From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #910 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 2 2002 Volume 01 : Number 910 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 15:04:48 -0700 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: [AML] CHEYENNE, _The Keystone: The Day Alma Died_ (Review) The Keystone: The Day Alma Died b. v. cheyenne, with Glen E. Sudbury and Michael E. Coones 2002 Keystone Project, Salt Lake City Hard cover, 749 pages "Michael Ritchie, Where Are You When We Need You?" When news of this book first hit AML-List, I was intrigued. I immediately went to the Keystone Project website and scoped it out. I was still intrigued. I had the same apprehension I have when I hear of any ambitious, pretentious Mormon art project (e.g.: "I expect to puke at the upcoming Book of Mormon movies"), but I was still intrigued enough to _hope_ this one might succeed, and curious enough to find out if it would. I invoked my reputation of writing reviews to request a reviewer's complimentary copy of the book, and they graciously accomodated me. When the package came in the mail, I sat down with it to read the book, expecting to give it an honest read and an honest public critique. But when I broke the package open, I found that along with the book came instructions--yes, instructions!--on how to read it. The instructions encouraged me to give the book a fair chance, because it was slow getting started. An accompanying cover letter even contained instructions from the author's wife to start with chapter seven, because that was where the story really began. This was even more interesting considering the fact that another insert instructed me to be sure to read from the beginning, so I'd "know the terrain." I knew before I cracked the book I was in trouble. In the first part of the book is a list--a very lengthy list--of characters, with explanations of who they are, because I'm going to have a hard time keeping them straight. All the names were very exotic--nothing you'd find in the Book of Mormon. But upon scanning them, I noticed some familiarity in the names. I began to realize that these _were_ Book of Mormon names, but phonetically spelled, apparently with the intent of making them look authentic according to some kind of research the authors had done. Names like AmAalakYah and GadYanTun and KixCumMon. Viewing the list made me long for the simplicity of a Russian novel with its jumble of names. With two strikes already against it, I took the wife's instructions to heart and began with chapter seven. As a member of three writers groups and a judge of a short story contest, I'd had my fill of reading stories where the writing begins much earlier than the actual story. With the first sentence I discovered strike three. This book was written in present tense. I thumbed through the chapters to see if I had perchance hit a "literary" moment in the book. No, they expected me to read seven hundred pages of present tense. In my critiquing career, I've learned that present tense stories indicate one of two things: an accomplished writer who's going for a certain effect and knows what he's doing, or a rank amateur who thinks he's being clever and literary by writing in present tense, but otherwise has no discernable reason why he chose that style. Take a wild guess which category _The Day Alma Died_ falls into. It didn't take many paragraphs to realize that the author--authors? who knows?--had a major fetish for italics and exclamation marks, preferably combined into the same sentence. These italicized exclamations were usually editorializing asides. Apparently the author(s) thought the writing alone wasn't up to the task of conveying to me what I should think or feel. And frankly, I think they were right in that. Strike four. It didn't take many pages before I began to realize that I may very well be reading the worst book I have ever encountered. If chapter seven was where the story began, I managed to avoid a literal hell (or should that be "literary hell"?) by not reading chapters one through six. If chapter seven was where the story began, then I don't know the meaning of the English word "story." There was no story. There was an elaborate series of sentences written in purple prose that described a scene. A scene with a pacing that reminded me of an old _Outer Limits_ episode where some aliens with a time machine went back and forth over the same few seconds of time on Earth to study a murder of passion. They kept slowing the time down more and more until they could see the bullet flying through the air. Chapter seven, the alleged beginning of the story of the day Alma died, moved slower than that. Somewhere in that chapter, I gave up counting strikes. I trudged through it with the despair of Atreyu in _Neverending Story_ trudging through the swamps of sadness after his horse Artax sank into the mud. I was elated when I reached the end of it. But the elation was short-lived: fast on the heels of chapter seven came chapter eight. With the courage of a kamikaze pilot, I dove into chapter eight. The same dreamlike--or should I say nightmare-like?