From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #585 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 Wednesday, January 23 2002 Volume 01 : Number 585 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 03:10:11 -0700 From: "Sharlee Glenn" Subject: Re: [AML] Garbled Sayings Chris Bigelow wrote: > I have a novel character who always mixes up or conflates common sayings. > guess these are sort of glorified malapropisms, which are usually more > substituting one word for another, aren't they? ("Polo bears" instead of > polar bears, "Remember Pearl Island" instead of harbor, etc.) Ah, my mother was a master at this. Unfortunately, I seem to have inherited her propensity toward the "glorified malapropism." I justify myself to my husband (who finds great amusement in my verbal blunders) by claiming that my mixed metaphors and bungled cliches result from a deep-seated rejection of hackneyed phrases and an unconscious impulse toward originality! :-) Let's see . . . . Some of my mother's triumphs were: 1) Dead as a bat out of Hades. 2) Colder than snot 3) Let's get this ball on the road! 4) I've got a bone to grind Sharlee Glenn glennsj@inet-1.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 21:25:13 -0700 From: "J. Scott Bronson" Subject: [AML] Re: J. Scott BRONSON, _Stones_ (Pt. 2) [MOD: This is the second part of a post I have split into two parts for length reasons.] The work is based on two stories, Abraham's revelation to Isaac that Isaac is to be the sacrifice, [That part of the play is not the focal point as far as I'm concerned, but everyone gets to be touched in their own way. I'll bet that in three years or some other time down the road, after Darlene has become another person due to the additional time she has spent on the planet, if she were to see the play again, it might be about something else.] and Christ's revelation to his own mother of what he is going to go through for the sake of the world. And yet these stories are just background, really, because the work is actually about so many things that affect all of us. What is it like to be a parent who does not have all the answers? How does it feel to tell someone you love about pain that they or you must go through? How do you relieve a good mother of mother-guilt? How do you help your children forgive each other? What does it feel like to bring yourself to do something hard, something you never thought you could find the strength to do? There were some utterly beautiful moments in this work. There were some utterly agonizing moments in this work. What more could you want? [Somebody asked me once what my overall goal is with my writing. Not thinking very deeply at the time I said, "Emotionally, I want to pick you up and slam you against this wall. Then, just as you have slid to the floor I want to pick you up again and slam you against the other wall." To a certain extent, that is still my goal, but I don't think I would couch it in such visceral terms nowadays ... wait a minute. Yes, I would.] The acting was breathtaking. All three actors had some supreme moments. I will not soon forget any of the performances. Especially moving to me was the grief of the mother (played by Kathryn Laycock Little) in the first moments of the second play. She communicated, first in complete silence and later in the most realistic, heart-wrenching sobs I've ever heard in theater, the pain of being parted from her mate. Scott was especially good as Joseph, bringing more depth to my understanding of how difficult it must have been for the real Joseph to parent this remarkable child--the turmoil of feeling humbled by the child that he must teach and correct. And remembering Elwon Bakly as Christ in Gethsemene gives me shivers even as I write this. Excellent, excellent actors, all three. [Thank you very much.] This work reminded me a little of listening to Neal A. Maxwell speak: I kept wishing I could pause the action and rewind to the last sentence to ponder it for fifteen minutes before I moved on--just so I wouldn't miss anything. [This is very high praise indeed. I love listening to Elder Maxwell speak. He reminds me of John Leonard, the guy who does reviews for Sunday Morning on CBS. Every time he finishes one of his little segments my wife says, "So, did he like it or didn't he? I can never tell." Every time Elder Maxwell finishes a talk she says, "If I could understand what he just said I might feel guilty about something." To be associated with Elder Maxwell in any context is a thrill.] There were so many thought-provoking lines that I was scribbling madly to get them down. Joseph's lecture to the boy Jesus after the temple episode was one of the best parent lectures I've ever heard, extremely well-written and thought-provoking. Mary's conversation with Jesus was so realistic in its depiction of a mother's insecurities. Every woman desires to be given proof of what she has done right as a mother--don't just say I am a good mother; tell me how! And Jesus does: (paraphrase) "You were always there, teaching us to ask, 'How do you know she meant it that way?' 