mormonstoday.com/000709/N2Romney01.shtml William Sadleir Sadleir pulled off one of the biggest Mormon commemorative events in history, focusing the attention of news media on two continents as well as hundreds of thousands of Mormons on a small group of ships commemorating the immigration of more than 80,000 Mormon pioneers from Europe to America. SeaTrek2001 was simply the biggest Mormon event since the 1997 Mormon Trek re-enactment. See: SeaTrek Sails; Commemoration Gets International Attention Mormon News 8Aug01 N6 http://www.mormonstoday.com/010810/N6SeaTrek01.shtml Mark Wattles CEO of Hollywood Entertainment has managed to turn around his company and raise its stock price during the year from under $1 a share to a high of $12 a share. See: Hollywood Entertainment Fighting Investor Fears Mormon News 19Sep01 B4 http://www.mormonstoday.com/010921/B4HollywoodEnt01.shtml >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ Send join and remove commands to: majordomo@MormonsToday.com Put appropriate commands in body of the message: To join: subscribe mormon-news To leave: unsubscribe mormon-news To join digest: subscribe mormon-news-digest - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 11:38:15 -0500 From: Tony Markham Subject: Re: [AML] Spirit and Body (was: Buffy the Vampire Slayer) jltyner wrote: > Ronn asked awhile back if anyone noticed the Buffy musical episode > seemed to be reminiscent of LDS-themed musicals such as "My Turn on > Earth". Only in that the music seemed solidly rooted in the 70s. Tony Markham - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 12:14:44 -0800 From: "Richard Hopkins" Subject: [AML] Cornerstone as Publisher (was: Covenant as Publisher) Jeffrey Savage wrote: > Over the last year or so, Covenant has really opened up to > SF, Thrillers, Time Travel, etc. Not wanting to detract in any way from Jeffrey's raves about Covenant, which we openly agree with, it was Cornerstone that led the way in this direction. Before starting Cornerstone, I couldn't get DB or Covenant to consider these types of stories. Now they are both doing them, and maybe even doing a better job than we are (though we try harder every day)! I'm glad we were able to open their eyes to the possibilities. BTW, Cornerstone has just released Jack Weyland's short stories, vol. 1, entitled _Forever_. They're delightful and typical Jack Weyland fare. If you like him, you'll love these. We will be publishing more of Jack's short stories in the future (Deseret publishes his full-length novels). Richard Hopkins - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 13:18:46 -0700 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] Harry Potter Books - ---Original Message From: jltyner@postoffice.pacbell.net > With the continued indulgence of our most > patient moderator I will attempt to try > and tie-in Harry Potter with Mormon > Lit/Theology. Okay, me too. :) > One of the special things about these > books is that kids found them on their > own, and they caught on by word of mouth. This is not the case. The marketing on the Harry Potter books is particularly significant because it is something that flies right under the nose of parents. The Harry Potter books are published by Scholastic. Scholastic is *very* good at marketing to children. It looks like word of mouth, but really, it's word of school. You can predict kid raves by looking at big Scholastic marketing pushes. A few years ago it was those horror books. Of course, the unique thing about Harry Potter is how it took off even beyond Scholastic's typical push. That's a tribute to J. K. Rowling and her meeting very specific audience desires without excluding us older folks. > There are themes that run through the > Potter books that should and does run > through good LDS books-Good, evil, love, > patience, sacrifice and a struggle to > find one's way in life, one's purpose > or mission so to speak. The power to > choose between good and evil is also a > main idea that is reinforced in powerful > ways in this series. I agree. Part of the strength of J. K. Rowling is that she doesn't hesitate to throw tough issues at her audience. > As far as Quidditch goes the parallel is > this: I have noticed the British and > Mormons tend to frown on exuberant displays > of emotion, stiff upper lip sort of thing. > The one venue where it's considered acceptable > is at sporting events. Men especially can > let themselves go and scream, shout and hug. > I know, I've sat in Cougar Stadium freezing > my tail off watching these nuts in action. > Soccer,(called football elsewhere in the > world), is an obsession everywhere in Europe. > Quidditch is the wizard equivalent of soccer > and the magical world is just as crazy about > it. The snitch, (150 pt. flying doohickey), > is very fast and difficult to see. If Harry > tried madly chasing it about the stadium he'd > never find it. He has to sit and be patient > and pay attention to see it, then he has a > chance of speeding on the broom to catch it. > Isn't that something prevalent in LDS theology > and letters-learning to be patient, then come > the blessings? And don't forget that 10 pt. goals add up fast. If a whole team ganged up trying to find the snitch, the opposing team would gleefully score goal after goal. You'd have to find the snitch in less than ten minutes or you've just blown it big. Not to mention that the opposing team would have free rein of those bludgers--ouch. Also, I think it is easy to underestimate the sheer volume of space to search with just 7 players. That's a not-short field to begin with and if you add all that space *up*, you end up with a lot of search space for a little, marble-sized ball to hide in. If you want an example, try taking a golden marble and dropping it on a football field at your local High School. Then stick 14 people on that field on motorcycles and see how fast you can find it. Now give the marble the ability to move really fast (and fly) and you can see how interesting the game could become. Which is, I think, another strength of the books. Not Quidditch per se, but the depth of the visuals in the books. Potter's world is immensely rich in visual oddities that fire the imagination. Wizard Chess, unique pets, owl mail, Hagrid, a secret passage to your bedroom, potion class with actual cauldrons, homework that involves turning beetles into buttons (and the wonderful images