From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #983 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 Friday, February 28 2003 Volume 01 : Number 983 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 15:01:46 -0700 From: "Nan McCulloch" Subject: Re: [AML] Dew Interview Questions >If not showing consequences for unrighteous behavior is part of the criteria for banning books, I would like to pose this question to Sherrie Dew and Deseret Book. There has always seemed to be credence in the philosophy that "God does not settle up every October." How can a writer show consequences when his story ends somewhere before God's pay day. What if comeuppance comes in another story? Nan McCulloch - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 09:28:06 -0500 From: cathrynlane@cs.com Subject: Re: [AML] High School Literature Curriculum Oh how I can agree! When did they start teaching English teachers that they had to do non reading and writing things to help students connect with reading and writing? I just helped my 7th grade son make a "totem" sculpture for reading class. (It envolved two power tools.) What did that piece of art (without the benifit of art instruction) do for understanding the story they read? I really long for the return of the book report and even essays, which, if done well, can lead to a student learning literary critisim or perhaps developing the ability to write a thought or two on paper in a way that others can follow. Forgive the rant. I think it hit too close to home. Cathryn Lane - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 09:46:53 -0500 From: "Tracie Laulusa" Subject: Re: [AML] High School Literature Curriculum We've found with our own kids that the best way to interest them in literature is interesting discussion. We've never worried overmuch about writing assignments. (We homeschool, and we do teach them essay structure and stuff, just don't tie it into every book they read. Sometimes they came up with related projects though. We just read a lot, and talk about it a lot--I don't mean lecture. I mean we all just sit around and talk about a book--likes, dislikes, different views--at the dinner table, driving to and from other stuff..... We recommend books to each other. I read books that the kids recommend. I think it makes them more open to reading things I recommend. We encouraged them to read a variety--AP English lists, Newberry Awards, books recommended on AML...... Now that they are starting college they are having no trouble with writing assignments. They know how to read, how to think for themselves and not just regurgitate what a teacher is saying (No, I'm not slamming all teachers--just some). My oldest daughter, Val, had an experience in class recently discussing a short story. (Reader's Digest Condensed) The teacher presented some views, Val presented some differing views, teacher goes home and rereads passages Val had used in defense of her views, comes to next class and reopens discussion, says he sees merit in Val's points and so forth. I've been impressed with this teacher for many things of which this instance is certainly one. I hope this does not sound as incoherent as it feels. I'm drugged. Trying to get over a nasty case of strep. Tracie - ----- Original Message ----- . When > his 9th grade English teacher assigned "To Kill a Mockingbird" (a > fabulous read no matter what the Laird thought of it), I was disgusted > with the writing assignment that accompanied it. Three pages of > fill-in-the-blank worksheets. And draw a map of the town. My son > started skimming for the information. I took the assignments away from > him and made him read the book through, - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 17:00:13 -0700 From: Barbara Hume Subject: Re: [AML] _The R.M._ At 11:30 AM 2/18/03 -0700, you wrote: >Well, I went and saw _The R.M._ on Saturday nite, and then I went home and >tossed and turned over how absurd the Mormon culture is and how much I would >prefer not to be part of it. Of course the Mormon culture is absurd. Any human culture is absurd, because it has people in it! We're not unique in that. As for your list of disturbing elements, network marketing is not Mormon, and food storage, home teaching, and Sunday learning are all good things--except for the absurdities we introduce by our basic ridiculousness as human beings. My Big Fat Greek Wedding showed a culture that has flaws, because it involves flawed people, but the abundant love overcomes all that. The Mormon culture could be so wonderful, because conduits are there that could allow for a powerful outpouring of love between people. It's just that we're too busy worrying about worldly matters to think beyond ourselves. That final scene of Brigham City shows what could happen if people would just make their love available when it's needed. barbara hume - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 21:19:01 -0700 From: Melissa Proffitt Subject: Re: [AML] _Ender's Game_ Movie On Thu, 20 Feb 2003 18:51:21 -0700, D. Michael Martindale wrote: >Annette Lyon wrote: > >> Let me get this