From: owner-lds-bookshelf-digest@lists.xmission.com (lds-bookshelf-digest) To: lds-bookshelf-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: lds-bookshelf-digest V1 #964 Reply-To: lds-bookshelf Sender: owner-lds-bookshelf-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-lds-bookshelf-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk lds-bookshelf-digest Monday, June 23 2003 Volume 01 : Number 964 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2003 10:51:26 EDT From: RickBook@aol.com Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Death of Bookseller Kent Walgren in Paris - --part1_1a2.15973cb3.2c0e0fee_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/2/2003 11:56:03 PM Eastern Standard Time, irwinkw@earthlink.net quotes Ken Sanders: > Kent liked many > aspects of the book trade, but others not so much. He was shocked and > alrmed by the rising prices, especially in the Mormon end of the > marketplace. he was very uncomfortable with the frenzied buying and the > spiraling costs of high end Mormon books and ultimately disgusted with > it. But I'm digressing. > > Kent was in his early fifties and felt that his life was slipping away > from him. He wanted to accomplish something with whatever years he had > remaining, something beyond what he had previously known. He had a > desire for a great adventure, he had a passion for life and living, and > whatever he was seeking, he went to Paris to find it. "It shall not last for ever, No more than earth and skies; But he that drinks in season Shall live before he dies." ______________ "Oh, many a month before I learn Will find me starting still And listening, as the days return, For him that never will. "Strange, strange to think his blood is cold And mine flows easy on; And that straight look, that heart of gold, That grace, that manhood gone." - - A. E. Housman, "Ho, everyone that thirsteth," and "Whe he's returned I'll tell him - oh," in MORE POEMS. London: Jonathan Cape, ["First Published 1936], pp. 39 and 60. FIRST EDITION. 20 1/2 cm. 71 pp., counting half-title and frontispiece portrait. Original dark bluish-grey cloth; gilt title on front board and spine. Original grey dust jacket printed in black and red. Nearly fine, unopened. $Most assuredly not for sale . . . Extreme pain at this news; best of book and human memories, Kent! You always had time for me, and for my questions, whenever I called. Now you have all the time in the world - I'll try to work harder still. Bye, Rick - --part1_1a2.15973cb3.2c0e0fee_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable In a message dated 6/2/2003 11:56:03 PM Eastern Standa= rd Time, irwinkw@earthlink.net quotes Ken Sanders:

Kent liked many
aspects of the book trade, but others not so much.  He was shocked and<= BR> alrmed by the rising prices, especially in the Mormon end of the
marketplace.  he was very uncomfortable with the frenzied buying and th= e
spiraling costs of high end Mormon books and ultimately disgusted with
it.  But I'm digressing.

Kent was in his early fifties and felt that his life was slipping away
from him.  He wanted to accomplish something with whatever years he had=
remaining, something beyond what he had previously known.  He had a
desire for a great adventure, he had a passion for life and living, and
whatever he was seeking, he went to Paris to find it.




"It shall not last for ever,
  No more than earth and skies;
But he that drinks in season
  Shall live before he dies."
______________

"Oh, many a month before I learn
  Will find me starting still
And listening, as the days return,
  For him that never will.

"Strange, strange to think his blood is cold
  And mine flows easy on;
And that straight look, that heart of gold,
  That grace, that manhood gone."

- - A. E. Housman, "Ho, everyone that thirsteth," and "Whe he's returned I'll=20= tell him - oh," in MORE POEMS.  London: Jonathan Cape, ["First Publishe= d 1936], pp. 39 and 60.  FIRST EDITION.  20 1/2 cm.  71 pp.,=20= counting half-title and frontispiece portrait.  Original dark bluish-gr= ey cloth;  gilt title on front board and spine.  Original grey dus= t jacket printed in black and red.  Nearly fine, unopened.  $Most=20= assuredly not for sale . . .

Extreme pain at this news;  best of book and human memories, Kent! = ; You always had time for me, and for my questions, whenever I called. = Now you have all the time in the world - I'll try to work harder still.

