From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V2 #144 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, September 5 2003 Volume 02 : Number 144 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 21:05:13 -0700 From: Matthew Durkee Subject: [AML] Cost of Writing Openly (was: Perceptions of Errors) D. Michael Martindale wrote: > I mostly agree with you. Here is how the concept of infallible leaders > impacts me personally... > > It requires us to have near-perfect leaders. [snip] > > Therein lies the dilemma. None of these three approaches are palatable. > Head-in-the-sand cannot work for me. Denying the gospel cannot work for > me. The third approach potentially puts me at odds with my leaders and > my fellow Saints--with the religion of my life. It puts me in an > impossible situation with my children, where I have to either teach > them > things that appear contrary to what they are taught in church, or > quietly let others teach them things I am convinced are wrong. > > And it leaves the sword of Damocles hanging eternally over my head, as > I > wonder when the hair will break and the blade will fall and cut me from > association with my fellow Saints. > > This is what the statement "Too often, Church members don't believe > that > our leaders can be wrong" means to me. I have been reading the list for a number of months now, but this is the first time I feel motivated to respond. This is an excellent summation of the challenge I face with being a member of this Church. I'm not at all accustomed to or comfortable with speaking of my membership as being in jeopardy, but I am finding myself increasingly aware of how genuinely fallible and imperfect our chosen leaders are while, at the same time, my politics and artistic interests drift from the mainstream sentiments of the membership and the very conservative Californian community I live in (Victorville/Apple Valley/Hesperia). I fear I could all too easily be accused of heretical thought because of the stories I wish to tell or how I wish to tell them, or for the degree of tolerance I feel toward people whose lifestyles are not in harmony with Church teachings (let's just say I'm glad I didn't live here when the same-sex marriage initiative was being fought--I would have voted the Church line because they told me to and I endeavor to be obedient, but I reserve the right to disagree with the Church's decision and I probably couldn't have brought myself to become actively involved in the campaign against it just as other members here were called on to do). It is indeed a good idea to keep a low profile. But losing membership is not nearly as great a loss: losing a strong and positive relationship with God would be a terrible loss. Suppose I tell a story about a church authority who commits some serious sin. And suppose I have the misfortune of living where the stake president and high council believes I have somehow attacked the Church and am guilty of apostasy and worthy of excommunication if I don't renounce my story. Suppose I wrote it with the best of intentions, hoping it could be a frank and humbling portrait of life in the Church, of the need to recognize that we are all imperfect, all in danger of committing serious errors if we do not live closely enough to the Lord. If I can't in good conscience renounce my story, I lose my membership but my relationship with the Lord would remain strong and healthy (assuming it is already strong and healthy at the time). Of course, it would be a terrible loss not to be able to give or receive priesthood blessings and to be denied access to the temple, but I could at least live with a clear conscience and the hope that my blessing will some day be restored. Maybe that is a ridiculous set of hypotheticals. But it is a possibility that I take seriously and that nearly paralyzes me from writing the kinds of stories I want to write. Another cost of losing my membership, equally serious, is that I would wrongly lose credibility with many Church members. I want to write to the members. But I want to speak with them honestly. I want to build up the Church by portraying it frankly: there is a lot to learn from being honest with ourselves, from choosing to be humble so that we are not compelled to be humble. Am I steadying the ark? I don't think so because I feel my interest in writing is God-given and I will be held accountable if I don't tell the stories I feel are worth telling. But I am afraid that my honesty will only drive the hear-no-evil orthodoxy of the contemporary Church to put me out of it, and then I will be wrongly blacklisted from members' reading lists. For the time, my coping mechanism is simply to trust God that since I am doing what I feel called to do, it will all work out in the end. It's probably unlikely that I would be disciplined by the Church for telling my stories as