From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #549 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 17 2001 Volume 01 : Number 549 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 14:12:35 -0600 From: Jonathan Langford Subject: [AML] Contacting Authors (was: Curious Letter from Horizon) Thanks for you help on this. BTW, why do you think it's unprofessional to look through a publisher's discards for good projects that could use some editorial help? That is not meant to be an argumentative question. I'm curious about your perspective on the issue Richard - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 14:14:48 -0600 From: Jonathan Langford Subject: [AML] Contacting Authors (resend) [MOD: Apologies for not including the "From" line in my first resend of this message.] From: "Richard R. Hopkins" Thanks for you help on this. BTW, why do you think it's unprofessional to look through a publisher's discards for good projects that could use some editorial help? That is not meant to be an argumentative question. I'm curious about your perspective on the issue Richard - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 23:10:56 -0600 From: "Preston Hunter" Subject: [AML] Blair Treu, LDS Filmmaker Blair Treu is a featured speaker at the upcoming "International Young LDS Film Festival." His address is titled: "From BYU to Hollywood: Experiences of an LDS Feature Filmmaker." It occurred to me that many on the AML List may not be familiar with Treu's work, so I thought I would pass on something I wrote a while back: Blair Treu's films are characterized by a distinctive passion and charm that have earned this director critical praise and numerous awards. Treu graduated from Brigham Young University in 1985 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in theater. While at BYU, Treu won multiple Final Cut awards at the university's prestigious student film festival. According to the university's theater department alumni magazine, Audience, Treu "then went to work for the late Frank Wells, president of The Walt Disney Company. After leaving Disney, Blair directed dozens of award-winning short films." Treu's work at this time included industrial video, such as a project for Rocky Mountain Helicopters, based in Provo. Much of Treu's work has been directing the most challenging genre in Hollywood: family films and programming for young people. Treu has a knack for creating films that everyone can enjoy, without feeling that their intelligence is being insulted, their time wasted, or their sense of human decency assaulted. And they're genuinely funny, touching and entertaining films, as well. Treu's feature film debut as a director was Leucadia's Just Like Dad (1995). Shot entirely in Salt Lake City, this direct-to-video film was written by Wayne Allan Rice, who also wrote Only You and Suicide Kings, and produced The Paper Brigade; Lost & Found and Dude, Where's My Car?, among other projects. Ben Diskin (Kindergarten Cop, "Hey, Arnold!") stars as "Charlie," a boy embarrased by his somewhat nebbish father. Charlie's sympathetic dad is played by Wallace Shawn ("Grand Nagus Zek" from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", and a character actor from dozens of films, including The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Toy Story, All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 and The Princess Bride). Other cast members include Frank Gerrish ("Ralph" in Brigham City), Michael Flynn, Duane Stephens, Christy Summerhays, Elisabeth Lund and Nick Murdock. When Charlie meets Joe, a handsome, athletic and kind man without kids, he somehow convinces Joe to "stand in" for his father at a school picnic. Everything goes as planned at the picnic, but as Charlie attempts to extend this scheme, complications occur. Charlie ends up realizing there is nobody he admires more than his own plain-seeming but very admirable father. In 1995, Treu won the coveted Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival for Just Like Dad. Held yearly in Indianapolis, Indiana, the festival "was founded in 1991 to positively effect change in the film industry, awarding cash prizes and the Crystal Heart Award to independent filmmakers whose entries best combine production and artistic quality while meeting the Festival's statement of purpose: 'to recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life.' " In 1996, Treu's next film was also for Leucadia: Wish Upon a Star. This film was also shot in Salt Lake (in West Valley). This is a light-hearted family comedy. The lead characters are Alexia and Hayley, two sisters who seem to have little in common and rarely get along. Alexia is a fashion-driven airhead while Hayley is into science, math, and could be considered a nerd. One night Hayley sees a comet, and on a whim she wishes she could trade places with her sister. The next morning, her wish has come true and the expected hilarity ensues. It's not an original plot device, but it's done well here, and this is an enjoyable straight-to-video film. Wish Upon a Star was written by Los Angeles writer and screenwriter Jessica