'Could I be wrong about this?'" He shows a masterful understanding of a woman's heart. Also in this conversation, Mary's description of the effect on her of the knowledge of Jesus' upcoming pain was eloquent: "If you tell me [of what will happen] today, it happens today, and every day until I die!" [That's a line I wrote in the PTC greenroom. Here is the exchange in more detail: SON--I will bear the weight ... the pain ... the sorrow, the guilt of all the sins, of all the people, of all the times, of all the worlds ... at one moment. MOTHER--No. SON--Yes. MOTHER--No man can do that. SON--But the Son of Man will. MOTHER--Don't. Please don't. It will kill you --. SON--No --. MOTHER--I can't bury my husband and my son on the same day --. SON--It won't kill me. And it's not going to happen today. MOTHER--Yes it is. (Pause.) If you tell me today ... it happens today. And every day until I die. I ran to the two ladies who were also in "Wait Until Dark," Tayva Patch and Wendy Hoop, and asked them if that last line sounded like a mother comment. They said that it did. I had to ask because the line didn't really make any logical sense to my mind, but it seemed like something that would make a whole lot of sense to a feminine mind. (No hate mail please ... listen, we're different from each other in many ways, not just appearance.)] Later she asks, "Is there no other way?" And, of course, Jesus answers, "There is no other way." Amazing words with a familiar ring . . . The sets and costumes were so minimal as to be non-existent. A very effective choice. In this way, the people and the story were emphasized and, what's more, made timeless and universal. [One of the choices that was made in that seven-year period between Idea and Writing, and for exactly the reasons that Darlene has described.] The language, too, was meant to be transparent, I think, although there were occasional slips into biblical or "higher" language that were a little stilted--distracting (words like "deed," for example). [Actually, the language was meant to be elevated and poetic without sounding archaic or stilted or obviously "biblical." As we got going with rehearsals we found a few places where the product did not follow the intent. I changed things often, sometimes playing with certain speeches or lines right in performance to see how different things sounded and to try to get a sense of what worked for the audience and what didn't.] The lighting functioned only as a signal of flashbacks and was also very effective. The flashback structure was perfect, the transitions smooth and interesting. My only real complaint about this work is that at times I felt Scott was shying away from the potential power and fierceness, of the work. The father in the first play could have shown even more agony. I picture Abraham sobbing through the difficult revelation to his son of who was going to be the sacrifice. [As an actor I rejected that choice because that moment comes within the first fifteen minutes of a forty minute play. That would have left me with nowhere to go emotionally. The director part of me agreed with that choice for the same reason. The writer me agreed as well, for that reason, and another, more abstract or philosophical reason. Because of the way men think. Oh, okay, because of the way that I think men think. It is my experience that men are more detached emotionally from Ideas. I suppose that I could outline the entire thought process that the Father goes through in the play but that would be really boring I think for anyone who is not a hardcore thespian and would be valuable to a very small group of people. Let's face it, there are probably only two or three people still reading this "response" at this point anyway. But, back to the point; despite the fact that the Father has had a close call himself as the subject of a human sacrifice, in this situation I don't think he really believes that his son will even come close to that happening because they believe in a god who just doesn't do that kind of thing. Throughout most of the action the Father is hoping -- as the Son says: What I want to believe is that somehow we can go through with this ... and I won't have to die -- that in this one instance, the miracle can precede faith. The emotion that IS in the revelatory scene that Darlene is disappointed with is only there because of the altar. This moment comes when the Father has actually made physical effort himself to bring to pass the sacrifice of his son. The Father has actually helped to put a stone in place ... and no angel came to stop them. This is when the abstract Idea begins to take real