honestly as I can and with the best of intentions. But it does worry me, and Michael's post really spoke to me. Unfortunately, keeping a low profile is not the right option for all of us. M.C. Durkee - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 23:08:07 -0500 From: Ronn! Blankenship Subject: Re: [AML] Convictions of Otherness At 06:31 AM 9/2/03 -0600, D. Michael Martindale wrote: >Jacob Proffitt wrote: > >>(A carpenter? I've always wondered about that, actually. Just because >>Joseph was one--and likely better translated as mason at that. Doesn't >>seem very substantial evidence though it explains analogies using >>cornerstones, keystones, and building foundations). > >Wasn't it customary for the son to learn the father's trade back then? If >that's so, then we'd probably need definite evidence before concluding >that Jesus wasn't a carpenter, or mason, or whatever. And besides, that gives us a clear answer to that question which was briefly popular a few months ago: "What Would Jesus Drive?" The answer is obviously either a pickup truck or a panel van with enough room for his tools and supplies . . . - -- Ronn! :) - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2003 23:21:25 -0700 From: "Kathy Tyner" Subject: Re: [AML] (SL Trib) Snider firing I appreciate being set straight on the facts of the matter, but I still certainly hold the opinion Eric didn't deserve to be fired. In the long run it will be The Herald's loss and Eric's gain. Although, that's little comfort when one is sweating about paying the bills. As to the journalistic ethic that a reporter should never become part of the story itself-Well, I can agree with that in principle, that is as it should be, but I smirk in reality since I feel it's become part of the media culture and business today. Many reporters don't report news, they craft it, often inserting their own bias and making the story fit that bias. News analysts are different, they are supposed to express an opinion. And yes, I know there are plenty of good reporters who don't do this-but they are getting to be a rare breed. The particular case in point that comes to mind is when Linda Chavez was nominated by Bush to become his Labor Secretary. There was stiff opposition to her nomination by labor unions and other like-minded groups. Ms. Chavez is known for her views about illegal immigration among other things. A story came out about her having hired an illegal to do domestic work and in the ensuing fire storm she withdrew her nomination. The reporter that broke the story, ABC news' Terry Moran did not reveal that he got the story from his sister, a lawyer who is a neighbor of Chavez. Mr. Moran never said anything about having that connection to the source for his story. Should he have? I think so. It is no secret that Mr. Moran does not like this President and may have some personal animus involved in wanting to hurt this nominee and embarrass the President. It was other news sources that dug up the familial connection between Moran and his story source. It was also found out that his sister harbored the same feelings towards Chavez. It should be noted that Chavez claimed she didn't know the woman's legal status, but a similar situation derailed two of Pres. Clinton's nominees for Atty General, so all's fair in politics. The bigger point is that ABC did nothing to Moran, and if fact backed him up. He still works there to this day. Should we expect that either the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, or ABC News would hold to the same standard as The Provo Daily Herald? Yes, but they don't, imho. I just think the Herald went too far the other way. Perhaps a bigger problem for LDS reporters in Utah is how to stay out of stories that involve fellow Saints when there is a connection. Let's say someone is a reporter and goes to the same Ward as some politician. And let's say said reporter has discovered or witnessed the politician involved in something unsavory or inappropriate, but not necessarily illegal. How does the reporter stay out of the story when they are one of the witnesses, or know one of the witnesses? Do they have another reporter write it up and they become the source? Is that considered acceptable? And what kind of trouble could it cause in the Ward, if the members blamed the reporter for causing trouble rather than focusing on the wrongdoing as Saints are wont to do? Just a few questions rattling around in my brain. Kathy Tyner Orange County, CA - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 03:14:38 -0700 From: "Richard B. Johnson" Subject: RE: [AML] AML-List Members in Theater? I have been debating what to say here. It is clear from my previous writing that I have worked as a teacher, practitioner and general worker in the theatre all my life. My first acting experience was in Junior High School. As close as I can