straight--if a reader isn't surprised by the end, a = book >> isn't powerful? Since when does a surprise ending =3D a powerful = ending? >If the reader is supposed to be surprised by the ending, but isn't, then= =20 >some of the power is deflated. We've all felt that sense of deflation=20 >when a "surprise" ending bombs. _Ender's Game_ is sufficiently powerful=20 >that it weathers the disappointment of the poorly handled surprise and=20 >remains powerful in spite of it--for the very reason you point out: lots= =20 >of things besides surprise endings can be powerful. But had the surprise= =20 >ending also been done right, the book would have been even more=20 >powerful. Anything wrong with that? Except that I find it very annoying when people talk about that surprise ending as though only an idiot wouldn't have seen it coming--because, = guess what? I was totally surprised. Don't make me come over there, D. (I = leave off the emoticon because I know you don't like them, so you can just = guess what it was.) Seriously, the assumption that because a reader isn't surprised by a surprise ending, it was poorly done, makes very little sense to me. Sometimes books are just badly written, but it's perfectly reasonable for two people to read the same book, and one of them will figure out the = ending and the other won't. (If it's not reasonable, someone should make Jacob stop doing it, because that's another thing that annoys me.) It's not = that I don't agree with you about the deflation of a surprise ending; I just don't equate the lack of surprise with the book not having been done = right. Melissa Proffitt=20 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 21:37:59 -0700 From: "Paris Anderson" Subject: Re: [AML] _The Way We're Wired_ I too liked The Way We're Wired a whole lot. To be honest, though, it's kind of humiliating to me. Not that the play offened me in any way--it helped me understand. When I came out of the play I saw Eric Samuelsson in the foyer and first I congradulated him, then said "You're going to make me start liking people." In the play the characters are so well drawn. I've known people like the characters. They always seemed like freaks--really, really weird--and I never much liked them. I never much liked hanging out with Mormons. But in the play I got to understand why the characters were like they were. And the most surprising thing of all, I understood they had become like that. Like that's not really how they were . . . they just became like that in response to the dirty world thing. I understand that. The same thing happened to me. If people become freaks because of the world--maybe I can forgive them. Maybe even like them. It's hard to explain. The reason that was humiliating was that that little nugget of wisdom is so elementary and obvious, it makes me wonder what else I'm missing. Some times I feel like an alien. Paris Anderson - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 10:29:28 -0600 From: Melissa Proffitt (by way of Jonathan Langford ) Subject: [AML] Report on the 2003 AML Annual Meeting The 2003 Association for Mormon Letters Annual Meeting took place last weekend and was a big success. We are very grateful to those involved from UVSC, which provided the facilities, and to everyone who worked to make the meeting a success. The AML Awards were presented during the Saturday luncheon business meeting. As a reminder, the awards are presented for works published during the previous calendar year, so this year's awards are referred to as the 2002 AML Awards The awards were as follows: Novel: Chris Crowe, _Mississippi Trial 1955_ Young Adult: A.E. Cannon, _Charlotte's Rose_ Honorable Mention: Martine Leavitt, _The Dollmage_ Honorable Mention: Kimberley Heuston, _The Shakeress_ Picture Book: Rick Walton, _Bertie was a Watchdog_ Short Fiction: Susan Palmer, "Breakthrough" Honorable Mention: Karen Rosenbaum, "Out of the Woods" Honorable Mention: Linda Paulson Adams, "First" Poetry: Kimberly Johnson, _Leviathan With a Hook_ Film: Christian Vuissa and Agustina Perez, "Roots and Wings" Honorable Mention: Andrew Black, "The Snell Show" Honorable Mention: Ryan Little, "Out of Step" Drama: Reed McColm, _Hole in the Sky_ and body of work Honorable Mention: Melissa Leilani Larson, "Wake Me When It's Over" Honorable Mention: Tim Slover, "Hancock County" Film Adaptation: Janine Whetton Gilbert for "Charly" Lifetime Membership: Lavina Fielding Anderson The full citations for each of the award winners will be published soon in Irreantum, as well as posted to the AML web site at www.aml-online.org. Some changes were made to the board and staff of the AML during our meeting as well. Staff members who have concluded their service to the AML were Scott Parkin, awards coordinator; Lavina Fielding Anderson, who has edited the annual proceedings for many years; and Melissa Proffitt as AML secretary. Linda Hunter Adams joined the staff as editor of the annual proceedings of the AML. She has a great deal of editing experience and we are pleased to welcome her to the staff. Leaving as a board member was D. Michael