Bye,

Rick - --part1_1a2.15973cb3.2c0e0fee_boundary-- - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 04 Jun 2003 08:36:21 -0700 From: "Joe Geisner" Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] FW: Death of Bookseller Kent Walgren in Paris I want to thank you for your comments about Kent. I never was lucky enough to meet Kent, when ever I was in his store he was at his other job. From what was written it seems to me Kent loved and lived life to its fullest. Joe _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2003 14:58:01 -0600 From: Ken Sanders Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Kent Walgren Memorial Service KENT LOGAN WALGREN February 17th, 1947---May 31st, 2003 There will be a memorial service for Kent Walgren held on Sunday June 15th at 5:00 here at my bookshop. Everyone is welcome. If you can't attend, we will be collecting and printing out memorial emails to Kent from his many friends. You're encouraged to contribute. We'll print these out and bind them up for his family. Kent is survived by his parents,a son and a daughter (Kirsten and Brett), and his former wife, Hanne Copier. Kent appears to have died in his apartment in Paris sometime late Friday night/Saturday morning, May 31st. Although we don't have the results of his autopsy yet, it is believed he died of natural causes, probably a heart attack or stroke. - -- Ken Sanders Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA 268 South 200 East Salt Lake City UT 84111 (801) 521-3819 Fax: (801) 521-2606 http://www.kensandersbooks.com ken@dreamgarden.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2003 17:23:40 -0600 From: Ken Sanders Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Kent Walgren Funeral We have just learned that there will be a funeral for Kent Walgren as well as the memorial service here at the bookshop. The funeral is set for Monday June 9th at 2:00 P.M. The obituary will be in the Salt Lake papers tomorrow. The memorial service will still take place Sunday, June 15th at 5:00 at the bookshop. Addditionally, there will be a tribute/article about Kent in the Salt Lake Tribune tomorrow by his friend John Keahy, and another friend Jerry Johnston at the Deseret News, I believe will be writing about Kent in his weekly column on relgion tomorrow as well. - -- Ken Sanders Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA 268 South 200 East Salt Lake City UT 84111 (801) 521-3819 Fax: (801) 521-2606 http://www.kensandersbooks.com ken@dreamgarden.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 17:25:40 -0600 From: "Malcolm Vickery" Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Kent Walgren Funeral Where's the funeral Ken? Malcolm - -----Original Message----- From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com [mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Ken Sanders Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 5:24 PM To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com; discuss@abaa.org Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Kent Walgren Funeral We have just learned that there will be a funeral for Kent Walgren as well as the memorial service here at the bookshop. The funeral is set for Monday June 9th at 2:00 P.M. The obituary will be in the Salt Lake papers tomorrow. The memorial service will still take place Sunday, June 15th at 5:00 at the bookshop. Addditionally, there will be a tribute/article about Kent in the Salt Lake Tribune tomorrow by his friend John Keahy, and another friend Jerry Johnston at the Deseret News, I believe will be writing about Kent in his weekly column on relgion tomorrow as well. - -- Ken Sanders Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA 268 South 200 East Salt Lake City UT 84111 (801) 521-3819 Fax: (801) 521-2606 http://www.kensandersbooks.com ken@dreamgarden.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2003 18:24:38 -0600 From: Ken Sanders Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Kent Walgren Funeral At a mortuary here in Salt Lake. Monday 2:00 P.M. The name will be in the obit in the Tribune and Des News tomorrow. I don't know it. Malcolm Vickery wrote: > Where's the funeral Ken? > > Malcolm > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com > [mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Ken Sanders > Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 5:24 PM > To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com; discuss@abaa.org > Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Kent Walgren Funeral > > > We have just learned that there will be a funeral for Kent Walgren as > well as the memorial service here at the bookshop. The funeral is set > for Monday June 9th at 2:00 P.M. The obituary will be in the Salt Lake > papers tomorrow. > > > The memorial service will still take place Sunday, June 15th at 5:00 at > the bookshop. > > Addditionally, there will be a tribute/article about Kent in the Salt > Lake Tribune tomorrow by his friend John Keahy, and another friend Jerry > > Johnston at the Deseret News, I believe will be writing about Kent in > his weekly column on relgion tomorrow as well. > > > > > - -- Ken Sanders Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA 268 South 200 East Salt Lake City UT 84111 (801) 521-3819 Fax: (801) 521-2606 http://www.kensandersbooks.com ken@dreamgarden.