remember (and count) I have acted in about fifty plays as an student about twenty or so as a professional(including two inconsequential roles in two equally inconsequent ion movies) and about twenty or twenty five in community and church plays. Shuffling through posters and programs I have directed well over a hundred plays as a high school, college and community theatre director, eight, as a director of "Reader's theatre" in a New York University, another fifteen or eighteen in professional situations (meaning that both I and the actors were paid- In the college situations I got paid, the actors didn't) as well as a serious bunch of puppet plays, most of which I also wrote. (I have written nine plays, translated two and written two teleplays. The teleplays sold for real money and four of the nine plays were produced by enthusiastic but unpaid folk who were honest enough to pay royalties. I have evidence that some of them were also produced by folk who didn't pay royalties but who knows. I have also designed built a fair bunch of play settings but my memory is tenuous enough that I quit pondering when I came to Scene Designer and Technical Director. I was costumer for one play, for which I still apologize. I was business manager for a group called the Tetonia Players for a year, general manager for the Lincolnland summer players in New Salem Ill. (a Southern Illinois University group) one summer, and have done PR for a couple of outdoor dramas. The best overall productions I ever did were of Godspell, Taming of the Shrew, an Blood Wedding. The most fun I had as an actor included a Summer at the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, a stint at The Virginia City Playhouse, and a production in a Max Gorelik directed production of _The Firebugs_. Except for my adventures with Godspell and Blood Wedding my favorite directing experiences were "company built" (read, improvised from existing text, then scripted and fully staged) Had a great time with Dracula, and the Book of Revelations. I also directed college company for five years where we did one acts, company built shows, short children's plays and "theatre games" type audience interactive pieces, along with solo Interpretation selections, all in repertory, which we toured around high schools, military bases, service clubs, local "festivals" during fall quarter. All this time, I was active in the church and held a lot of church callings. I have used some language, off and on the stage (still do dangit) that was not very appropriate, have drunk a lot of imitation liquor, My first three paid acting gigs were as Dr Lyman in various productions of BUS STOP. He's an aging drunken child molester. I wondered what people saw that was that ???? in a tee totaling virginal returned missionary, that made the role such a natural) and I can blow through both cigars and cigarettes in such a way that it looks like it's being smoked. I have almost never kissed a girl in a play (I don't get those roles,) but I have committed rape, mayhem and murder of the rottenest kind-ever wonder what happened to Mac duff's wife? King Duncan rose from the dead, changed his clothes, and did the poor woman in, in a really spectacular way. I have to admit that I have spent many pleasant hours slurping ginger ale in local bars, with some really wonderful (and a few really unpleasant) people. I have also acted (and rehearsed, and built scenery etc. etc.) on Sundays. There IS pressure to compromise your ideals in the business--- But there is pressure in almost any business. I have drifted further from the spirit dealing with academic politics than I ever have from experience in the theatre. I consider myself one of the luckiest men in the world. For most of my life people have paid me for doing things I would have done for free. Not everyone spends most of his (or her)life having so much fun that he can hardly wait to get to work. What retirement really means is that now I have had to revert to doing it for free again. (and occasionally begging for the opportunity) 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: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 01:42:48 -0600 From: Steve Perry Subject: Re: [AML] Changes in the Genesis Group On Tuesday, September 2, 2003, at 09:14 AM, Margaret Young wrote: > By the way, I would be > very interested in hearing a reaction to the _Ensign_'s report of the > Genesis Group meeting held in the tabernacle to commemorate the 25th > anniversary of the priesthood revelation. It's in the September issue > in the news section. I had a rather strong reaction to it, which I > will > not share yet. Love to hear from the rest of y'all. You surely don't mean the fact that they quoted one white guy and didn't quote any African Americans, do you? :-) Steve - -- skperry@mac.