Barondes. (Barondes also wrote Lucy, a young adult novel that is part of the "Sweet 16" book series.) Wish Upon a Star stars Katherine Heigl (from "Roswell") and Danielle Harris (from "Roseanne") as the soul-switching sisters. M. Scott Wilkinson, in one of his biggest film roles, plays their father. Other cast members include Ivey Lloyd, Charles Metten, and Jacque Gray ("Sister Fronk" from God's Army). In 1997, Treu received his second Crystal Heart Award for Wish Upon a Star. Wish Upon a Star has been released on DVD and includes a commentary track by Blair Treu and the screenwriter. (Because it includes a commentary track, this may be the best item to check out for people who are particularly interested in this director's work and his insights.) Treu directed a third feature film for Leucadia in Salt Lake City: The Paper Brigade (1996). Written by Denice K. Rice, the film stars Kyle Howard as "Gunther Wheeler," a tough 14-year-old from New York City who finds himself an unhappy "fish out of water" when his family moves to the small town of Pleasant Valley. Things start looking up when he meets and is smitten by a beautiful local girl named Allison (Kylee Cochran). In order to impress her he decides to take her to a rock concert, but in order to do that, he has to earn money for the tickets. So he takes on a temporary job as a substitute paper boy. Michael Flynn (The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd) and Suzanne Barnes play Gunther's parents. Other cast members include Frank Gerrish, Mikey Peterson, Ethan Glazer, and Matthew Ness. For about three years between 1997 and 1999 Treu worked in Southern California as a television director. He primarily worked on episodes of "Power Rangers," the Saban Entertainment science fiction action series import from Japan. "Power Rangers Turbo" (1997), "Power Rangers In Space" (1998) and "Power Rangers Lost Galaxy" (1999) are yearly incarnations of essentially the same kids-oriented TV series. Most of the "Power Rangers" episodes that Treu directed were written by Judd Lynn. An example of Treu's "Power Rangers" work can be found in the 90-minute video movie "Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy: The Return of the Magna Defender." This direct-to-video film was a sort of sequel to the 1999 episode "Magna Defender", which first aired on April 3, 1999 and was directed by Koichi Sakamoto. Synopsis: "The Rangers, onboard the space colony Terra Venture, must keep the powerful Lights of Orion out of the hands of the evil Scorpious, and must contend with the former hero Magna Defender, who may be friend or foe." In 1999 Treu directed episodes of "Chicken Soup for the Soul", a PAX television series based on the immensely popular series of books created by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Treu's next feature length film was for the Disney Channel: Phantom of the Megaplex (2000). This film was written by screenwriter Stu Krieger, whose other credits include Disney's The Poof Point, two Don Bluth animated features -- A Troll in Central Park and The Land Before Time -- and other films. Grossbart/Barnett Productions produced the film in association with the Disney Channel. According to a Disney press release, the plot of Phantom of the Megaplex "follows one night in the life of 16-year-old Peter Riley, a teen-ager proud of his job at the local 26-screen megaplex. Tonight, the monstrous theater will play host to its first premiere gala, and everything is perfect until a string of peculiar occurrences awakens the myth of the Phantom. Peter finds himself in the middle of the melee, eventually unmasking the marauder and returning the theater to normal." Veteran actor Mickey Rooney is the film's best known cast member, but he is surrounded by other talented actors. Under Treu's direction, three of the movie's young cast members were nominated for Young Artist awards: Jacob Smith ("Best Performance in a TV Movie (Comedy or Drama) - Young Actor Age 10 or Under"), Taylor Handley ("Best Performance in a TV Movie (Comedy) - Leading Young Actor") and Caitlin Wachs ("Best Performance in a TV Movie (Comedy) - Supporting Young Actress"). Treu made another film shown on the Disney Channel: The Brainiacs.com (2000). This one was produced by PorchLight Entertainment, which produces the "Adventures from the Book of Virtues" television series. The plot has Michael Angarano's young character using his considerable intellect and the Internet to purchase his dad's toy company. Other cast members include Kevin Kilner, Alexandra Paul, Rich Little, Dom DeLuise, and Florence Stanley. In 2001 Treu won a third Crystal Heart Award for his dramatic feature film Secret Keeper. The screenplay for this film was written by Jessica Barondes, the writer of Treu's Wish Upon a Star. Secret Keeper also marks yet another collaboration between Treu and cinematographer Brian Sullivan. Their previous pictures together include Just Like Dad, Wish Upon a Star and The Paper Brigade. Secret Keeper stars Evan Rachel Wood (Simone), Michael Angarano ("Chance Arno" on the Utah-filmed TV series "Cover Me"), and David Gallagher ("Simon Camden" on the "7th Heaven" TV series). Other cast members include Vivica A. Fox (Two Can Play That Game), Rick Macy (Brigham City; Testaments), Paul Kiernan, Tayva Patch (Brigham City; Testaments), Caitlin Meyer, Haley McCormick (No More Baths), RuDee Lipscomb, and Erica Angarano. Secret Keeper was produced by Leucadia's Don Schain and distributed by Columbia TriStar. - -- Preston Hunter www.adherents.