--sluggishness taxed my patience beyond human endurance. _Job_ would have thrown the book against the wall by then. I plodded through chapter nine, truly believing I was tasting the depths of hell and that life could never get worse than this. But I was wrong, because at the end of chapter nine, something even more terrible happened. Chapter ten started. I had reached the end of my endurance. I had nothing left to give. The book dropped to the floor and I slunk back in my chair, spent of all energy and emotion and hope for the future. I actually began to feel nostalgic for the days I was reading Michael Ritchie's _Disoriented_. There was no way I could consume another word. Life was too precious and my ability to withstand searing pain too limited. If suffering is truly what creates a gifted artist, I was about to become another Mozart. Alas, my suffering had not yet ended. The Keystone Project had been kind enough to give me a complimentary copy of their book, in good faith, expecting a review in return. But I couldn't bring myself to write the review I would have to write. I just knew this project was an important event in the lives of those who realized it. I'm sure a great deal of emotional investment went into it. I can see in my mind how excited they must have been when they handled the first bound copy that came off the press. And make no mistake about it, the printing of the book is the only thing they got right--it's a quality job and feels very professional in one's hand. It must have cost a bundle of someone's hard-earned cash. There can be no question that they sent the book to me with the expectation of a glowing review that would help to open the floodgates of acceptance of their project for the edification of LDS members everywhere. And all I could offer in return was a review that would be a slap in the face. Or perhaps a better metaphor would be a cold splash of water in the face. Because that's exactly what the Keystone Project needs. The project, for all its ambition and effort and scope and good intentions, is a dismal failure. No one will have the endurance to read the first book (no one not married to the author, anyway), let alone thirty volumes, which is the lofty goal of this endeavor. The Keystone Project is a vivid, extreme illustration of the abject futility of creating Mormon literature simply because one is "inspired." These people were going to bring the Book of Mormon to life. They were going to instruct and edify the Saints with thorough research into the time period in question (and holy moley did they cram that research into the pages!) They were going to build the kingdom of God with the ultimate literary adaptation of the Book of Mormon. Their motivations are to be lauded, their sincerity unassailable. But they forgot to include one crucial ingredient. They forgot to commission an author who had the slightest clue how to write. It's been several months since I read those two chapters. I couldn't bring myself to write the review. I even tried to return the complimentary copy by personally driving down to the Keystone Project office and explain to them why I couldn't write the review. But the "suite number" of the return address on the packaging was one of those mail service P.O. boxes--and a mail service which had moved no less. Already the address was out of date. I finally decided to submit the promised review after someone else submitted one to AML-List that was nearly as scathing as mine would be. At least that way I wouldn't be administering the first slap to the face. - -- D. Michael Martindale dmichael@wwno.com ================================== Check out Worldsmiths, the new online LDS writers group, at http://www.wwno.com/worldsmiths Sponsored by Worlds Without Number http://www.wwno.com ================================== - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 22:51:41 -0500 From: "S. Malmrose" Subject: Re: [AML] Orrin HATCH, _Square Peg: Confessions of a Citizen Senator_ >One final thing, after talking about the need to protect the rights of >artists to the income that comes from their creations, Hatch said U2's >Bono came to him for help on some projects having to do with African AIDS >and such, and about the third time Bono came into his office he said, >"Let's hear your music senator." Hatch played some. "That's beautiful, >senator, but the brothers aren't going to sing it, because of who you >are." Hatch asked what he should do about it. "Change your name." Bono >thought about it for about 15 seconds and suggested, "Johnny Trapdoor." >Hatch told Bob Edwards he had taken the advice, so if you see any songs >by Johnny Trapdoor you'll know who wrote them. I wonder if they'll have >music by Janice Von Trapp Doerr. Bono was my idol when I was 15. I still to this day have that reflex of--"how cool!" So thanks for