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 15:31:55 -0500 From: "Lisa Tait" Subject: [AML] Death of the Road Show? I don't have time to do this justice, but for my two cents' worth.... I'm not a theater rat. I was in a couple of road shows and a ward play in high school and that's about it. However, I just finished directing our ward road show and I want to describe my experience and see if it is common out there. Road shows were sponsored by the stake activities committee. Nine wards in our stake participated (I think there are 10 or 11). We performed Saturday night at the stake center--no true "road" element, which is understandable given the facts of geography. The stake gave us a theme. (Have they always done that? I didn't think so, but then as a teenager I could have been oblivious.) They passed out packets with instructions and the theme at the Pioneer Day activity and we had about six weeks to do the whole thing. The theme was "Way to Be." It was supposed to be based on one or more of President Hinckley's "Six Be's". The Be/Bee pun was exploited ad nauseum, both by the stake and by various wards in their roadshows. I had an old (as in almost 20 years) script that I resurrected and reworked significantly. It's about what Frankenstein and Igor do after getting out of prison for making the monster that destroyed their village--they make another monster, of course, who promptly destroys the village again. I called it "Be True to Your Inner Monster" and I made a joke of working in all six of the "Be's"--humble, smart, true, clean, grateful, and whatever else that escapes me. It was a very silly and very fun road show. My 16 year-old son starred as Doc Frankenstein and did a great job, if I may say so. It was about 13 minutes long--the stake guidelines were 12-15 minutes. We did a bang-up job of makeup and costuming (I shouldn't say "we" because it was not me). We practiced every week at mutual and then on Saturdays, and we worked really hard to make it good. Well, we took first runner up (which sounds better than 2nd place) and Best Makeup. The show that won was a very clever take-off on Monty Python--something about in search of the Wholly Grateful. They did a great job and deserved to win, I suppose. They were the last show to perform; we were first. The judges said it was a toss-up between us, and I suspect we might have won if we had gone last. But we were happy with our award nonetheless. In between ours and the winning show, however, the other seven roadshows were--searching for the right word here--varying degrees of dreadful. Since when is a roadshow supposed to be preachy? We had two called "Way to Be." One of them was a game show takeoff (a kid trades away his family) that could have been cute, except that it was over 20 minutes long and didn't know how to resolve itself. Another one was something about "we should BE dancing" and might have been watchable if there had been any coherent dialogue. The rest were just embarrassing, which made them seem interminable (and several were well over 20 minutes long). No story, no pacing, not even good songs. But worst of all, to me, was the didacticism. We had to have some pirate searching for a "pearl of great price." One was titled "Humble Bee wins the Prize" (the costumes were at least good in that one). There was a Wizard of Oz takeoff about the "Wise Man of Be-ville." And a couple that were just inexplicable. Do you think part of the problem could be the choice of theme? Maybe the theme was inherently didactic and stacked the deck in that direction from the beginning. And yet, preachy seems to be the paradigm that almost everyone was working from. (This was the case four years ago, last time we did roadshows.) So is it me? Do I have the wrong concept of what roadshows are supposed to be (i.e., fun and entertaining and not too serious)? Is this what the rest of you are seeing in your stakes? Do you even have roadshows anymore? Is the road show a dead art in Mormondom? Lisa Tait - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 14:44:24 -0700 (PDT) From: "R.W. Rasband" Subject: [AML] Deseret News: Church Does Not Oppose Firing Squad Ban (R.W. Rasband: This article is relevant only so far as the discussion of "blood atonement" in "Under The Banner of Heaven", "American Massacre", et= al.) =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D R.W. Rasband Heber City, UT rrasband@yahoo.