Martindale, who will be staying on as a staff member to run the Writers Conference. We also said goodbye to Cherry Silver, our past president who organized this year's Annual Meeting and has served the AML for many years. We have two new board members: Suzanne Brady, who is an editor for Deseret Book, and Jen Wahlquist, who is with the English department at UVSC. Both will be valuable additions to our board and we look forward to working with them. Due to the untimely death of Neila Seshachari just after her designation as President-Elect, we have been left with a vacancy on the board. Gideon Burton consented to serve a second term as President of the AML. Melissa Proffitt was nominated to become President-Elect. Both these positions were ratified by a unanimous vote of the membership. We hope those of you who attended the meeting this year enjoyed the various presentations. Thank you for your support of AML. Melissa Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 09:06:11 -0800 From: "Richard B.Johnson" Subject: RE: [AML] LeGrande Richards I won't argue with your perception. A major part of the disagreement that appears on the list is between people who either really agree but perceive things from paradigms so divergent that they don't know that they agree or between individuals whose paradigms are so totally in opposition to each other that agreement on almost any topic is unlikely. Since I was merely working with another graduate student, to which the work was vital, I no longer have the specific data or conclusions at hand to argue with your perceptions (They are somewhere in the archives of theses completed in the dark ages at Ohio University) to make direct argument, and the subject is not vital enough to me to redo the analysis. It is apparent that your perceptions are complete to you and item by item analysis would be laborious to me and purposeless in shaking your perception. Richard B. Johnson; Husband, Father, Grandfather, Actor, Director, Puppeteer, Teacher, Playwright, Thingmaker, Mormon, Person, Fool. I sometimes think that the last persona is most important and most valuable. Http://PuppenRich.com > -----Original Message----- > I would like to be like (my perception of) LeGrande Richards, > which is that > he had one single talk that could last 55 hours straight--longer than any > senate filibuster. But at stake and general conferences, where I heard him > speak, I had the impression that he was only giving us a sliver of it, and > following those wonderful logic streams, he may not have been able to know > in advance where it was going. > > I wonder if the Book of Mormon prophets had this style--they > certainly spoke > in unforseen streams. > > As far as LeGrande summing up, correct me if I'm wrong, but it wasn't so > much a summation, but an arrival to a particular concept. > > Alan Mitchell - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 09:14:10 -0800 From: "Richard B.Johnson" Subject: RE: [AML] D. Michael's Film Lab 1: The Best of LDS Cinema Sometimes a spend an inordinate amount of time celebrating the fact that I took my family and left the "Shadows of the Everlasting Hills" more or less permanently some forty plus years ago then things like the Nauvoo Theatre company and D.Michaels Film Labs occur and I find myself gnashing my teeth. Oh Well, Sigh! and all that stuff. Richard B. Johnson; Husband, Father, Grandfather, Actor, Director, Puppeteer, Teacher, Playwright, Thingmaker, Mormon, Person, Fool. I sometimes think that the last persona is most important and most valuable. Http://PuppenRich.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 09:15:43 -0800 From: "Richard R. Hopkins" Subject: Re: [AML] WEYLAND, _Cheyenne in New York_ (Review) Thanks for this review, Jeff. Some of you may know that Jack Weyland introduced this character and the roots of this story in his short story "Cheyenne is in New York" which I had the privilege of editing for Cornerstone's compilation of Jack Weyland short stories entitled _Forever_. He did the same with "Charly," which first appeared as a short story in the Horizon collection _First Day of Forever_. While editing the short story, we discussed what a powerful character he had come up within in Cheyenne, and agreed that she would make a good subject for a full length novel. I'm really pleased to see that he did, in fact, write the expanded novel, and especially pleased to hear Jeff's favorable review of it. Richard Hopkins - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 15:56:25 -0800 From: "Richard B.Johnson" Subject: RE: [AML] High School Literature Curriculum I know this is behind the curve on this topic, but today we were at Wally world and bought cheap copy of the Gregory Peck _To Kill a Mocking Bird_. I had read your post with appreciation then deleted it, but I -cued by the title above- began to tell her about it. She was interested enough, and my retelling was sufficiently fuzzy that she insisted that we come home, fish it out of the deleted file, and let her read it. She is currently the literature teacher at a charter school and recently