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 02:08:52 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] DAVIS, _The Other Side of Heaven_ (Desert News review) Friday, December 14, 2001 'Heaven' lacks depth of real story By Jeff Vice Deseret News movie critic THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN =97** 1/2 =97 Christopher Gorham, Anne Hathaway, Joe Folau, Miriama Smith, Nathaniel Lees, Whetu Fala, Al Fitisemanu; rated PG (violence, brief vulgarity, brief gore); Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons. "In the Eye of the Storm," the real-life account of the experiences of LDS General Authority John H. Groberg when he was a teenager serving a church mission to the Kingdom of Tonga, would make a great film. "The Other Side of Heaven," a good-looking but rather superficial adaptation of Elder Groberg's novel, is not that film. Not that it's terrible, mind you. In fact, the film's pleas for racial tolerance, compassion and service without expectation of reward are messages we need in these trying times. And during this weak cinematic year, a live-action movie you can actually take the whole family to is a welcome sight. But compared to what "The Other Side of Heaven" could have been =97 should have been =97 this drama is definitely something of a disappointment. We have probably come to expect little depth in most films, but considering the promising source material here, this one should do more than simply skim the surface. Television actor Christopher Gorham ("Popular") stars as the teenage Groberg, who is attending Brigham Young University in 1953 when he receives his mission call. Obviously, he's excited, although it means he must leave behind his true love, Jean Sabin (Anne Hathaway, from "The Princess Diaries"). His exuberance will soon serve him well, however, as the naive missionary-to-be has no idea what's really waiting for him in Tonga =97 starting with the journey there, which takes him nearly three very trying months. And when he finally does arrive, there's nobody waiting there to aid him, except for Feki (Joe Folau), a local who becomes his mission companion. Despite Feki's help, Elder Groberg has a lot of obstacles in his path, not the least of which is a language barrier =97 few of the Tongans speak English. And, of course, they're extremely skeptical about the odd newcomer in their midst. However, the elder quickly proves his worth. First, he does some intensive study to learn the language. Then when a tropical storm threatens to destroy the island, he's there to offer aid and comfort. He must also stay true to Jean, who's busy fighting off suitors of her own. And their long-distance commitment could be in real trouble when it appears that his mission could be extended. Admittedly, this is a handsomely mounted production that belies its $8 million budget =97 which may be large by independent- film standards, but which is extremely low for the industry as a whole. Especially impressive are the storm effects (nearly rivaling those in the much-pricier major-studio film "The Perfect Storm"). And to his credit, filmmaker Mitch Davis has filled out his cast with appealing fresh faces. As Groberg, Gorham has charm, though his too-good-to-be-true portrayal makes the character a bit bland. He's well-matched with Hathaway, who has to make their relationship= =20 seem believable without much screen time together. The biggest surprise is Folau, a charismatic newcomer whose presence would be welcome again. "The Other Side of Heaven" is rated PG for violence (forces of nature), brief mild vulgarity (a flatulence gag) and brief gore. Running time: 114 minutes. =A9 2001 Deseret News Publishing Company _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 23:08:45 -0500 From: Richard Johnson Subject: [AML] Novels and Stuff Actually, right after I pressed the send key, I thought that _One More River to Cross_ is probably more biography than novel. But Lund's characters aren't even real people. 