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com - --0-292768434-1062711864=3D:18344 Content-Type: text/plain; name=3D"Church not against a firing-squad ban.txt" Content-Description: Church not against a firing-squad ban.txt Content-Disposition: inline; filename=3D"Church not against a firing-squad= ban.txt" Church not against a firing-squad ban Thursday, September 4, 2003 Church not against a firing-squad ban=20 'Blood atonement' never has been a doctrine, LDS say By Linda Thomson Deseret Morning News The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not oppose= =20 elimination of the firing squad for executing death-row inmates. Church spokesman Dale Bills said a one sentence statement saying= =20 that the church "has no objection to the elimination of the firing= squad=20 in Utah" was provided Wednesday to the Utah Sentencing Commission,= which=20 is studying how to get rid of the firing squad method of execution and= =20 replacing it with lethal injection. Paul Boyden, a commission member and executive director of the= =20 Statewide Association of Prosecutors, said the church's statement was= =20 requested to clear up any lingering questions on whether church= doctrine=20 would require a firing squad under the early Mormon teaching of "blood= =20 atonement." In its definition of blood atonement, the Encyclopedia of= Mormonism=20 says several early church leaders, including Brigham Young, taught= that in=20 "a complete theocracy the Lord could require the voluntary shedding of= a=20 murderer's blood =97 presumably by capital punishment =97 as part of= the=20 process of atonement for such grievous sin." But the encyclopedia and past church statements say this was= never a=20 doctrine of the church nor has it been practiced by the church at any= =20 time. Still, Boyden said recent letters to the editor indicate some= still=20 believe the firing squad is necesary for religious reasons and the=20 commission wasn't sure how widespread that belief could be. "If we hadn't (asked for the church's position), this probably= would=20 have been a question among some legislators and it may have not made= it=20 out of committee," Boyden said. The Utah Sentencing Commission plans to formally recommend to= the=20 state Legislature elimination of the firing squad and adoption of= lethal=20 injection as the only method of execution. Utah is the only state that uses the firing squad method,= although=20 Idaho and Oklahoma retain it as an option if other methods are not= viable. Utah also is one of seven states that permit a person convicted= of a=20 capital crime to select how he or she will die. While the church's statement was requested, Boyden said the=20 commission's discussion Wednesday largely centered on the topic of= whether=20 making the switch to lethal injection could cause delays for convicted= =20 murderers who had previously chosen the firing squad. "The question is, do we create a situation where somebody on= death=20 row could create a delay by appealing on the grounds that they're= entitled=20 to be shot rather than executed by lethal injection?" Boyden said. All members of the commission favor moving to the lethal= injection=20 method as soon as possible to stop the "media circus" that surrounds= =20 firing squad executions, Boyden said. By choosing the firing squad, "the defendant has the opportunity= to=20 be somewhat in control and create a media circus," Boyden said. "In= Utah,=20 the firing squad is not big news, but both nationally and= internationally=20 it is." The situation also permits a person convicted of capital murder= to=20 "focus attention on himself rather than the victims or the heinous= deeds=20 he has committed," Boyden said. "The real issue is whether we would create any possible delay in= =20 executions =97 would we give death-row inmates an issue for appeal,"= Boyden=20 said. "We're pretty confident that they'd never succeed on appeal.= We've=20 reviewed case law. The only question is whether the court process in= =20 sorting those issues out would cause a delay, which is something we= would=20 not want to do." The commission members agreed to table the matter for now and= ask=20 the Utah Attorney General's Office for more input and will arrange to= =20 discuss the issue further at its October meeting. E-mail: lindat@desnews.com=20 =20 World & Nation + Utah + Sports + Business + Opinion + Front Page =A9 2003 Deseret News Publishing Company - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 22:17:26 -0500 From: Jonathan Langford Subject: [AML] Re: Literature on the Mountain Meadows Massacre (comp 1) [MOD: This is a compilation post.] >From pdhunter@wt.net Wed Sep 03 21:31:21 2003 Jana Remy: >I am working on a list of fiction that mentions the Mountain Meadows >Massacre Two science fiction novels by Piers Anthony: Vision of Tarot. New York: Berkley Books (1985; 1st ed. 1980) Faith of Tarot New York: Berkley Books (1985; 1st ed. 1980) These deal with the event in some detail, and one of the main characters in these two books is Brother Lee, a direct descendent of John Dyle Lee, probably intended in many ways to stand in for the historical Lee himself. In fact, the main character in the Tarot trilogy ends up asking Lee for his daughter's hand in marriage. - - Preston Hunter - -------------------------------------- >From pdhunter@wt.net Wed Sep 03 21:32:42 2003 Jack London's novel _The Star Rover_ Chapters 12 and 13 are entirely about the Mountain Meadows Massacre:
negative
1914 Sample passage: "I'll shoot you full of lead, you damned Mormon!... Damned Mormon!" was all I could sob at him. "Damned Mormon! Damned Mormon! Damned Mormon!" Other quote: "They ain't whites...They're Mormons." [Preston Hunter] - --------------------------------------- >From bronsonjscott@juno.com Wed Sep 03 22:30:19 2003 Could it be drama? If so, there is Tom Rogers' excellent play, "Fire In the Bones." Scott Bronson - --------------------------------------- - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2003 14:04:15 -0500 From: Jonathan Langford Subject: [AML] Re: Book of Mormon Movie / Online Interview Thanks to Steve for his comments on this issue. However, he included one point that I feel I need to respond to as moderator. Steve wrote: I would like to suggest that this post be removed from the AML archives. My reply: In a case like this, I am not personally willing to modify the AML-List archives. We have *very* occasionally done this under exceptional circumstances, but it is both difficult and, in my view, a poor precedent--like attempting to rewrite history. However, Steve's post with its comments will also exist, in the same archives with the earlier message. Please note, by the way, that this is *not* a review that will be included in the AML-List Review Archives, since it did not originate on AML-List. Reviews in the Review Archives can be changed more easily than past posts in the main AML-List archives, and do not, in my view, involve the same problems with post-hoc alterations to the conversation. Thanks again to all for taking part. Jonathan Langford AML-List Moderator - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 19:16:12 +0900 From: "Kari Heber" Subject: RE: [AML] D. Michael's Film Lab 7: EXPLORING FAITH The only time in my life I have ever found myself wishing I lived in Utah is when I get these announcements. I would love for you to post a summary of the discussions. Kari Heber Okinawa, Japan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 9:42:11 -0400 From: Subject: Re: [AML] re: AML-List Members in Theater? I guess even the lurkers should 'fess up on this one. I did High School drama (even got the romantic lead in Blossom Time my senior year), then years later, when we had a talented director in our ward, did some plays and musicals (typecast as Caspar in Amahl) and then a couple of years ago did Cesar Rodney in the Rodgers Theater production of 1776 in Bountiful. Where, btw, they blissfully deleted all the swear words, without (I'm sure) the faintest shred of approval from the copyright holder. And if you can imagine the work involved in deleting all the references to Deity in John Adams' part alone....... Now that I'm in Kentucky, we'll see what opportunities arise. Hugh Stocks hstocks@fuse.net - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 08:23:18 -0600 From: "Scott Parkin" Subject: Re: [AML] Caffeinated Drinks Jeff Needle wrote: > Those of us with diabetes had to go through some sort of transitional period > wrt Diet Coke. My late mother started by drinking Tab, a truly vile product > at the time. Just awful. Compared to what was available back in the "good > old days," Diet Coke is delicious. I know Jonathan hates these "me too" posts, but I have to comment. I *loved* Tab, despite the prevailing opinion that it tasted like oil sludge diluted with antifreeze. I loved that distinctive saccharin tang and I drank it in litte sips so I could feel the bite every time. When Diet Coke came out, I was very happy, but stayed with Tab for as long as I could. The funny thing for me is that I learned to dislike regular sugared soda--they taste too heavy and syrupy for me now. As a fourteen year old I mystified the people at a local ice cream parlor on the day I set a new gluttony record by eating two Topless Five sundaes (five quarter-pound scoops with toppings), one Earthquake (eight scoops and toppings), two large orders of fries, and a Diet Coke. I couldn't make them understand that it was the flavor I liked, not that I was watching my calories. People will consume all kinds of vile things once they develop a taste. I used to think beer tasted like wet cigarette butts, but eventually learned to appreciate it. The film "Charly" struck me as an almost decent film; I thought its problems had more to do with how the story was presented than what story it told. Who knows--I might even like The Book of Mormon Movie when I finally break down and watch it on DVD (at a friends's house; I refuse to directly support the film). I understand that The Legend of Johnny Lingo may not be all that bad after all. I'll let you know tomorrow. If an audience wants something bad enough, they'll suffer through an unpleasant product that otherwise