Form. This is when he begins to see himself pulling out the knife and performing the deed. (Sorry, Darlene, but I like that word because of the double meaning: A feat or exploit, and a legal document containing a bargain or contract.) I guess this aspect of the play represents a deeply held belief of mine that the Lord really doesn't bless us until we've built the "altar" and laid our work upon it. We can't just talk about what's right and wrong ... we have to act ... or be acted upon. Even with all of that said in my own defense, Darlene's reaction is not wrong, because she's right -- I was holding back, but not for the same reasons that she thought. Which doesn't really matter, for when we see a movie or play, or read a book or stand in front of a painting or sculpture for awhile or hear a symphony, blah, blah, blah, we don't usually care two figs what the artist's intent was. And if we happen to know what the artist's intent was we are always free to reject it. The author of "Agnes of God" believes that Agnes's pregnancy was an immaculate conception. I don't. And yet, the plays works for me. There have been many times when I have rejected the artist's intent. So, it would be supercilious of me to not allow others to do the same with my work. The best example of this that I can think of with my own work is Eric Snider's review of the 1999 ARTE production of "Lion in Winter." He criticized my performance for being too paternal. He thought I was lacking in regal bearing. Exactly the thing I wanted him to see. I thought that was the point of the play. Sure, Henry is king, but he's also a dad with some pretty nasty sons who disappoint him at every turn. I played Henry as a man who was desperately trying to escape the responsibilities of being king without giving up any of the power. Eric thought that was the wrong way to go. That's fine.] The point of revelation more than the actual administration of the killing blow is, I would think, the most agonizing moment for Abraham. [Maybe in another version of the story. Not this one.] And it is just this revealing of pain to a loved one that is so well contrasted in the second play. We compare Abraham's agony to the agony the empathetic Christ feels on behalf of his mother at the loss of her son. I would have liked to see more intensity from Abraham (although it was quite intense already). And I think Scott dulled the intensity of the absolute climax of the work, an extremely tense scene in which Christ foresees/experiences the agonies of Gethsemene--he added background music. The particular music he chose [is] unfortunate because it is so commonly overplayed in Utah. [Overplayed in what context? It's just possible I don't get out enough, but I've never heard "Silent Night" played as background music for any production of any play I've seen.] If he must add music to this scene--and I think that is a mistake--it should be something we don't already recognize. [I knew that scoring this scene would be risky. I knew that I would lose some people with that choice. But, my intuition told me that I would gain more than I'd lose. And I chose "Silent Night" for very specific reasons. 1) Earlier in the play the Mother says: "It's ironic, but I imagine some day people will celebrate your birth. There will be songs written about the beauty of that holy night. About the angels who sang. About the kings from the east, and the shepherds and the inn. But no one will sing about the blood and the pain and the sweat and the pain and the tears and that incredible pain. But it was all a part of it. They'll sing about the manger and the gently lowing cattle, but they won't sing about the hearty scent of animal dung. About the grunting and the groaning. They will see your birth as a miracle and they will assume that it was silent and easy. They won't ever imagine that you came into this world just like every other babe that is born, through the bloody, watery womb of a screeching, straining mortal woman of flesh and bone." There are obvious allusions to the quintessential Christmas song in that speech. I really like it when stories and plays and novels are able to create cycles in the dramatic structure. I like it when they end where they began, but a level or two above the original starting point. So I try to make my own work do that whenever I can. I brought the song into the audience's mind with that speech in its original context -- the Savior's birth -- with a bit of a twist, then brought it back later in a new context -- the Savior's atonement. I didn't have the benefit of dialogue to help me do that, so I played the song. 2) I liked the juxtaposition. played 75 seconds of calm, peaceful music as Elwon did an extraordinary job of approximating the infinite suffering of the night that Christ became a god. Elwon's pain seemed real which, I felt, might have been too uncomfortable