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 08:14:39 -0600 From: "Edlund, Mark J" Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 09:16:14 -0500 Bookshelfers, Sad news. I received word last night that Chad Flake passed away yesterday morning. Funeral services will be held in Snowflake, Arizona. There may be a small memorial service at BYU, but I don't know if that has been confirmed yet. Mark Edlund - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 09:22:44 -0600 From: Ken Sanders Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Passing of Chad Flake Yes, this is sad news, but not unexpected. It seems like we've been losing a lot of great Mormon/western scholars just recently. And like Kent Walgren and his massive masonic bibliography, Chad has died on the eve of the publication of the new Flake Mormon bibliography. Dale Morgan started the Mormon bibliography back in the forties in a recipe box on a table I believe. It took an enormous amount of work by Chad Flake and cohorts to bring that dream to a realization back in 1980. I can remeber quoting items to Chad over the years that I've found that weren't in Flake, it was like waving a red flag in front of the proverbial bull. I always got lectured on why this or that item either shouldn't have been in Flake or was in Flake and I just didn't know where to look, but Chad would always eagerly purchase all those items that "weren't in "Flake" and I suspect they will be in the forthcoming edition. Ken Sanders Edlund, Mark J wrote: > Bookshelfers, > > Sad news. I received word last night that Chad Flake passed away yesterday > morning. Funeral services will be held in Snowflake, Arizona. There may be > a small memorial service at BYU, but I don't know if that has been confirmed > yet. > > Mark Edlund > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books > - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with > - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. > - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" > > > - -- Ken Sanders Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA 268 South 200 East Salt Lake City UT 84111 (801) 521-3819 Fax: (801) 521-2606 http://www.kensandersbooks.com ken@dreamgarden.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 23:53:32 EDT From: RickBook@aol.com Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Passing of Chad Flake - --part1_4f.30a8914f.2c26823c_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/19/2003 11:21:27 AM Eastern Standard Time, ken@dreamgarden.com writes: > I can remeber quoting items to Chad over the years that I've > found that weren't in Flake, it was like waving a red flag in front of > the proverbial bull. I always got lectured on why this or that item > either shouldn't have been in Flake or was in Flake and I just didn't > know where to look, but Chad would always eagerly purchase all those > items that "weren't in "Flake" and I suspect they will be in the > forthcoming edition. "I was devestated [sic] when the first book was 'Not in Flake'. Now I love to add it to Flake additions, and realize that we will be starting a second when the Additions go to press." - -Chad Flake to Rick Grunder, March 14, 1989, in response to my comment in a letter to him on March 4, 1989: "There is no greater tribute to a bibliographer than to have legions of booksellers or scholars exclaim gleefully, 'Not in Flake.' It is a back-door tribute to your comprehensiveness and dedication, and if I should happen to outlive you someday, I will certainly take pride in bragging that I knew you. I hope someone will be able to say the same about me someday! Right now, about all they could say is, "I wish he had paid his bills!" My life changed one day in the early 1970s when Dr. DeLamar Jensen took our history class to the vault where Chad gave us a tour of the rarest treasures at BYU. I would never rest until I could work with such things. Chad bore his "testimony" to me about 1975. I remember it virtually word-for-word: "I believe Joseph Smith was