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 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 23:01:33 -0500 From: Richard Johnson Subject: [AML] Novels and History I just went to a wedding at the Orlando temple and while there had one of my relatively infrequent visits to an LDS book store. It is quite a nice store, divided, like most stores into categories- - Inspiration --Self Help-- etc. I looked at the section of novels and fiction where I picked up the latest Dean Hughes book, then wandered over to the History section which was topped with one entire shelf of hard cover copies of all of the _Work and the Glory_ series, with a second shelf of soft cover versions and "book on tape" versions. Beneath that were three copies of Margaret Young"s historical novel _One More River to Cross_, then came Hugh Nibley, Truman Madsen, a couple of _FARMS_ things, etc. I questioned the young lady at the counter, expressing some doubt that these books should be placed in church history. I believe a made some comment about people trying to find the Steed home in Nauvoo. Her reply was "Of course they would not find it there". I pressed her on the reason they were shelved in the History section and her reply was "Well, It's not like they were novels." I assured here that, even with the research he did, that Lund would consider them novels. Her reply was "Well, the aren't, and I have a customer to take care of." I walked away somewhat saddened. Margaret, I considered your book a novel (well researched and important but ultimately a novel. Certainly I thing TWATG as novels. I am not sure what more to say, but I think its a little scary. 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 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 16:18:32 -0500 From: "robert lauer" Subject: Re: [AML] Acceptance of Mormon Lit (was: Critiques and Writer's Dreams) Harlow S. Clark wrote: >But, do we really want to think of our potential audience as having been >deceived by Satan? Sadly enough, I think that many Church members (artists among them) DO this. But I wonder if the truth of the matter is that many LDS artists either are indeed NOT as good as the artists "of the world," or if perhaps, they ARE as good, but they're simply ignorant about such things as agents, networking, distribution--the BUSINESS of producing, publishing, etc. Perhaps we (like all artists) FEEL very passionately about what we're doing. But whereas the "worldly" artist, when her/his work is rejected, feels that SHE/HE personally is being rejected personally, the Mormon artist, when rejected, deals with those same feeling but imagining that the GOSPEL is being rejected. The "worldly" artist pegs cultural Philistines as the culprits; the LDS artist pegs Satan and his cohorts. >I have often found non-Mormon audiences more receptive to my stories, and >the spirituality in them, than Mormon audiences. This has always been my experience. My first LDS play DIGGER was handled with kid gloves by the LDS/BYU artistic community. It was praised on one hand and given the 1982 Mayhew Award. As the Mayhew Award winner, it was to be produced on BYU's main stage the following year. (Up until that time, this had been the case.)But at the last moment, the play was dropped from the season because it was felt it might offend some Church members. This didn't surprise me. In fact, what DID surprise me was that BYU gave it an award and that individual faculty members praised my work--privately. One good professor even called me to his office and suggested that I transfer to another university because I had talent and (this makes my point)NON-MORMONS would probably be more supportive of my writing......ON MORMON TOPICS!!! DIGGER was produced that year as a Graduate Student production. And while this was going on, a secular theatre--The Generic Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia--was reading the play and considering it for production the following season as their annual new play selection. (They ended up not producing it, but not because it dealt with Mormonism.) Back in the early 1990's, a Utah-based publisher of LDS plays and musicals contacted me while I was living in New York City, requesting a copy of DIGGER; he had heard about it and had an eye towards handling the property. After reading it, he wrote me back saying that the play could never be produced by a Ward or Stake. "Who could possibly produce it?" he asked me. I wrote the play (which deals with Joseph Smith's courtship with Emma and his evolution from a frontier village seer/peep stone gazer into a prophet) as a piece of Americana. (Some people are Anglo-philes; I'm an early Americana-phile.) It never occurred to this particular LDS plat publisher that since Mormonism is America's most successful "homegrown" religion (if not it's ONLY homegrown religion), Americans in general might find the play somewhat interesting. (The Church is never mentioned in the script--since it hadn't been founded yet. The word "Mormon" doesn't appear in it, since Joseph had yet to be given the plates.In short, if one didn't know that Joseph Smith founded the LDS Church, you'd never know you were seeing a play dealing with the social roots of Mormonism.) In 1987, I finished my second LDS play THE BEEHIVE STATE. The reaction by all of my LDS friends at the time who read the script were negative. In 1988, it was produced by the Olde Theatre Company (Portsmouth, Virginia). The audience reactions were overwhelmingly positive. So were the reactions of the area critics. The play was a comedy/drama centered around post-Manifesto polygamy in a Provo, Utah family--the central character being the husband's first wife--a woman in late middle age. One critic said that this character's evolution in dealing with her faith was "one of the most moving and important issues to be dealt with in any area theatrical