meets their needs. If they grow accustomed to the odd tang of that unpleasant product, it might even take them a few years to develop a taste for a clearly superior product. That's the way markets develop. Anyone remember good old Diet Rite (aka Diet RC Cola)? Scott Parkin - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 08:44:56 -0600 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] BofM Movie Fireside Kathy Tyner wrote: > Seems some rules get ignored when it comes to doing publicity and > "getting our presence out in the community". What if we all, when the poster rears its ugly head in our ward/stake, go to our leaders and say, "Okay, here's a poster for a church-oriented work of art I did. Please display it in the foyer." If they refuse (and they will), then we demand that the Book of Mormon poster be taken down, since it obviously violates the rules. - -- 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: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 10:52:51 -0500 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: Re: [AML] BofM Movie Fireside - --- Original Message --- From: "Eric D. Snider" >The latest rumor is that it's almost 2 1/2 hours long, which means on >top of its other potential faults, it's also too long. But that's not >verified yet. I don't think the length would be a bother at all, if the movie was good. Dances with wolves was that length and nobody complained. The Book of Mormon movie should be at least that long (my screenplay version is three hours if it's a minute -- but I spend an hour and a half on life in Jerusalem before Lehi even has his vision) but for the audience to accept it at that length, the movie would have to be damn good at every level. Otherwise, it's murder on celluloid. - -- Thom Duncan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 09:11:00 -0600 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] SHINKAI, _Voices of a Distant Star_ (Review) Eugene Woodbury wrote: > One is OSC's "Ender's Game" (in endless > pre-production, it seems) A little sarcasm there? Let's just remember how long it took some extraordinary films to get out of preproduction, like "Ghandi" or "The Apostle." > which I'm convinced could best be done as Anime. So all the girl characters would be these slinky hot babes that look the same, and all the speaking mouths would look like a two-year-old drew them? At least we know the nude scenes in "Ender's Game" could stay in the film, since anime is rife with them. With live children actors, I suspect there wouldn't be a chance. - -- 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: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 09:17:16 -0600 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] BofM Movie Fireside Eric D. Snider wrote: > The latest rumor is that it's almost 2 1/2 hours long, which means on > top of its other potential faults, it's also too long. But that's not > verified yet. 2 1/2 hours is not too long--for a good film. I love long films--that are good. Which probably means 2 1/2 hours _is_ too long for this film. - -- 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: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 09:19:51 -0600 From: Margaret Young Subject: RE: [AML] AML-List Members in Theater? I have to add a little to Isaac Walter's statement that he is a theater person. He's a brilliant one, especially as a director. He has such a creative mind and is willing to take on projects you wouldn't imagine could be made theatrical and then do them marvelously. His wife is also exceptionally gifted. I have found myself more on the writing end of theater for awhile, though I have occasionally acted in some Spanish theater and filled in as needed in _I Am Jane_ (usually playing a caucasion). In my younger days, I played Nora in _A Doll's House_, Aldonza in _Man of La Mancha_ and a whole lot of Shakespeare plus other stuff I hardly remember anymore. I firmly believe that all of that memorization laid a foundation for my writing. Once I had children, I simply could not devote time to a play's production and so worked from the writing angle. My son is also an actor, and my daughter would love to be in one of Richard Dutcher's movies. At the recent Genesis picnic, when Richard was talking to me, this daughter suddenly sprang up between us wearing a huge grin. "Hi!" she said to Richard. "Are you looking for a fresh face for one of your films?" He answered, "Well, I certainly will remember you." Of course, we take that as an oral contract and anticipate that Julia Young will be featured in a starring role in _The Prophet_. ________________ Margaret Young 1027 JKHB English Department Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602-6280 Tel: 801-422-4705 Fax: 801-422-0221 - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V2 #144 ******************************