what he was purported to be, that the Book of Mormon was what it was purported to be, and that we have somehow muddled through with the authority to the present day." At least once a week, I would carry an armful of material into his office to see if he wanted certain items for Special Collections as opposed to sending them to open stacks. On one occasion, he sighed, accepted yet another tome to ponder, and replied in his cynical, nasal drawl, "I'll take this one overnight and make it a matter of fasting and prayer." His best quote, I have shared before - that to read a great book in a reprint edition is like kissing your girlfriend through a pane of glass. Hopelessly nervous, he would fidget with his giant clothespin-shaped paper clip on his desk, pinching the skin between his thumb and forefinger, then pulling the clip off, over and over, waiting for a conversation to end so that he could get back to his books. At lunch, waiting for the waitress to bring his meal, he would interlace the tines of his dinner and salad forks, making a sort of rocking horse with which to occupy his hands. Sometimes the forks weren't enough. He once spilled an entire carafe of icewater on Pete Crawley, Dean Larsen and me (or rather on our table - we knew to jump quickly) because he couldn't leave it alone. No one was particularly scandalized, and certainly not embarrassed. It was just a slightly more dramatic manifestation of our friend's eccentricities. The ultimate crucifixion for such a personality was the renovation of the Lee Library in the late 1970s. A cloth was draped over one hole at the back of Special Collections, but the noise from the workers demolishing the walls was impossible. "Can we have some quiet here?" Chad yelled. "We are trying to do complex bibliographic work." One carpenter in dirty overalls looked up, stared at the shelves uncomprehendingly, and strode over. The book on the desk was an Aldine imprint from the 1500s, and Chad and I were trying to work out the sort of problem which would not likely occur to such a fellow. "Are those books old?" the guy asked. I shuddered just a little, anticipating Chad's possible snip. Instead, Chad saw the opportunity for education. He escorted the fellow into the Holy of Holies itself, carefully explaining the nature of the old books and manuscripts, where they were made, and the centuries that had intervened since they were produced. I daresay the man remembers what he saw there to this day, and is better for it, as I was when Chad first showed such things to me. As the sledge hammers prepared to crash through the wall of the old vault, the shelves were emptied methodically. We full-time library "professionals" loaded the entire contents on carts and wheeled them like prelates exhibiting statues of the Blessed Mother in a religious parade, proceeding to Room 451, where inestimable relics would wait behind a simple locked wooden door for weeks until the new vault could be completed. I went back one last time to check every shelf in the old vault. The top shelves were higher than my 6' 2" could see, so I did a sort of jumping routine along every row. At the end of the final one, I spied an old paper, and pulled it down. It was a document signed by George Washington. "So THAT's where I put it," came Chad's familiar, bored drawl. When the new vault was completed, some of us gathered to observe the new fire extinguishing system: The electromagnet holding the vault door open would deactivate, and a jet of Halon gas (breathable, but too low in oxygen to support a flame) would be released into the chamber. We stood just outside and waited. But just before the large door closed, we witnessed a soul-chilling flurry of book parts and paper shreds spewing from one end of the vault to the other. It looked as if the entire Victorian Collection had been pulverized by the ill-directed blast. Like many overly nervous people (including RickBook), Chad reacted no worse to the calamity than he would have to the temporary loss of his keys. "A terrible tragedy," he muttered calmly. He could not open the vault door for ten minutes because of the mechanism on the fire controls. We sat in stunned horror and wondered how many years of work and how many hundreds of thousands of dollars had been lost. When the time was up, we walked in and discovered to our relief that only a half-dozen books had been destroyed. A narrow area, two shelves immediately in front of the gas jet were kept perpetually empty from that day forward. RG - --part1_4f.30a8914f.2c26823c_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable In a message dated 6/19/2003 11:21:27 AM Eastern Stand= ard Time, ken@dreamgarden.com writes:

I can remeber quoting items to= Chad over the years that I've
found that weren't in Flake, it was like waving a red flag in front of
the proverbial bull.  I always got lectured on why this or that item either shouldn't have been in Flake or was in Flake and I just didn't
know where to look, but Chad would always eagerly purchase all those
items that "weren't in "Flake"  and I suspect they will be in the
forthcoming edition.



"I was devestated [sic] when the first book was 'Not in Flake'.  Now I=20= love to add it to Flake additions, and realize that we will be starting a se= cond when the Additions go to press."

- -Chad Flake to Rick Grunder, March 14, 1989, in response to my comment in a=20= letter to him on March 4, 1989:

"There is no greater tribute to a bibliographer than to have legions of book= sellers or scholars exclaim gleefully, 'Not in Flake.'  It is a back-do= or tribute to your comprehensiveness and dedication, and if I should happen=20= to outlive you someday, I will certainly take pride in bragging that I knew=20= you.  I hope someone will be able to say the same about me someday!&nbs= p; Right now, about all they could say is, "I wish he had paid his bills!"
My life changed one day in the early 1970s when Dr. DeLamar Jensen took our=20= history class to the vault where Chad gave us a tour of the rarest treasures= at BYU.  I would never rest until I could work with such things.

Chad bore his "testimony" to me about 1975.  I remember it virtually wo= rd-for-word:

"I believe Joseph Smith was what he was purported to be, that the Book of Mo= rmon was what it was purported to be, and that we have somehow muddled throu= gh with the authority to the present day."

At least once a week, I would carry an armful of material into his office to= see if he wanted certain items for Special Collections as opposed to sendin= g them to open stacks.  On one occasion, he sighed, accepted yet anothe= r tome to ponder, and replied in his cynical, nasal drawl, "I'll take this o= ne overnight and make it a matter of fasting and prayer."

His best quote, I have shared before - that to read a great book in a reprin= t edition is like kissing your girlfriend through a pane of glass.

Hopelessly nervous, he would fidget with his giant clothespin-shaped paper c= lip on his desk, pinching the skin between his thumb and forefinger, then pu= lling the clip off, over and over, waiting for a conversation to end so that= he could get back to his books.  At lunch, waiting for the waitress to= bring his meal, he would interlace the tines of his dinner and salad forks,= making a sort of rocking horse with which to occupy his hands.  Someti= mes the forks weren't enough.  He once spilled an entire carafe of icew= ater on Pete Crawley, Dean Larsen and me (or rather on our table - we knew t= o jump quickly) because he couldn't leave it alone.  No one was particu= larly scandalized, and certainly not embarrassed.  It was just a slight= ly more dramatic manifestation of our friend's eccentricities.

The ultimate crucifixion for such a personality was the renovation of the Le= e Library in the late 1970s.  A cloth was draped over one hole at the b= ack of Special Collections, but the noise from the workers demolishing the w= alls was impossible.

"Can we have some quiet here?" Chad yelled.  "We are trying to do compl= ex bibliographic work."  One carpenter in dirty overalls looked up, sta= red at the shelves uncomprehendingly, and strode over.  The book on the= desk was an Aldine imprint from the 1500s, and Chad and I were trying to wo= rk out the sort of problem which would not likely occur to such a fellow.
"Are those books old?" the guy asked.  I shuddered just a little, antic= ipating Chad's possible snip.  Instead, Chad saw the opportunity for ed= ucation.  He escorted the fellow into the Holy of Holies itself, carefu= lly explaining the nature of the old books and manuscripts, where they were=20= made, and the centuries that had intervened since they were produced. =20= I daresay the man remembers what he saw there to this day, and is better for= it, as I was when Chad first showed such things to me.

As the sledge hammers prepared to crash through the wall of the old vault, t= he shelves were emptied methodically.  We full-time library "profession= als" loaded the entire contents on carts and wheeled them like prelates exhi= biting statues of the Blessed Mother in a religious parade, proceeding to Ro= om 451, where inestimable relics would wait behind a simple locked wooden do= or for weeks until the new vault could be completed.  I went back one l= ast time to check every shelf in the old vault.  The top shelves were h= igher than my 6' 2" could see, so I did a sort of jumping routine along ever= y row.  At the end of the final one, I spied an old paper, and pulled i= t down.

It was a document signed by George Washington.  "So THAT's where I put=20= it," came Chad's familiar, bored drawl.

When the new vault was completed, some of us gathered to observe the new fir= e extinguishing system:  The electromagnet holding the vault door open=20= would deactivate, and a jet of Halon gas (breathable, but too low in oxygen=20= to support a flame) would be released into the chamber.  We stood just=20= outside and waited.  But just before the large door closed, we witnesse= d a soul-chilling flurry of book parts and paper shreds spewing from one end= of the vault to the other.  It looked as if the entire Victorian Colle= ction had been pulverized by the ill-directed blast.  Like many overly=20= nervous people (including RickBook), Chad reacted no worse to the calamity t= han he would have to the temporary loss of his keys.