production this year." SUNSTONE published the play in 1989, and to this day, I have not had a single member of the Church mention the play to me. I'm not saying that either of my plays are "great theatre." They were early efforts and I think they are lacking in many respects. But when I see my--for lack of a better word--competition in the area of LDS playwriting during the 1980's, I'm a more than a little confused. My two LDS plays are in my writer's portfolio; I've submit them to theatres and production companies whenever I've applied for jobs or gone out for writing commissions. And most of the time, I've gotten the jobs. In the case of EVERY one of these writing jobs, the artistic director or producer doing the hiring has commented first and foremost on either DIGGER or BEEHIVE STATE--comment positively, that is. And so it is that I, a self-described Mormon writer, have written two Mormon plays that non-Mormons have tended to appreciate and find interesting and entertaining, but which Mormons have completely rejected--or even worse--ignored. One more thing: Remember that awful (or so I thought) TV movie from 1995 AVENGING ANGEL about Brigham Young's fictional Danite body-guard? The New York Times began their negative review of the film by stating how much dramatic potential the "little know story of the Mormons" has. The review ended lamenting--and I paraphrase--"some day some one is going to discover the story of the Mormons and make a great film. Unfortunately AVENGING ANGELS is not that film." I'll end beating the same dead horse that I always end up smacking around: the "world" is a lot more open-minded and ready for Mormon art than many of us even imagine. And I'm not talking of art that tries to pass itself off as "Christian" or "Evangelical" in nature--that is propaganda in which the artist is trying to convince the world to bestow upon the Church the coveted (Why?!)label of "Christian." Perhaps too often we LDS artists are tempted to walk out into the ring waving our hands over our heads and shouting, "Please like me! Please! You see, Mormons are people just like you! Mormons are Christians, too!" Apologia can never be the foundation of high art. Apologia comes from a place of self-perceived weakness and inferiority. Art comes from a place of values being celebrated--not values being merely explained or defended. How much better off we might be if we just threw out the Church vs. the world paradigm and immersed ourselves in creating works that embrace our unique beliefs, customs and cultures; works built on the foundational concept that we ARE a peculiar people--DIFFERENT from others--and that we're perfectly okay--even happy--about it. ROB. LAUER _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 19:31:39 -0700 From: James Wilson Subject: Re: [AML] Do We Have to Like Our Characters? It has been done but not always well. Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos is a good example. It's epistolary and the characters are all pretty contemptible, though it's questionable whether Laclos despised them as much as he pretended. He certainly does claim to hold them all in contempt but that might have been politics talking. The book is a 'classic,' though I can't stand it myself. On the other hand I'm a big Jane Austen fan and I don't like her epistolary stuff either. James Wilson - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 13:25:33 -0500 From: "Tracie Laulusa" Subject: Re: [AML] A Curious Letter from Horizon? Richard, I don't understand this view at all. Of course contacting Horizon would get him in trouble. And it seems to me that he should be in trouble. I think it's very bad business for someone to hijack professional communication to promote a personal agenda. And to do it in such a manner--with scriptural references or what have you--in any other business scheme it would mark it as a scam in my book. If someone was trying to sell you something else using the same tactics would you view their efforts with the same leniancy? You say he's clumsy but well meaning. Where do his good intentions lie? With the author? I don't think so. At least not from what Jana related. He is preying on the emotions of a would-be author. If this friend of his wants business he should go about it in a more legitimate matter. If Horizon thought it was ok to refer authors to this editor they could say so themselves. Since the employee feels the need to do it in such a shady manner he must know that it is not something he should really be doing. If I was 'the powers that be" as Horizon I would fire this person without a qualm. [Tracie Laulusa] - ----- Original Message ----- Again, please do NOT contact Horizon. It will only get Brent in trouble and he's a well-meaning, if clumsy, individual. Thanks. Richard Hopkins - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 19:48:00 -0700 From: "Amy Chamberlain" Subject: Re: [AML] Do We Have to Like Our Characters? Well, the story that came immediately to my mind is by Don Marshall, in his collection of short stories called _The Rummage Sale_. You're probably familiar with it. The story itself stars