for a majority of my audience, and would have made it harder for them to stay with the play when the scene was over. 3) I liked the dichotomy of the lyrics of the song apposite and opposite the event of the atonement: Silent night/Holy night. While Elwon wasn't screaming by any means, the presence of so much pain is hardly silent, though it is holy. All is calm/All is bright; again, not a calm event, but certainly bright with promise. Skip the next line and go to; Holy infant so tender and mild. In the infancy of godhood, he is tender in his love and will be mild in his presentation of it, but that which makes him God the Father (his suffering) isn't mild or tender to his body. Now, I don't expect many, if any at all, to get any of that from one viewing of the play. As I said in #2 above, the main reason I think I put that song in was so that the audience would have something to hold onto while I forced them to watch something that I think very few of us have even tried to imagine, let alone depict on stage. That being the case though, I still wouldn't have done it if the other reasons weren't there to back me up artistically. And again, anyone is free to disagree. It actually took a bit of doing for me to convince myself that I should do it. So, I don't expect that anyone who is troubled or put off by the choice to be convinced otherwise by my reasoning, or any other reasoning for that matter.] This is the only scene in the work that is accompanied by music. I assume the music was added to remind us of the ultimate purpose of the agony and its relation to us [Partly ...] - --but I can't help thinking that it was also meant to dull the pain of an excruciating scene. [... that too ...] Watching this scene was extremely uncomfortable. But imagine the power of forcing the audience to experience this discomfort, which seems to go on and on, in silence. I think the fierceness of such a moment would increase the work's power immensely. [My experience in the theatre -- in Utah County theatre particularly -- makes me pretty sure that it would have been too powerful for most audiences. I think it is a rare individual who could take that scene without a bit of a buffer.] Already, though, the moment is one of the finest I've seen in drama and particularly in Mormon drama. The skill of Mr. Bakly was, as I mentioned before, absolutely amazing. I will not soon forget this scene. [And so I didn't completely lose you either. And, hopefully I retained some that I otherwise might have lost.] Summing up, this is a work that the audience doesn't just view and be entertained. This is a work to experience. In one of my favorite parts of the work, Joseph explains to the young Jesus that one of the ways we must learn in this life is through experience. In fact, some things MUST be experienced. An important doctrinal point, I think, and one that provides a good interpretation of how a young Jesus could learn and grow--and even possibly make mistakes that are not sins--and still remain a flawless lamb. [One of the driving themes for me in the play. This was a person who GREW in wisdom, who received not a fulness at first, but grace for grace, someone who BECAME a god through the experiences he endured. Everything good is gained by process, not discovery.] (Although my husband disagreed about Christ's capacity to make mistakes, and we had an energetic debate about the question all the way back to Salt Lake--just another example of the thought-provoking nature of the work.) So, we must learn by experience. And here is an experience that I recommend for anyone not afraid of the pain of learning something new and fierce. Go, experience this work, and become a deeper, more powerful person. [I hope that it can do that for many people. That is the intent of the author.] [Scott Bronson] - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 11:22:00 -0500 From: "Debra Brown" Subject: [AML] Fw: MN News Briefs: Kent Larsen 20Jan02 US NY NYC X1 News Briefs 1. Gladys Knight Performing in Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Headline entertainer Gladys Knight will begin an open-ended run of performances starting February 12th at the Flamingo in her hometown, Las Vegas. Knight will perform seven shows over five nights each week with tickets running $45 and $55. Knight has apparently taken more of a financial stake in the run than normal, according to Flamingo Vice President of Marketing, Randy Sears, "It's more of a partnership between us and Gladys." Knight has performed short stints at Vegas hotels in the past, and in 2000 starred in a longer run of the musical 'Smokey Joe's Cafe' at Caesars Palace. "I'm a homebody. I love being at home," Knight said at the time. She has been a resident of Las vegas since the 1970s and joined the LDS Church after her son, James Newman, introduced the Church to her. Newman, who