retired after many years as a high school AP English teacher. Her comments were, "right on" , "good mix", "maybe one more real challenge?? No, for a rising ninth grader that's enough" For what it's worth. Richard B. Johnson; Husband, Father, Grandfather, Actor, Director, Puppeteer, Teacher, Playwright, Thingmaker, Mormon, Person, Fool. I sometimes think that the last persona is most important and most valuable. Http://PuppenRich.com > > Anyway, for what it's worth, I think my son's Summer of '02 was better > for him than any of the English classes he had in junior high. > > scott bronson > > > > > -- > AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 09:20:09 -0800 From: "Richard R. Hopkins" Subject: Re: [AML] WEYLAND, _Cheyenne in New York_ (Review) [MOD: This is a more complete version of a post I just sent to AML-List.] Thanks for this review, Jeff. Some of you may know that Jack Weyland introduced this character and the roots of this story in his short story "Cheyenne is in New York" which I had the privilege of editing for Cornerstone's compilation of Jack Weyland short stories entitled _Forever_. He did the same with "Charly," which first appeared as a short story in the Horizon collection _First Day of Forever_. While editing the short story, we discussed what a powerful character he had come up within in Cheyenne, and agreed that she would make a good subject for a full length novel. I'm really pleased to see that he did, in fact, write the expanded novel, and especially pleased to hear Jeff's favorable review of it. If you want to see more future Jack Weyland novels as short stories, you should watch his short story web site. He puts up a new short story almost every month (though they are not edited, and he will be the first to confess that his initial work always needs some helpful editing--so don't be too critical). Or you could wait for the edited versions which Deseret and other publishers occasionally put out. (Deseret has the exclusive on his novels, but not on his short stories.) Richard Hopkins - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 13:15:56 -0800 (PST) From: David Boyce Subject: [AML] Suprise Endings (was: _Ender's Game_ Movie) Related to the issue of suprise endings are those works for which the outcome is known by everyone but still manage to keep us in suspense. For me a good example of that would be the musical "1776." While we all know that the colonies voted to secede from England and Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, the show still manages to keep one in suspence. Granted, it is a dramatization, but does show us that what happened was not as easy as could be said in a few lines in a history book. On the other hand there are probably a lot of people that would feel that Star Wars Episodes 1-3 (even though 3 is not out yet) is an example of how not do this. David Boyce __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 12:28:30 -0500 From: "Bryan Loeper" Subject: RE: [AML] _Ender's Game_ Movie I still don't understand where your premise that the ending was supposed to be a "surprise" comes from. When reading it, yes I saw what was coming only partway into the book. However, I took it in stride and it felt like that was they way things were to play out. When you go to see Hamlet or Macbeth at the theater, you know that they are doomed to tragic fates, but that doesn't make it a less-powerful presentation. The motive and power behind these kinds of works *is* the characterization and depth of psyche, and the insights into life that they provide, not whether or not the author can "fool" the audience. ~Bryan Loeper - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 22:13:24 -0700 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] Diversity of Mormonism (was: Singles Ward) R.W. Rasband wrote: > I think the "bell curve" is a little more accurate description of > everything, not 90% trash. Say, 20% excellent; 20% awful; and 60% > mediocre. And God still loves the mediocre people, like me. He loves mediocre people, but he very much wants them to progress beyond mediocrity. (Because thou art lukewarm, I will spew thee out of my mouth.) That's why (intelligent) critics play a vital role in a society: they're society's watchdogs against mediocrity. - -- 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: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 13:01:16 EST From: RichardDutcher@aol.com Subject: [AML] Re: Best Screen Kiss In a message dated 2/21/2003 7:55:10 PM Mountain Standard Time, bronsonjscott@juno.com writes: << The Sound of Music (g) Great songs, great actors, great story, and the best screen kiss ever. >> I must disagree, Scott. I simply cannot let this pass. The best screen kiss ever was undoubtedly the Jimmy Stewart/Donna Reed kiss as they both held the telephone at the bottom of the stairs in "It's A Wonderful Life." It had anger, joy, sadness, desparation, and romance. A real grown-up smooch. The best real life kiss, however, was the Richard Dutcher/Gwen Yuill kiss in the front seat of his rented car after eating Nutter Butters near the