a young woman, desperate to marry and leave her somewhat hum-drum life, and consists of her letters to a missionary and his letters back. The characters themselves are really pretty laughable without meaning to be. Can't remember the name of the story, but I'm sure someone out there can. Amy - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 18:50:01 -0700 From: Barbara Hume Subject: RE: [AML] Slogging Through... At 05:42 PM 12/10/01, you wrote: >Think of the Scriptures - who hasn't had to slog >through the Isaiah portion of the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi I've gotten so that that part actually makes sense to me. It's Chapter 5 of Jacob that kills me--isn't that the endless discussion of the tame and wild olive trees? But an LDS writer named Terry made that the chapter that converted an evangelist's son to the Church. Terry's series--Out of Darkness, Into the Light, and--and--I forget the name of the third--was an interesting fictional approach to the subject of converting people. Speaking of the Isaiah part--surely everyone here has heard the story of the LDS soldier with his BoM in his uniform pocket? Barbara R. Hume Provo, Utah - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 11:13:59 -0700 From: "Annette Lyon" Subject: [AML] Re: Story Beginnings This entire thread is something I've been struggling with recently. After reading one of my manuscripts, I had several people tell me that I started the action too quickly, before they got to care for the main character. They each advised me to basically back up and let them get to know her first. At first I tried that, but I ended up adding what amounted to three chapters of padding. I think I solved the problem with that particular story by some serious cutting and them juggling of other story elements and such. But now I'm stuck trying to figure out how to start my next novel, where a character must undergo a lot of turmoil and change because of a major turning point in her life. But can I start with the turning point itself? Don't I have to establish the status quo and the character before the change can occur? (Otherwise, how can the full trauma of the turning point be known to the reader?) How much time do I get to do to establish the background? A paragraph? A page? A couple of pages? A chapter? Or do I rely on clunky backflashes to show what life was like before the event? Jumping into the middle of a dramatic moment is always the pat advice, but somehow I think that works better for thrillers and other action-driven stories, rather than character-driven ones. Any ideas? Annette Lyon - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 16:23:30 -0800 From: "Jerry Tyner" Subject: RE: [AML] A Curious Letter from Horizon? (comp 2) >>Richard wrote: "Again, please do NOT contact Horizon. It will only get >>Brent in trouble and he's a well-meaning, if clumsy, individual. Thanks." >>speaking of Brent Hendrickson. >Perhaps, Richard, if you really expect her not to contact Horizon, you >ought to offer to speak to Brent and let him know that his behavior is >unprofessional and could get easily get him fired. Something needs to >be done to correct the situation and speaking to Horizon is the obvious >course of action. If you don't want that to happen because of some >personal liking for Mr. Hendrickson, then take responsibility for it and >offer to speak to him yourself. >-Ethan Skarstedt I think Ethan and a couple of others have the right course here. Richard - You need to speak to your friend and tell him to not do this. Personally I probably would have pulled out the hammer first thing and called Horizon but this post from Ethan stilled my heat and made me think. If your friend wants to do this extra curricular reading he needs to clear it with the proper authorities and not do this on his own (I would guess for some kind of referral fee?). Unprofessional behavior no matter how well meaning should never be allowed to continue. Richard - Just as a side light...I would print some of this string and show him how close he has come to getting fired or at the very least reprimanded and put on probation. Jerry Tyner=20 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 14:22:03 -0700 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: RE: [AML] Do We Have to Like Our Characters? With this kind of writing, you can sometimes detect the real author projecting information through the narrating character but not having the narrating character recognize the information for what it is--in other words, the narrator is a clueless sieve for the author's agenda. Yes, some people do fail to recognize the details of their lives as clear patterns of stupidity or cruelty or whatever (my ex-wife comes to mind), but unless handled extremely well the narrating character can become the author's puppet rather than a real person. Chris Bigelow - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 14:35:30 -0800 (PST) From: "R.W. Rasband" Subject: Re: [AML] Do We Have to Like Our Characters? - --- "Eric D. Snider" wrote: > I am working on a bit of narrative fiction, which I have not done in a > long, > long time. The question I put before the panel is this: > > Is it possible to have a successful work of fiction in which the > protagonist, through whose eyes the story is told, is someone for whom > the > author clearly has nothing but contempt? > Evelyn Waugh, of course, who wrote the great misanthropic satires "The Loved One", "A Handful of Dust", and "Vile Bodies." The perspectives in these novels shift between omniscient narrators and hateful first-person narrators. A woman once asked Waugh "How can you write such monstrous things about people and call yourself a Christian?" He replied, "Madam, if it was not for my faith I would scarcely be human at all." Also Tom Wolfe. His books are full of healthy, life-affirming contempt, especially "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and the non-fiction masterpiece "Radical Chic." He is gifted at hilariously entering the minds of thoroughly obnoxious people. ===== R.W. Rasband Heber City, UT rrasband@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 14:11:51 -0800 From: "Jerry Tyner" Subject: RE: [AML] Dyer's Talk What is the date of this particular talk by Dyer? Jerry Tyner=20 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 15:15:45 -0700 From: "Ethan Skarstedt" Subject: RE: [AML] Do We Have to Like Our Characters? Eric D. Snider:=20 "Is it possible to have a successful work of fiction in which the=20 protagonist, through whose eyes the story is told, is someone for whom the=20 author clearly has nothing but contempt?" I would be leery of a story where the author's contempt for the protagonist causes the readers to have contempt for the protagonist as well. I'm fine with reading about villains I have contempt for but not about such protagonists. I can't get interested in them. Now, satire on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish. A truly vicious and bitingly insightful satire is something in which contempt for the protagonist is a good thing. I would buy a work like that by Eric on spec. "Can anyone think of any other examples, or give any other suggestions on=20 this sort of thing?" Dumb and Dumber's humor worked for me but then, I had sympathy for the characters. (and more empathy than I generally like to admit) =20 - -Ethan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 14:35:37 -0700 From: rwilliams Subject: RE: [AML] Do We Have to Like Our Characters? Eric writes: >Is it possible to have a successful work of fiction in which the >protagonist, through whose eyes the story is told, is someone for whom the >author clearly has nothing but contempt? >Can anyone think of any other examples, or give any other suggestions on >this sort of thing? A few suggestions: You might try a strange little book by Steve Brewer called "Lonely Street." It's one in a series of books about a rather clumsy detective named Bubba Mabry. In this episode, Bubba is hired to be a bodyguard for a local "celebrity." (Turns out the celebrity is Elvis himself. It's pretty funny). I think Brewer is constantly making fun of his "hero" Bubba, but I'm not sure he harbors any real "contempt" for him. It strikes me as the same type of satirical mockery done in "Waiting for Guffman," where, as ridiculous as these people are, you still end up somewhat enamored by them. And in the same genre, another interesting narrator/author conflict shows up in Agatha Christie's _Murder of Roger Ackroyd_, where....well, I won't spoil it for you, but trust me, it's brilliant. Just email me personally if you want a real synopsis without reading the book. (I'd feel like I was giving away the plot to "The Sixth Sense" if I explained exactly how the book is relevant to your question, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone). You also might be interested in an essay by Peter Rabinowitz, "Truth in Fiction: A Critical Examination of Audiences," published in _Critical Inquiry_ 4 (1977) pp. 121-141. It's not as fun to read as the aforementioned suggestions, but it does investigate the theoretical implications of the kind of narrative voice you are crafting. Best of luck. I look forward to reading it. - --John Williams - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 14:01:28 -0700 From: Barbara Hume Subject: Re: [AML] Do We Have to Like Our Characters? AIs it possible to have a successful work of fiction in which the protagonist, through whose eyes the story is told, is someone for whom the author clearly has nothing but contempt? The first thing that pops into my mind is a poem: Robert Browning's "Soliloquiy in a Spanish Cloister." The first-person narrator is excoriating another person whom he detests, but is unaware that with every word he gives away his own moral corruption. Browning was good at that. Normally, though, I don't read long works whose protagonist is disgusting. I want to read about people with whom I can sympathize. I want the central character to be someone I can root for. I don't why people want to go to movies about criminals. (So you probably give Ocean's 11 a high rating.) barbara hume - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #549 ******************************