sharing that. :) Susan M - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 07:36:28 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] EVENSON, _Dark Property_ Make sure the kids are safely inside and lock the doors, Brian Evenson has a new novel out this month. It is called _Dark Property_, and is published by Four Walls Eight Windows. Here is the blurb from the publisher: A woman carries a dying baby across a desert waste, moving toward a fortress harboring a mysterious resurrection cult. Menaced by scavengers, she nevertheless begins to suspect that the reality within the fortress may be even more unsettling than the blasted environment outside. As she slips unobtrusively towards the city of the dead, she is pursued by a bounty hunter who cuts a bloody swath after her. On one level, Dark Property is an exploration of religious fanaticism. Although Evenson=92s characters owe more to the Book of Mormon than the Koran, their frightening intensity will spark recognition in both reviewers and readers. This brooding tale is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy=92s Blood Meridian and J. G. Ballard=92s more disturbing works of fiction. "I admire Evenson=92s writing and respect his courage." =97 Andrew Vachss. In other Evenson news, University of Nebraska Press/Bison Books published a paperback version of his first 1994 short story collection _Altmann=92s Tounge_ earlier this year. The new version also includes his 1997 O. Henry Award winnig story "Two Brothers", a new introduction by Alphonso Lingis, and a postscript by Evenson about the fallout from the book which led to him leaving BYU. Andrew Hall Fukuoka, Japan _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*=20 http://join.msn.com/?page=3Dfeatures/virus - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 15:37:41 -0600 From: "Preston" Subject: [AML] Box Office Report Nov. 22 Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of November 22, 2002 Report compiled by: LDSFilm.com [If table below doesn't line up properly, try looking at them with a mono-spaced font, such as Courier - - Ed.] Natl Film Title Weekend Gross Rank LDS/Mormon Filmmaker/Actor Total Gross Theaters Days - --- ----------------------------- ----------- ----- ---- 4 The Santa Clause 2 10,210,369 3,251 24 Ken Daurio (screenwriter) 94,944,099 Cinco Paul (screenwriter) 19 Punch-Drunk Love 422,209 411 45 Actors/characters: 17,277,359 David Stevens, Nathan Stevens, Michael D. Stevens, Jim Smooth Stevens (James Smooth) 54 Master of Disguise 27,460 68 115 Perry Andelin Blake (director) 40,363,530 62 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 19,372 5 934 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 14,354,676 65 Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure 12,321 8 654 Scott Swofford (producer) 13,651,884 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) Sam Cardon (composer) Stephen L. Johnson (film editor) 70 Galapagos 8,329 4 1123 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 13,832,579 71 Jack Weyland's Charly 8,327 11 59 Adam Anderegg (director) 518,325 Jack Weyland (book author) Janine Gilbert (screenwriter) Lance Williams, Micah Merrill (producers) Tip Boxell (co-producer) Bengt Jan Jonsson (cinematographer) Aaron Merrill (composer) Micah Merrill (film editor) Actors: Heather Beers, Jeremy Elliott, Adam Johnson, Jackie Winterrose Fullmer, Diana Dunkley, Gary Neilson, Lisa McCammon, Randy King, Bernie Diamond, etc. 83 China: The Panda Adventure 2,934 6 486 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 2,952,518 100 Mark Twain's America 3D 969 2 1606 Alan Williams (composer) 2,286,499 105 ESPN's Ultimate X 345 3 199 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 4,197,175 110 The Other Side of Heaven 54 1 346 Mitch Davis (writer/director) 4,720,112 John H. Groberg (author/character) Gerald Molen, John Garbett (producers) Steven Ramirez (film editor) SC2 DOING WELL - "Santa Claus 2" (written by Latter-day Saint screenwriters Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul) ended the weekend with a box office total of just under $95 million, surpassing Samuel W. Taylor's "Flubber" ($93 mil.). This puts "Santa Claus 2" behind only "As Good As It Gets" ($149 mil) and Keith Merrill's "Grand Canyon: Hidden Secrets" (est. U.S. gross $280 mil.) on the list of top-grossing films written by LDS writers. (Of course, "Flubber" was merely based on Taylor's short story. Taylor wasn't the screenwriter, although he DID do some screenwriting, in addition to his novels, such as _Heaven Knows Why!_ and non-fiction work, such as his biography of his grandfather, President John Taylor.) Children everywhere can hope that with the royalties the jolly old elf ought to be getting for the use of his name and likeness in this "Santa Claus 2", it will be a very merry Christmas after all. TOP AND BOTTOM - It certainly doesn't mean anything, but it's interesting to note that "The Other Side of Heaven", which already holds the record for the largest box office gross in a single weekend among LDS Cinema films also set the record for the smallest reported box office gross in a single weekend for an LDS Cinema film in theaters this week. Playing in just one theater, the film grossed a mere $54 this weekend. ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE ON LDS FILM GOES NATIONAL - Wow, this A.P. article is popping up everywhere. Associated Press reporter C. G. Wallace's article about LDS Cinema appeared over the weekend in a number of papers and web sites nationwide. The article presents quotes from interviews with three of the leading figures in LDS filmmaking: Richard Dutcher ("God's Army", "Brigham City", "The Work and the Story"), Kurt Hale ("The R.M.", "The Singles Ward"), and Thomas C. Baggaley ("Spirit of the Sabbath", "The Work and the Story", LDSFilm.com). Salt Lake Tribune movie critic Sean P. Means is also quoted (and, according to Means, misquoted). The article mentions "God's Army", "The Other Side of Heaven", "The Singles Ward", "Handcart" and "Jack Weyland's Charly." One thing that could be pointed out... The article tells a single, very compact, condensed story. It isn't really a survey of the subject or an in-depth article. The interviewer talked at length to Tom Baggaley, Richard Dutcher, Kurt Hale, and Sean P. Means. These people gave the interviewer widely divergent viewpoints and discussed a wide range of subjects. The journalist then condensed everything into a single idea, which makes it sound like the people interviewed all spoke with one accord. Whatever. Neither LDSFilm.com nor the other people interviewed necessarily agree or disagree with any of the journalist's specific conclusions. We're all just glad to see the local film scene receive continued exposure in national media. Newspapers and web sites where the C.G. Wallace LDS Cinema article has appeared during the past week include: Washington Post; San Francisco Chronicle; CNN.com; Times Picayune (Louisiana); Arizona Republic; The News-Press (Florida); Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin); The Advocate (Southern Connecticut); Baltimore Sun; Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida); Corpus Christi Caller Times (Texas); Billings Gazette (Montana); Tacoma News Tribune (Washington); WSB Radio (Atlanta, Georgia); Lycos News; WPVI (ABC Action News); Zap2it.com; SunSpot.Net (Maryland); SunSpot.Net (Maryland)Record Searchlight / Redding.com. Most of the newspapers ran the story under the AP-provided headline "Mormon cinema is on a mission for profits," or something very close to that. But other headlines were used as well, including: "Mormon Movies Invading Utah", "Local Mormon Films Make Millions", "Mormon cinema thrives on captive audience", "50s-sensibility movies find big audiences in Utah", "Quantity, not quality, criticized of movies with Mormon theme", "Mormon films compromised by mission for profits", and "Mormon filmmakers, once inspired, now on mission for profit." Clearly some of these headlines are more positive than others. MERRILL ON MAKING A MOVIE BASED ON THE BOOK OF MORMON - Meridian Magazine ran a very good article by Kieth Merrill on the two announced projects to film Book of Mormon movies. Included is budget information: Estimated $8 mil. for the DeVore/Johnson project and estimated $2 mil. for the Gary Rogers project. Of course, neither of these groups of filmmakers has begun principal photography yet, although Rogers has already held one audition and call backs, and is currently accepting video tape auditions, while the DeVore group has done some location filming in the Middle East which may be used in the feature film as well as the accompanying documentary. The article is at: http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/021122movie.html MEANWHILE, Latter-day Saint-themed films which have ALREADY been filmed and are currently in post-production, with plans for early 2003 theatrical release: The R.M. (Kurt Hale/Dave Hunter/Kirby Heyborne/Will Swenson) The Work and the Story (Nathan Smith Jones/Richard Dutcher) Suddenly Unexpected (Mark Potter/Tucker Dansie) All three of these are comedies. Also essentially in the can, distribution plans unkown: Day of Defense, the courtroom/missionary drama directed by Adam Lawson. Also in post-production: The Legend of Johnny Lingo (Jerry Molen, John Garbett, Steven Ramirez). A great animated feature film made Church members which is COMPLETE and has been screened at film festival, but which you haven't seen yet, as distribution is pending: The Princess and the Pea (Swan Animation). BOOK OF MORMON MOVIE SITE UPDATES - There are sneak previews of some of the set preparations and updated casting information on the web site for the Book of Mormon Movie Volume One (which is the Gary Rogers version, if you are trying to keep track of the two different projects). The website posted photographs from callbacks, revealing some of the celebrities who auditioned for parts in the movie. These