managed Knight's affairs, died of bilateral pneumonia in 1999. Source: Gladys Knight begins open-ended run at Flamingo Las Vegas NV Review-Journal 15Jan02 A2 2. LDS Filmmaker Draws on Mormon legends OREM, UTAH -- A forthcoming LDS-oriented film by director Rob Sibley includes Mormon pioneer legends woven into the plot. Sibley, who is directing his first feature film, includes lost treasure, disappearing wagon trains and Montezuma sending his gold to Kanab in the film. The film was written by Sibley five years ago, and is aimed at a general audience. "There's nothing embarrassing that makes Mom and Dad cringe," Sibley said. "It's a compelling mystery: What happened to the pioneers and the treasure?" Sibley is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and as a youth was fascinated with Church history, "We have a tie to the Book of Mormon in the story," he said. "I have no desire to preach in my TV and filmmaking work, but if by watching this movie people go and pick up the Book of Mormon, my objective has been reached." The film will be released on video soon, and Sibley has modest hopes for it, "Mormon moviedom is in its infancy. I have no idea what the market is. Our goal is to make the money we invested back and a little bit more so we can continue doing this." Source: Director draws on local legends for inspiration Provo UT Daily Herald pgC1 12Jan02 A2 http://www.harktheherald.com/article.php?sid=36191 By Karen Hoag 7. LDS Woman's Website Boosts Self Esteem PROVO, UTAH -- Anne Bright, a Utah-based LDS Church member, has brought her considerable training and experience to bear in helping children gain self esteem. She has started www.bzlearning.com to produce products that promote happiness in family life, self-esteem, and the ability to use free agency wisely when making life's choices. She hopes to eventually use the website to open a childcare center. Bright's experience comes in part from her fourth child, Becky, who was born with Cystic Fibrosis. Soon after Becky's birth, her husband left the family, and Anne was forced to work to support the family. Eventually, her daughter's condition worsened to the point that she had to stop work, and seek medical assistance. That led to a difficult choice, "After much prayerful thought," she says, "I felt guided to replace my job with further study. I took a degree in Psychology." She completed her degree, and eventually started lecturing on social work and child development. Then Becky passed away, and Anne spent a long time healing from her daughter's tragic death. Eventually, as she recovered, "I began to feel guilty for sitting on ideas for products that could benefit the world," she recalls. "It was especially difficult to work on them because it was a reminder that Becky was no longer there to help and enjoy the results. Then I became aware that she, of all people, would want me doing things that would bring happiness to others and myself. So I began again, with the Lord's help bringing to reality those ideas Becky and I had designed together." Now BZ Learning produces easy to use, books, posters, coloring books, paper dolls and games to help a child's self-esteem grow as he learns, through play, the joy of working and communicating his feelings and emotions with others. Source: Single Mother of Five Helps Children Gain Self-Esteem Mahonri.org 17Jan02 I2 http://www.mahonri.org/story/2002/1/17/222014/259 By Anne Bradshaw >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: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 09:56:59 -0700 From: Barbara Hume Subject: Re: [AML] Garbled Sayings At 03:55 PM 1/18/02, you wrote: >Do any others come to mind? If you hear any in the future and happen to >remember my request, I'm collecting them. You should sign up for the Dilbert Newsletter on the Dilbert site. It usually includes some garbled sayings that corporate bosses have used in their efforts to inspire the peons. barbara hume - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 11:01:40 -0700 (MST) From: Ivan Angus Wolfe Subject: Re: [AML] Annual Movie Tabulation > This is not one of this year's films, but did anyone like "The Fifth > Element?" > Cathy (Gileadi) Wilson Yep. Wish it would have done better, Luc Besson (the guy who wrote/directed/etc.) had a great universe it was written in - I've read some of his ideas for his future universe, and he had enough for a few more good, solid movies. I also loved Chris Tucker as Ruby Red - it was so over the top that I laughed the whole time. I know many people are annoyed by him, but he's one of my favorite actors. - --Ivan Wolfe - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 11:50:56 -0700 From: Marny Parkin Subject: Re: [AML] Life, the Universe, & Everything XX (SF Symposium at BYU) I just found out about the updated web page for LTU&E at http://humanities.byu.edu/ltue. This is