opening of Provo Canyon. I'd go into more detail, but that would be indiscreet. Richard - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 05:53:25 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] WILCOX/PERRY "From Cumorah's Hill" (BYU Newsnet) [MOD: Let me simply clarify that in general, amateur theatrical performances= =20 in various locations throughout the Church are not necessarily newsworthy in= =20 and of themselves for AML-List. However, I think that the *phenomenon* of=20 amateur performance in the Church is certainly worthy of discussion, and=20 this article provides one starting place for such a discussion.] Student directs and produces musical By Marissa Widdison NewsNet Staff Writer 19 Feb 2003 The women don't have skirts. The needle to the sewing machine broke. We're out of black thread. Korihor's robe is missing. "Another problem?" said Rachel Geddes, 20, a junior from Seattle, Wash., majoring in nursing. "Bring it on." Geddes is the director of "From Cumorah's Hill" a musical that will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Provo Tabernacle by a collection of BYU amateur dancers, singers, costume designers and set builders. The idea for the production came last summer when Geddes's younger brother Jared - then a senior in high school - called her at BYU, and they talked about some church music he really liked. "Rachel suggested that I direct a play of it," said Jared Geddes, 19, a freshman from Seattle, Wash., majoring in mechanical engineering. "I told her that I didn't think I could do it, and I didn't really take her seriously. We kind of talked about it and made plans over the summer, and then I came to BYU. At the end of my first semester (Fall '02), she started having meetings and auditions, and that's when I realized: Whoa! This is really going to happen." Since then, Rachel has dealt with all issues associated with planning a major production. Because admission to the performance is free, she had to first find a sponsor. After her stake president turned her down, Rachel went to her bishop. "With my bishop, I didn't even get past the first page before he said, 'Okay, how much money do you need?'" Rachel said. In the end, money came from BYU 186th, 55th and 47th wards. Many wards members that contributed are participating in the production. The next step, Rachel said, was to purchase the music and script from composer Steven Kapp Perry and author Brad Wilcox. "I just called the number on the back of the book, and asked what I have to do for a production," Rachel said. "They said that all you have to do is buy the music." After that, Rachel and Jared said they spent 10 hours altering the script to fit their needs. In late November, they began holding auditions. Hipaki Franio, 22, a freshman from Waianae, Hawaii, majoring in graphic design, said he heard about the auditions at men's chorus rehearsal. "Rachel came by and said they were looking for a few voices," Franio said. "At audition, they had me sing whatever I wanted; so I sang a hymn. They also had me 'try' to act. Apparently I sing better than I act, because I'm singing a solo and not acting at all." Franio said he "has never done anything like this before." Although this will be his first solo, his story is not unique among this group of dedicated amateurs. "I got interested, because I've loved drama and acting my whole life," said Tiffany Sherman, 20, a sophomore from Hooper, Utah, majoring in elementary education. "I was excited, because it (the play) was about the Book of Mormon, and I've always wanted to be a Nephite." Sherman is officially part of the set committee, one of about seven committees within the production. "I'm a big fan of trying to make my dreams become a reality," Rachel said. "I think, that's the best part - having an idea, and then making it happen. The coolest thing about productions is that, because I'm working with a crew, their ideas and their input can be greater than what I imagined. It's not just limited to my capabilities." And with all of the support from family members and BYU students, Jared said he feels anything but limited. "My parents are encouraging it (the production) all the way," Jared said. "Mom came up this week, and my little brother came with her. They brought extra costumes and set cloth. They've been really supportive." More than anything else, crew members said they were excited about the message of the musical. "The last two songs are really powerful," Jared said. "I was listening to it at dress rehearsal and was getting goosebumps down my back." Sherman said she agrees the music is amazing. "It's really awesome," Sherman said. "It's bringing the scriptures to life for me. The music really brings the Spirit into the room." That feeling, Rachel said, is exactly why she chose to undertake this project in the first place. "The Spirit prompted me," Rachel said. "I want people to be there because they want to be there. I think, it will be a really powerful show." Copyright =A92003 BYU NewsNet _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. =20 http://join.msn.com/?page=3Dfeatures/virus - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 09:38:58 -0700 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: [AML] AML Annual <<< I really like your idea about cities of refuge; I'd love to hear what you have to say in your AML paper. Does anyone know if allowances are made for those of us outside the shadow of the everlasting hills--will there be a proceedings published, or maybe put on CD-ROM, at least? >>> The AML does publish the papers in a volume about a year after the annual meeting. It comes automatically with AML membership. (To join, visit www.aml-online.org.) Chris Bigelow - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 10:17:29 -0700 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: [AML] Des News on AML "Brigham City" Papers Critic, fan of 'Brigham' square off over morality By Tad Walch Deseret News staff writer OREM - A critic of the LDS film "Brigham City" and the woman adapting the movie into a novel squared off Friday, the first day of the annual conference of the Association for Mormon Letters. The critic, Utah Valley State College philosophy professor Michael Minnich, delivered a paper titled, "The Tragedy of Brigham City: How a Film About Morality Becomes Immoral." While the movie by Richard Dutcher, who also created "God's Army," brimmed with potential, Minch said, it also was too simplistic in its portrayal of a moral community - fictitious Mormon-dominated Brigham - that becomes the target of a serial killer. "Dutcher certainly seems to have intended that 'Brigham City' would be a vehicle which would draw persons to Mormonism," Minch said. "But I suggest that persons paying close attention to this film would find the moral vocabulary of the community in this film unsatisfactory, thin, unappealing and perhaps even offensive." Novelist and historian Marilyn Brown praised Dutcher's film, which she said has become a hit in foreign markets after failing to recover its costs during its run in the United States. "I have believed that 'Brigham City' is as good or better than 'God's Army,' " she said. "I believe this film is a true classic." Brown said her opinion was hard-won. "I was one of the proud Mormons skeptical of the idea that someone who lived such an apparently good life could be capable of such terrible acts," she said. Her research into the doctrines of atonement and destruction changed her mind. In her novel, she details the back story of Terry Woodruff, the young man who arrives in Brigham and is given a job as deputy by Sheriff Wes Clayton, who is also an LDS bishop. Clayton fails to do a background search on Woodruff. Brown said Woodruff was raised by an abusive stepfather and was introduced to pornography. That combination leads Woodruff to rape and then murder. Both Brown and Minch agree that one of the film's themes is how an apparent paradise deals with the arrival of evil. Minch complained that the film decides that Woodruff is an outsider, someone who should not be considered as a member of the community. However, he lived and worked in the community and was married to a Mormon woman. For Minch, that means Woodruff was accepted as a member of the community, especially by Clayton. Minch declared the film immoral because it portrayed morality in black-and-white terms, which led to a self-righteous Clayton determining that Brigham's citizens and their cause are so righteous that he orders an unconstitutional search of every home in the city. Minch believes the film missed two opportunities for greatness. First, it could have wrestled more with the question of community, what it is and how we know who belongs and why. And "if a community as strong as the one portrayed in the film has the power to transform a person, why wasn't Terry transformed? "These," Minch said, "are the moral questions the film could have contemplated, but the opportunity was missed, because the film wanted to present a moralistic portrayal rather than a moral inquiry." The second possibility would have had the film begin where it ended, with Woodruff dead after being discovered and shot by the sheriff-bishop. How will his widow be treated by this community? Will she be marginalized as if she shared her husband's guilt or should have known better? "The opportunity missed is the opportunity to show a moral community embracing and loving a sister, as well as wrestling with how to embrace, or even if to embrace, such a woman," Minch said. "This would make a more deeply textured film about a real moral community." Brown said Dutcher's film is deeper than Minch portrayed. "(Clayton) is responsible for those killings" because he didn't check out Woodruff's background and chose to ignore the introduction of evil into Brigham's paradise, she said. "The question is, what are the prices of inaction?" And, finally, she said the story delivers a message about sharing communion or atonement. The final scene is of a sacrament meeting where the community embraces Clayton even after evil enters paradise and destroys innocence and he fails to act. "A community based on faith cannot only face evil and overcome evil," Brown said, "but can expand its vision to experience hope in the face of hopelessness." Dutcher approached Brown, a former president of the Association for Mormon Letters, to write a novel, "Kirtland County," as a sequel to "Brigham City." Instead, she obtained his permission to explore the first story further. "I felt there were too many questions that needed to be answered in 'Brigham City' to move on to the sequel," she said. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 17:51:21 -0700 From: The Laird Jim Subject: Re: [AML] Why Not PG? on 2/19/03 4:31 PM, J. Scott Bronson at bronsonjscott@juno.com wrote: (snippet) > 1. The Little Mermaid (g) > > This is a story about a teeneage > girl who carelessly endangers her > community by breaking the rules > and when she gets caught she rebells > by signing a pact with the Devil. When > someone else saves her scaly little > butt, she doesn't repent and still inherits > eternal glory. All for lust. Give me a > stinking break. Thank you, thank you. That's the best synopsis of that movie I've ever read. I was so annoyed about that movie that I attempted to have it banned from being seen by my nieces & nephews--rotten dreck was all. I didn't walk out, though--I was on a date at the time and I was vague about my distaste afterwards. It still rankles that I didn't say flat out how much I hated it. I'll only add that I detested _Titannic_ even more. My great grandfather had tickets on the Titannic and was very fortunate to be saved by a minor miracle from being aboard. I've read about it since I was a munchkin, and to have such a tragedy turned into a mere backdrop for a tawdry, mawkish, squalid Harlequin romance was too much. Thank heaven I never saw it in the theatre! The only money I paid to see it was it's fraction of my cable bill, and I resent even those few pennies. There. Emergency vents turned the trick, no meltdown today. Jim Wilson aka the Laird Jim - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 23:43:00 -0700 From: "Kim Madsen" Subject: [AML] Thanks to AML People I just wanted to say thanks you to so many of you who've added to my life these past few days. 1. To all who serve on the AML board and plan events, thank you for your efforts for last Friday and Saturday at the annual conference. It gave me a big ol' needed jolt of brain power. 2. To those who wrote papers and presented them, thanks. I was moved by many to either laughter or tears, definitely made to think. 3. Especially thanks to Gideon Burton for his speech at the lunch Saturday. It was brilliant, uplifting, inspirational. I hope it's published or posted somewhere. Will you tell us where? I need to read it over often. 4. To Scott Bronson for providing the highlight of my AML weekend, albiet unconciously... (pun intended). I was delighted by his light snoring as his fought to stay awake in the final session of the day Saturday. I'm sure it had everything to do with staying up late performing at the theater the night before and nothing at all with the quality of the presentation. I have a son-in-law who falls asleep the moment he sits in a chair and holds still. I love the guy and anything that reminds me of him brings me delight. Thanks, Scott, I needed a humor break right about then. 5. And again to Scott Bronson and the rest of the cast at Center Street Theatre for their amazing performances in THE WAY WE'RE WIRED. I took two sisters that I visit teach (what IS the correct way to say that anyway... "I am a visiting teacher and I visit teach you?) and my husband tonight (Monday). I guess technically, my sweet hubby took all of us. He paid. We all loved it. And thanks to Thom and Scott and whoever else made the generous offer to the AML attendees for the reduced ticket price. I appreciated that too. 6. Finally, to all who created the brain child of the online Mormon literature resource. Wow. I'm impressed--and so helped in my quest. Thank you for all the work. I've mostly learned how far I have to go in this attempt at self-education. My hope is to read enough (as Gideon suggested) that I can one day write. Kim Madsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 00:06:08 -0500 From: "Bryan Loeper" Subject: RE: [AML] Programming as Art You've never dealt with [true] hackers then, who take pride in their elegance of programming and display it, to those who appreciate it as such. Just as you don't see programming as art, many people fail to see the beauty in an enchanting sculpture and instead see the hunk of stone or clay that it once was. ~Bryan Loeper - -----Original Message----- I could look at Jacob's astounding coding techniques and say, "Wow! That's a work of art!" But it would be a metaphor, not a literal statement. I can tell the distinction because his program will never be displayed as art or discussed among artists for its aesthetic merit or receive artistic grants so he can create more. It's the INTENT, the PURPOSE for which it's created, that matters. [snip] - -- D. Michael Martindale dmichael@wwno.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #983 ******************************