include: Roberta Shore (best known as "Joyce Kendall" on the 1950s TV series "Father Knows Best", co-star of "Annette" with Annette Funicello, co-star of Disney's "The Shaggy Dog", etc.), Kirby Heyborne (star of "The Singles Ward", and the upcoming movies "The R.M." and "The Best Two Years of My Life"), leading 2nd generation Osmond singer David Osmond (who has starred in the title role in numerous productions of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"), talented stage actress Rachel Woodward (star of Hale Center Theater's "The Diary of Anne Frank"), Todd Davis ("God's Army"), Michael Flynn (Stripes, Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd, Rockwell, The Goodbye Bird, A Home of Our Own, Halloween 4, Savannah Smiles, etc.), Jan Broberg Felt (who played the mom in Blair Treu's "Little Secrets" and T.C. Christensen's "Bug Off!"), Bryce Chamberlain (Day of Defense, The Creator's Game, Man's Search for Happiness, etc.), Tony Larimer (I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, No Dogs Allowed, The Crow: Salvation, No More Baths, American Prophet: The Joseph Smith Story, etc.), and UVSC track and field star Carrie Stringfellow. See http://www.bookofmormonmovie.com/location/index.html and http://www.bookofmormonmovie.com/cast/index.html FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR WANTED - Blue Crow Productions, Inc. is looking for a director to helm its feature film adaptation of Robert Farrell Smith's comedic novel "Baptists at Our Barbecue". LDSFilm.com was asked to send notice of the available position to its mailing list. Interested directors were asked to submit resumes and video samples of their work to the production company in Albuquerque before December 16, 2002. Production is slated to begin in the Spring of 2003. Currently, the estimated budget for the production and post-production of this full-length feature film is $500,000. _Baptists at Our Barbecue_ is a very well-reviewed, very funny book and we think this looks like a very attractive project. The comedic novel about Latter-day Saints is sold at Deseret Book and other Latter-day Saint bookstores. LITTLE SECRETS AND BRIGHAM CITY LAUDED - The magazine Christianity Today has an entirely positive article about Blair Treu's feature film "Little Secrets." Douglas LeBlanc notes that "'Little Secrets' avoids theological lectures but delivers an engaging story." The article observes: "'Little Secrets' is part of a growth industry among Mormon filmmakers, though the only presence of Mormonism in this film is its location shooting in Salt Lake City." About the film, the writer states: "'Little Secrets' caught much critical flak for being too squeaky-clean, but that's a bum rap. It works in a subplot involving drunken driving and engages the point well. Further, 'Little Secrets' (and Richard Dutcher's much darker and challenging 'Brigham City' from 2001) are models of how to tell faith-based stories without hammering people with theological lectures." The only thing we might quibble with isthe headline: "Mormon Film a Lesson in Telling Faith-Based Stories." Aside from the obvious point that a publication such as Christianity Today should use the term "Latter-day Saint" rather than "Mormon," it is somewhat inaccurate to call "Little Secrets" a "Mormon film." The movie is NOT set in Utah, and its characters are NOT Latter-day Saints, although the director, most of the supporting actors and most of the crewmembers are. The article can be found at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/012/42.88.html The article does not point out that national secular movie critics as well as critics for Evangelical and Protestant publications have consistently given better reviews to Latter-day Saint-made feature films than to other Christian market films. We've lost count of the number of reviews by Evangelicals we have read which have criticized the Church, yet bemoaned the fact that Evangelical-made movies have consistenly failed to be as well-made as Latter-day Saint-made movies. Of course, even Latter-day Saints have far to go before matching the collective filmmaking talent of the Catholic and Jewish communities. THE SMITH FAMILY A FAVORITE - Latter-day Saint filmmaker Tasha Oldham's GLBT/LDS-themed documentary "The Smith Family" was a favorite at the AFI (American Film Institute) 2002 Film Fest (November 7-17). The film took home the Audience Award, amid fierce international competition. ARTICLE ON MAREN ORD - Maren Ord, LDS singer and songwriter, who will be having her acting debut in the HaleStorm production "The R.M." is this subject of an article on BYU NewsNet. See http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/40971 Ord's songs have been featured in "The Singles Ward" and the television series "Alias" and "Felicity". She also sang (but did not write) the title song, "Shining Time", in the feature film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad." She has her own CD release, titled "Perfect", and