the official site (now that they have it working.) Marny - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 14:44:53 -0700 From: Kathy Fowkes Subject: Re: [AML] Prayer Before Reading Somewhat similar. I have a friend who is a psychologist, a family therapist. He was asked to be an expert witness in a number of obscenity trials over a period of time. This was very difficult for him because it required him to view the offensive pornography in question in order to testify. He didn't really want to be an expert witness, but the impression of the Spirit was that the Lord wanted him to do this, so he prayed mightily that the material he had to view would not harm him. It was still extremely difficult for him to watch that garbage, but he was able to do the work the Lord required of him in that capacity without any lasting harm or darkness remaining with him as a result. Kathy Fowkes Mesa, AZ ________________________________________________________________ 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/web/. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 14:54:43 -0700 From: Kathy Fowkes Subject: Re: [AML] Annual Movie Tabulation On Fri, 18 Jan 2002 22:27:02 -0700 Thom Duncan writes: > Kathy Fowkes wrote: > > > It isn't a "this year" movie, but just on the basis of worst movie > of the > > decade, my vote is on Titanic. > > The way to enjoy Titanic is to skip past the first hour and a half > to > the part where the boat sinks. From then it's pretty good. > > Thom Duncan LOL! I agree completely. You've described exactly how we finally compromised with our kids on this movie--they got to see the cool special affects they wanted to see, and I got to keep them from viewing what I thought was the stupidest attempt at romantic fiction I've ever seen in film since "Endless Love." Kathy Fowkes Mesa, AZ ________________________________________________________________ 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/web/. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 19:17:19 -0500 From: "robert lauer" Subject: Re: [AML] Ayn RAND, _Atlas Shrugged_ Of Ayn Rand's novels, Nan McCulloch wrote: > >I believe the appeal of Ayn Rand was the context of the *political times* >in >which she wrote; the fear and loathing of Communism on one end of the >spectrum with her radical, conservative message at the other end. I can't >imagine that reading this novel today could possibly have the same impact >as >it did back then. > I can say for myself and for dozens of people that I know (all of whom first read Rand's novel in the 1990's) the books DO indeed have a great impact. Though dismissed for decades by Conservatives (such as William F. Buckley) and Liberals (like the majority of others in the media), there is a growing respect for Rand's novels and--more importantly--her philosophy and metaphysics (especially among younger neo-conservatives). I'd suggest that every writer (and artist) read the book WHAT ART IS. This 2000 book by two art critics (who are not Objectivists) explores Rand's metaphysics in relation to her rejection of Modernism (and if she were still alive, one would assume her rejection of Post-Modernism.) Also in the past three years, Rand's private classes on writing have been published in two volumes: one on writing fiction and the other on writing non-fiction. Their titles are THE ART OF WRITING FICTION and THE ART OF WRITING NON-FICTION. Also her philosophic essay on the nature and purpose of art, entitled THE ROMANTIC MANIFESTO, is also very thought provoking. In short, Rand's philosophy is finally being taken seriously. (If you go to Disney World's EPCOT Center and visit the United States pavilion--a replica of Liberty Hall--a quote from THE FOUNTAINHEAD celebrating individualism is on a brass plate in the center of the wall facing the buildings main entrance. When Rand's philosophy is quoted by Disney as an example of American virtue, I'd say that's pretty mainstream.) As for Rand's novels being the product of the Cold War era (the 1950's), this isn't quite true. Having escaped from Communist Russia in 1926, Rand wrote her first two novels (WE THE LIVING and ANTHEM) in the mid-1930's--the so-called "Red Decade" because the various Communist parties in the USA (The American Communist Party and The Communist Party of America). In fact, publishers rejected Rand's novel in the 30's because they were too critical of socialist theory, which was very popular. Rand began working on THE FOUNTAINHEAD in the late 1930's and in was published in the very early 40's during World War II. (The Cold War hadn't even begun yet.) Only ATLAS SHRUGGED (published in the 50's) was written and published during the Cold War era. Interestingly enough, though this era was one of rabid anti-communism, ATLAS SHRUGGED received a majority of bad reviews. On the other hand, THE FOUNTAINHEAD (the product of