"A terrible tragedy," he muttered calmly.  He could not open the vault=20= door for ten minutes because of the mechanism on the fire controls.  We= sat in stunned horror and wondered how many years of work and how many hund= reds of thousands of dollars had been lost.

When the time was up, we walked in and discovered to our relief that only a=20= half-dozen books had been destroyed.  A narrow area, two shelves immedi= ately in front of the gas jet were kept perpetually empty from that day forw= ard.

RG - --part1_4f.30a8914f.2c26823c_boundary-- - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2003 09:35:50 -0500 From: "Edlund, Mark J" Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Under the Banner of Heaven This weekend I had the chance to read "Under the Banner of Heaven", Jon Krakaeur's new book on the Mormons. The back of the ARC copy that I had describes it pretty well: "Krakauer examines the underbelly of the United States most successful homegrown faith". The string tying the whole thing together is the Lafferty brothers, but along the way Krakauer spends time on the founding of the church, the MMM, and the 20th century plural marriage groups. When I first met Jon at the CA Sunstone a few years the topic of his book was different. As Krakaeur writes in the "Author's Notes": "As originally conceived, it (the book) was going to focus on the uneasy, highly charged relationship between the LDS church and its past....I intended to explore the inner trials of spiritual thinkers who 'walk in the shadow of faith' ". He then goes on to explain why he switched focus. A few initial impressions I had: (1) Because the book has a whole host of characters and jumps around some, readers not familiar with Mormons might have a tough time following it. It is kind of like a Russian novel with a multitude of characters, but it moves at a much faster pace. (2) The book fails to capture just what it is that many people find so appealing about Mormonism and Mormon fundamentalism. In fact, it really does not spend much time dealing with this issue. One is left with the belief that all who enter fundamentalism are duped or coerced. IMO, the book would have been strengthened if the book would have dealt with the tension of faith these folks must experience, and the positive experiences they have. (3) That said, Krakauer presents a fairly damning, and convincing, case re fundamentalism: extreme patriarchy, sexual abuse, incest, welfare fraud, coercion. Those who wish to prosecute polygamy more vigorously will find ample ammunition in this book. (4) Mormons, and especially Mormon fundamentalists, will really dislike this book. Because of the stature of the author and the publisher (Doubleday), the book will be widely read among non-Mormons. I would love to have a discussion of the book when it comes out in July. Mark Edlund - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2003 09:12:32 -0700 From: "Joe Geisner" Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Passing of Chad Flake Thanks to all of you for sharing your comments about Chad Flake. I was lucky enough to meet him . He was every bit the gentleman Rick describes. My only regret is that I was not more knowledgeable at the time of our meeting. The Mormon book world will never be the same. Joe _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 09:55:55 -0600 From: hjmckell@xmission.com Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Sally Denton The Sunday SL Trib has a big article on Sally Denton's MMM book. The reviewer calls it "serious scholarship". I guess I am going to have to read it...... http://www.sltrib.com/2003/jun/06222003/arts/68274.asp Hugh - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 17:42:53 -0700 From: "Joe Geisner" Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] E.B. Grandin's print shop I was able to visit Palmyra for the first time this past week. It was a great trip and quite an experience for me to see the places I have only read about. The printing shop is excellent. I can't get over how well done the exhibit is, the "Palmyra Reflector" and the works of art by C.C.A. Christensen. It is overwhelming. The missionary tour guide was quite well informed and I felt she was excited about the history she was presenting. The presentation in the printing room is very educational and complicated. I had no idea that it takes a real artist to produce a book. One interesting piece of information was the covering in leather of the BofM took two years. As I thought this through is was like a light going off in my head. This means that most of the books were not finished until the saints had left for Ohio. It also makes sense that this is why Martin kept going back to Palmyra after the move(along with selling property). I am hoping Hugh and Rick, along with others, might comment more on this. I found this web site on google. It is the best I have read and I wish I had read it before I had gone to Palmyra. Thanks Rick for your knowledge. http://www.octavo.com/collections/projects/smimrm/about/ I should also have reread Crawley's description in "Mormons First Book" and his 'Descriptive Bibliography". We also need to know more about Wilford Wood and his aquiring the signatures from John Gilbert and Gilberts writings. Inquiring minds want to know! Joe _________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 19:56:03 -0600 From: Ken Sanders Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Under the Banner of Heaven I pretty much agree with Mark Edlund. Although not an indictment of the current Mormon Church, in fact ther M-word isn't even used on the cover, which I found curious, Krakaeur's interest in and retelling of the Lafferty Brothers crime is the strongest part of the book. It's an indictment of polygamy and the fanaticism that this practice has caused. In addition to the Laffertys, it draws heavily on the Short Creek experience (Colorado City/Hilldale) but these seem to be the only two stories he does well. The LeBarons, Tom Green, etc get only a passing mention and I don't recall the Kingstons, John Singer, or many other groups that have either resorted to violence or extreme wackiness to even rate a mention. And there is absolutely nothing mentioned about many other fundamentalist ie polygamists Mormon groups, that don't engage in such extreme behavior, like the late Ogden Kraut, the Fred Collier Group, etc. Krakaeur's book is an interesting read, and I certainly learned things about about the Laffertys and the "Short Creek" group that I didn't know, but the book jumps all over the place, does an inadequate job of schism groups and polygamy in the nineteenth century,(James Strang barely rates a mention for example) not to mention the overall history of the LDS Church. Given that Krakaeur's previous two books (Into The Wild and Into Thin Air) were enormous bestsellers, and given the clout of his publishers (Random/Doubleday) this book will be big and will get a lot of attention. Krakaeur relies heavily on Fawn Brodie, Junaita Brooks, Michael Quinn, and in his Mountain Meadows section, Will Bagley. If Bagley's Blood of the Prophets had been published by a major publishing house, it would have had this kind of impact. As far as I'm concerned, polygamy is one thing, incest, rape and pedophilia, quite another. Ken Sanders Edlund, Mark J wrote: > This weekend I had the chance to read "Under the Banner of Heaven", Jon > Krakaeur's new book on the Mormons. > > The back of the ARC copy that I had describes it pretty well: "Krakauer > examines the underbelly of the United States most successful homegrown > faith". The string tying the whole thing together is the Lafferty brothers, > but along the way Krakauer spends time on the founding of the church, the > MMM, and the 20th century plural marriage groups. > > When I first met Jon at the CA Sunstone a few years the topic of his book > was different. As Krakaeur writes in the "Author's Notes": "As originally > conceived, it (the book) was going to focus on the uneasy, highly charged > relationship between the LDS church and its past....I intended to explore > the inner trials of spiritual thinkers who 'walk in the shadow of faith' ". > He then goes on to explain why he switched focus. > > A few initial impressions I had: > > (1) Because the book has a whole host of characters and jumps around some, > readers not familiar with Mormons might have a tough time following it. It > is kind of like a Russian novel with a multitude of characters, but it moves > at a much faster pace. > > (2) The book fails to capture just what it is that many people find so > appealing about Mormonism and Mormon fundamentalism. In fact, it really > does not spend much time dealing with this issue. > One is left with the belief that all who enter fundamentalism are duped or > coerced. IMO, the book would have been strengthened if the book would have > dealt with the tension of faith these folks must experience, and the > positive experiences they have. > > (3) That said, Krakauer presents a fairly damning, and convincing, case re > fundamentalism: extreme patriarchy, sexual abuse, incest, welfare fraud, > coercion. Those who wish to prosecute polygamy more vigorously will find > ample ammunition in this book. > > (4) Mormons, and especially Mormon fundamentalists, will really dislike > this book. > > Because of the stature of the author and the publisher (Doubleday), the book > will be widely read among non-Mormons. I would love to have a discussion of > the book when it comes out in July. > > Mark Edlund > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books > - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with > - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. > - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" > > > - -- Ken Sanders Ken Sanders Rare Books, ABAA 268 South 200 East Salt Lake City UT 84111 (801) 521-3819 Fax: (801) 521-2606 http://www.kensandersbooks.com ken@dreamgarden.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ End of lds-bookshelf-digest V1 #964 ***********************************