was included in the compilation CD "Welcome to Brigham", which featured songs inspired by Richard Dutcher's "Brigham City." DANSIE'S NEW SITE - For over a year now, Latter-day Saint filmmaker Tucker T. Dansie has been producing his new series of short films entitled "One of Life's Little Lessons" a group of films meant to inspire people by teaching them a lesson in each of their 5-8 minute stories. Dansie also recently served as the Director of Photography for the upcoming Latter-day Saint-themed feature comedy "Suddenly Unexpected." Now Dansie has officially launched the "One of Life's Little Lessons" website, where fans can not only view the completed films, but can also keep up-to-date on the series future films. Dansie plans to make up to 30 minutes worth of material per volume of series before he will release the volume on DVD and VHS for families to enjoy. Two films remain to be completed in the 1st Volume. The last two will be shot in 2003. Dansie's next film in the series "The Wooden Bowl" was a short script Finalist in the 2002 LDS Film Festival. Dansie has also taken his "Lessons" on the road as he presents firesides based around his series of films for local church groups. From young adults, to elderly singles, Dansie shows his completed films and talks about the "moral of the story" while sharing personal experiences from his own life. These firesides have been successful thus far, and can be arranged through the website as well, by sending e-mail to Dansie himself. The site also offers insight to future films, auditions, and a unique area where fans can share their own unique "Lessons" for possible inclusion in future series. Imagine, having your own "Life Lesson" made into a short film. The website currently just launched and will undergo constant changes. The site takes powerful advantage of Flash 6 for viewing the films and other navigation. All are invited to visit the sitetoday at: http://www.oneoflifeslittlelessons.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 12:32:38 -0700 From: katie@aros.net Subject: [AML] Sheri Dew on LDS Publishing Sheri Dew also had some interesting things to say about the kinds of books Deseret Book publishes. I thought I'd post them separately from my previous post, again with her permission: <<<<< Let me say that I agree that some "LDS fiction" is fluff. If I might speak briefly from the point of view of the publisher, though, could I suggest that a lot of what your AML readers are talking about is much more a reflection of maturity--meaning market maturity--than it is a reflection of what we, meaning Deseret Book, wish to publish. Let me explain. First, I want to go on record as saying that I believe LDS fiction has matured quite significantly during the past ten years or so. Very simply, we're seeing better fiction submitted (overall) today than we were ten years ago (again, overall). But we can only publish what we have submitted to us, and we are constantly looking for novelists who have the skill to weave a great story, with believable and engaging characters, all while communicating a meaningful message that doesn't bang their readers over the head in the process. Manuscripts that meet this description are not necessarily easy to find. Sure, there are some things we wouldn't be able to publish. But the range of fiction that we could and would publish--if we could find it--is enormous and surely gives almost any talented writer plenty of room in which to maneuver. So I may just suggest that we feel the quality of fiction overall is absolutely on the rise, that there has been significant improvement in the past ten years or so, and that we're constantly looking to improve even further. I believe that the nonfiction produced in the LDS market is--overall--every bit as good as that produced nationally; but in terms of fiction, we are still playing catch-up. I would like to think, however, that we are making significant progress. It is no small thing to write a novel, or a fictional series, that is both commercial and well-written, and happily we have published the work of several authors who fit into this category. And we are constantly looking for more. >>>>>>> (end quote from Sheri Dew) Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone! - --Katie Parker - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 10:08:43 EST From: Jhotodd@aol.com Subject: [AML] Movies & Deseret Book [MOD: Apologies that due to the holiday weekend etc., at least one of these links has already expired...] The Columbus Dispatch recently had an article about Mormon movies and another on Desert Book and Richard Evans' latest novel. Go to http://libpub.dispatch.com/ and search on "Mormon". This address is for a 7 day free archive. The articles appeared November 23 and 22. JH Todd - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 14:52:53 EST From: RichardDutcher@aol.com Subject: Re: [AML] New DB Policy In a message dated 11/27/02 12:34:35 PM Mountain Standard Time, Melissa@Proffitt.com