the "Red Decade") was a critical success and is today regarded as a classic of 20th century American literature. So it is in fact difficult to make the case that Rand's success as a novelist was because of the era in which she lived. Even if the dates did add up, that doesn't explain the growing popularity of her works. (ANTHEM is now required reading by many US High Schools--both public and private, secular and religious.) For more about Rand's life and works, I suggest that you watch the 1998 Academy Award nominated documentary A SENSE OF LIFE. This is an excellent, critically acclaimed biography of Rand. ROB. LAUER _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 19:59:53 -0500 From: "robert lauer" Subject: Re: [AML] Ayn RAND, _Atlas Shrugged_ Eric wrote: >Here's my question, though, for all y'all that like Ayn Rand: How are her >ideas different from Korihor's? I really want to know. Where did Korihor get his ideas? When finally confronted, he admitted that he received them through supernatural means. Which means that even Korihor himself didn't believe what he was saying. I readily admit that Rand's philosophy seems to contradict much in The Book of Mormon--but then, so does much of the theology of the D&C, PEARL OF GREAT PRICE. (For instance, The Book of Mormon declares there is only one God--in existence--not "only one God as far as we're concerned." The Book of Mormon also preaches a bit of Hell fire, stressing that one can't repent after one dies. This doesn't exactly mesh with the doctrine of Salvation for the Dead.) What intrigues me most about Rand are her metaphysics. She rejects the idea that there can be a non-material existence (so called "Spiritual Existence.") Joseph Smith taught the same thing when he wrote in the D&C that "Spirit is matter" and "the elements are eternal." Most of what we refer to as the Restored Gospel (at least those parts of our theology that set us apart from all others) are NOT found in the Book of Mormon; they are found in the revelations and teachings of the Nauvoo period. It is in these doctrines,specifically on the nature of God, man and the cosmos, that I find striking parallels with Rand's metaphysics. She seems to be explaining, in purely atheistic ways, a view of existence and man that the Prophet Joseph explained in Biblical terms. In fact, one could make the case that Joseph, Parley P.Pratt, Orson Pratt and Brigham Young in their post 1840's teachings sounded somewhat like Korihor. This in fact is what lead to Joseph's death. William Law insisted that Joseph was a theist and an atheist because of his rejection of traditional notions of creation from nothing and for teaching the plurality of Gods, potential Godhood for humans and a human past for God. Getting back to your question: Korihor is different from Rand. Korihor actually believed in God, angels and Satan, but chose to lie about it by attacking God. Rand rejected a notion of God because she saw no evidence for the traditional notion of God (a notion that we Mormons also reject: mainly, the idea of an all-powerful unchanging spirit without body, parts and passions, who is bound by nothing because he created everything out of nothing.)Rand said this was ludicrous, but unlike Korihor (who was preaching because of his own personal supernatural revelations), she rejected the idea of God solely on the basis of the objective evidence. (As as Latter-day Saint I also reject the traditional notion of God spelled out above.) Korihor persecuted the Church. Rand believed in complete religious freedom. She attacked no theology because she thought it was a waste of time (since in her view, a supernatural supreme being did not exist.) In her completely rationalistic way, Ayn preached the exaltation of man.(Joseph Smith as a prophet preached the same thing.) When it came to religion, Rand said, "I am a man-worshipper." This sounds very blasphemous if one's complete frame of reference is The Book of Mormon. However, it resonates with Lorenzo Snow's statement: "As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may become." The divine and the human are one and the same in different stages of progressions. According to the Gospel, the moral objective of human existence is to reach that station and possess those attributes which make man worthy of worship as a God. Korihor attacked and sought to destroy institutions and ideas while offering nothing to take their place. Rand sought to establish a universal code of morality that could govern the behavior of all people without resorting to faith. She promoted Capitalism as "the only moral form of government ever devised by men." She promoted individual integrity. Korihor would have rejected all of these. Rand was an objectivist' Korihor was a subjectivist. Korihor admitted he was wrong; that he was a liar. Rand went to her grave believing that she was right. Until the end, she said that she would accept the existence of God as soon as she saw some evidence. I firmly believe that when she is shown the evidence, she will accept the truth. Perhaps she has already. ROB LAUER _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 20:03:18 -0600 From: lajackson@juno.com Subject: [AML] re: Mormon Satire Extra for Chris Bigelow: * Curriculum Approved for Foyer Sunday School Class * Protester Demonstrates Inside Conference Center -- Nobody Notices Larry 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/web/. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 16:26:55 -0600 From: Jonathan Langford Subject: [AML] Re: Annual Movie Tabulation Folks, This has been a fun conversation, but List volume is continuing high, and this has remained a peripheral topic with no clear connection to Mormon letters. So thanks to everyone, and (with the possible exception of posts currently in the in-box), I don't plan to be posting more messages related to this thread. Jonathan Langford AML-List Moderator - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 19:06:22 -0800 From: "Jeff Needle" Subject: [AML] LAKE & MENDENHALL, _My Peace I Give Unto You_ (Review) Review ====== Title: My Peace I Give Unto You Author: Robert Adlai Lake and Doug Mendenhall Publisher: None given Year Published: 2001 Number of Pages: 201 Binding: Quality paperback ISBN: 1-930980-43-4 Price: $10.00 from www.publishinghope.com Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle When this book arrived in the mail the other day, I perused it briefly and then set it aside. I knew I would be interested, at the very least, in the central character, a young girl named Denise who one day falls into a coma. Rushed to the hospital, it is discovered that she has diabetes -- her blood sugar is above 600 -- and she has had a stroke. As a diabetic, I'm always interested in how others cope with this disease. Bad enough in adults, it's tragic in children. The doctors don't hold out much hope for Denise. But while in her coma, Denise has a spiritual experience where she meets Jesus, and others, and learns lessons which she is to bring to her family and those surrounding her. What follows is a sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, story of a family learning to cope with a visionary daughter. Her father, Doug, is her constant companion as the whole family progresses from a state of disbelief to one of acceptance and growth. Needless to say, some of her neighbors and fellow church members (they are an LDS family) are not receptive to the ideas, and experiences, of the young visionary. One, in fact, reports the family to Social Services, insisting that the parents are abusing the child. But some of their friends accept the experience; some are, in fact, greatly helped by the insights brought by the little girl. And it is here that the story becomes a bit tricky. Let me set this up as best as I can. The opening pages of the book have Doug, the father, in church one Sunday, more and more discouraged about his own spiritual condition. He hears what the Lord expects of him, and is now convinced that he can never be "good enough" to be accepted into the Kingdom. As the story progresses, Doug develops an entirely new perspective on the whole issue of salvation and acceptance in God's sight. Rather than having to "earn" his salvation by being, and doing, good, he only needs to travel a path of non-judgmentalism and pure love, and he will discover all of these things already within himself. One question I had while reading the book -- is this really consistent with Church teaching? One sentence in the book indicates that he believes that this is what the Church has taught all along; we just haven't been listening. A bit skeptical, I wrote to the author. He insists that this teaching can be found more and more in Church teachings. The book is starkly honest about the doubts and fears expressed by the family. In particular, Doug is the hardest nut to crack. But he ultimately finds some peace in his new understanding. Ironically, once he settles into this peaceful state (and following the false charge of child abuse), Doug goes through another crisis -- one that makes him question whether he should remain in his Church or not. His wife steadies him, and he remains. If all of this sounds a little New Agey, perhaps you're right. So much of it sounds like it's straight from "A Course In Miracles." But this, according to the authors, is a true story. Read at this level, we can only wonder just how such messages will be received by the Church. I suspect the majority will be skeptical. I'm a natural-born skeptic. I was, however, touched by this story, and wish for us all the kind of peace this family seems to have found. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #585 ******************************