when students don't quite get it right), pictures that move (and can talk back to you), even dinner has a vivid visual appeal. It catches the imagination of children in really unique, concrete ways. It is no wonder that children leave the books with an appetite to read more when they've just had such a visual literary feast. > With the Harry Potter books, if you like > "The Chronicles of Narnia", or Roald Dahl's > books like "Charlie and the Chocolate > Factory" and "James and the Giant Peach" > then you would probably like Harry Potter. > Children generally like books with magic > and fantasy that feature kids who have > fantastic adventures. Who also struggle > with ordinary problems in life, like > dealing with bullying adults and kids > and coming out on top, becoming heroes. > I must also defend J.K. Rowlings literary > style. She chooses excellent wording for > both her dialogue and plot development. > She does a lot of word play with character > names that is very imaginative and fun. > She weaves it all together quite well. Melissa and I have discussed Rowling's style and I have to say, some of it irks me. Mostly, the dialogue is really clumsily handled, with a lot of literary no-nos--mainly, people can't actually 'say' anything, it's a lot of 'hissed', 'squeaked', and -ly modifications. One of the things we discussed, though, is how that very style might be a part of what Rowling nails well in her audience. All the dialogue modifiers might seem heavy-handed to us educated adults, but does that heavy hand also ease the burden for children who don't read much? All that information might make the story that much more vivid for children, leaving no ambiguity in the interpretation of feeling and mood. There's no room for confusion about what is meant emotionally in the dialogue--confusion that would just pull people out of the story. This ties in to our discussion of Jack Weyland stories--things that one audience will perceive as weakness might actually be a strength for the intended audience of the book. It could simply be a case where Rowling knows her audience better than I do. Another thing that I find interesting about J. K. Rowling is that Harry (and to some extent Ron and Hermione) is very transparent. By which I mean that he doesn't really have much presence in the book. He's Harry, but he could easily be any kid. Rowling does an excellent job of giving him enough uniqueness (his scar and glasses) without actually defining him very much otherwise. We don't know how tall he is, what he weighs, what religion he might have, in short, if he is un-average in any other way (besides some internal wizardy quirks that no real kid has anyway). The effect of this transparency is explored by Scott McLeod (a comic book artist) in a very interesting way. According to McLeod, the more transparent the character, the more universally the audience can relate to that character. His example is the simple smiley face you see everywhere. That thing has power because of the lack of detail. Transparent characters draw the reader in and invite them to take the role of that character. Almost any kid can imagine having a scar on his forehead, wearing glasses, and going to Hogwarts themselves. Even Harry's gender doesn't really play a significant role in the stories and in case it does for the readers, you have Hermione handy to inspire the girls--sure she's brainy, but you just don't know much else about her physically. There is no extraneous detail that will tell a kid that they are definitely *not* Harry. Even the awful Dursleys are such exaggerations that they won't really register as parents at all to most children. As you can probably tell, I like the Harry Potter books. I don't think they are great literature. But they just might be great YA literature and there is plenty there for adults to appreciate. I like the message of the books--messages that include humility, determination in fighting evil, friendship, acceptance, paying the price to be good, and understanding people. I particularly like where the fourth book took the series and the lines being drawn not just between good and evil, but with misunderstandings, and avoiding responsibilities due to personal investment. I look forward to the next book to see where things are going now. I think that LDS writers, some of whom are concerned with the youth audience, could learn a lot from J. K. Rowling about writing children's books. Intense visuals, strongly impressed dialogue, and transparent characters are good lessons to learn when your audience is a young one. Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 16:43:51 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN A Collection of Books for the Ages: Deseret Book Press Release 24Nov01 US UT SLC A2 [MOD: I believe Elder Maxwell received an award from AML at one point. Can someone confirm?] A Collection of Books for the Ages SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Long known for his literary excellence, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has written more than two dozen full-length books spanning his career as an apostle, administrator, and educator, only eight of which are still in print individually. Now this monumental body of work from one of the most beloved and well known authors in the Church has been compiled in "The Complete Works of Neal A. Maxwell" (Eagle Gate, $189.95), a six-volume set, hansomely bound, with a comprehensive index. From his first book, "A More Excellent Way," originally published in 1967, to his most recent volume, "The Power of Discipleship," published earlier this year, Elder Maxwell's style and breadth of experience have become legendary. Each work appears as it was originally published--well-written, instructive, uplifting, and inspiring. Beautifully foil-stamped covers, decoracted endsheets, gilt-edged pages,and attached ribbon bookmarks make this limited-edition set a true collector's item. About the Author Elder Neal A. Maxwell was called as an assistant to the Council of the Twelve in 1974. From 1976 to 1981 he served as a member of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and in 1981 was called to his present position as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Source: A Collection of Books for the Ages Deseret Book 24Nov01 A2 >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #533 ******************************