writes: << I find the movie "Titanic" so offensive that I refuse to see it regardless of whether the naughty bits are edited out. >> This is a strange statement to me. How can you be offended by a movie you haven't seen? Have the opinions of others closed your mind? I would be interested to know why "Titanic" is so offensive. I know a young filmmaker who earnestly believes that Jack, the Leonardo DiCaprio character, is a Christ figure and that the story can be interpreted as the story of a woman's relationship with her Savior. It's a compelling argument, with a lot of internal support from the film. Think of Jack at the front of the ship, his arms stretched out in a pose that recalls the crucifixion. Think of how Jack teaches Rose "how to love" and "how to live." He even gives his life for her. She lives her life, devoted to him, and is then reunited with him after her own death. We see what we're looking for, I guess. Some see only boobs in "Titanic." Others see Christ. Richard Dutcher - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 12:01:36 -0800 (PST) From: Matthew Lee Subject: Re: [AML] New DB Policy How is a bookstore true? Well, how is a church or anything true? Merriam-Webster's (online dictionary http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary) lists the etymology of the word true; "Middle English trewe, from Old English trEowe faithful; akin to Old High German gitriuwi faithful, Old Irish derb sure, and probably to Sanskrit dAruna hard, dAru wood". Shouldn't Deseret Book be true and faithful to the Church? Its mission statement says so (see http://www.deseretbook.com/hr/mission). Are shoppers really calling the Evans book "smut"? Has the book really been "banned" (such a dramatic word)? The posts on this list keep saying it can be purchased as a special order item. It sounds more like a shelving policy than a banning. And why would it be wrong if it were a General Authority who brought the Evans book to the attention of Deseret? Why the distrust of those who have been called? Isn't this a primary part of their responsibility? To set in order the affairs of the Church? I honestly don't believe there is anything wrong with recognizing selected people, places, and things as "safe". This determination is how all of us make decisions. Where to live, shop, drive, and yes, even what to READ. When I buy food at either a restaurant or a grocery store, I expect certain standards. I think we all do. I don't believe I've given away any of my agency by doing so. I pick and choose what to purchase, and I clearly understand that everything available is not of the same value. Most of us would consider this being a wise consumer. So why, when this same line of thinking is applied to Deseret Book, it's called giving away agency or choosing not to think? Matthew R. Lee __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 11:25:54 -0700 From: Lynette Jones Subject: Re: [AML] The Role of the Reader Bill Wilson wrote: >I'm not sure whether all these readers want honesty. Most of the people who >come to Deseret Books to buy their reading material are looking for the >sugar coated version. I disagree. Number one, because I know several people who wander in there for a few things, and wish there was more challenge. But, the thing I notice when I get into books by a few LDS authors who have tried to remove the sugar coating I find mentally sick and warped attitudes. Honesty, for those who have gone through the fire and are still enduring to the end, with a positive out look, can often mean talking about the truth in light of how the gospel purifies us without removing the memory. Getting folks to talk about that kind of a sacred experience is difficult. A book that attempts to do is _Lost Boys_ by Orson Scott Card. So, yes, life is holy. The scriptures refer to those things that would be rated R in a light that keeps them sacred. If a book keeps them sacred while talking about them, there may be room for it on more than a handful of shelves. However, back to the point of the role of the reader; I would like to point out that the most prosperous LDS writers that I have seen in my short life time are writing for the general public and finding a niche there. Is it possible that this is because the "field is white"? I think there is more commonality for more people when a general audience is chosen, rather than the few that read in the religious book genre. Perhaps the biggest role of the reader is to let the authors know through their pocketbook which writers have touched a cord in their heart or found a common thread in their minds. In turn, when an author has "hit it on the money", then that author has the opportunity to share other insights and carry on a dialogue with the readers. This is when the author begins to shape attitudes of society. It is not something that is accomplished in one book or on demand. Lynette Jones - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #910 ******************************