From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #351 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, June 8 2001 Volume 01 : Number 351 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 21:47:31 -0600 From: "Annette Lyon" Subject: Re: [AML] DUTCHER, _Brigham City_ Like Darlene, I finally got out to see the movie. Unlike Darlene, I had already read everything on the list about it, so I had some preconceived notions (I knew the ending was special, for example. One post nearly gave away who did it, and after one scene I leaned over to my husband and told him I knew who the murderer was. I was wrong. Oops.) After seeing movies my husband and I always disect them. This time we didn't agree on everything, but we did agree on a lot, such as: the ending was POWERFUL. I sobbed. We went with friends, and the wife of the couple actually said that at the end of the "who dunnit" scene, she thought the movie was over and decided if it was she hated it--but the last scene made all the difference, and she loved it. We also agreed that we would have preferred fewer red herrings, and a few more clues as to the real murderer, clues paraded in front of the viewers but not obvious--so that at the end we felt more like, "Oh my gosh! I totally missed that!" Instead of feeling like there was no way we could have figured it out. My husband was pretty adamant that a non-member wouldn't understand the import of the final scene. Possibly not to the extent of a member, but I think a non-member would "get" the point. I pointed out, though, that the movie isn't for them, anyway. That the target audience gets it, and that's the important part. Sidenote: When I brought the babysitter home that night she asked what movie we went to. She was visibly uncomfortable when I told her, and she related her experience seeing _God's Army_, which her family rented for FHE. At the healing scene she apparently flipped out--she thought that doing such a thing on film was against the religion or something--practically expected Dutcher to be excommunicated. She finally ended with, "If President Hinckley's okay with it, I guess I am, too." I didn't tell her that to my knowledge the prophet hasn't commented on the films. Her response was a sad one, but I suppose not uncommon. I think part of the problem lies simply in that this is the first time we've had anything like this. We as Mormons are not used to seeing ourselves on screen, and at first it may be a bit uncomfortable. I'm just glad someone's doing it, that we can now say there is something called Mormon Cinema. Annette Lyon - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 21:56:49 -0500 From: "REWIGHT" Subject: Re: [AML] Symbolism I do think that it's possible for a man to write from a woman's POV successfully. I just think that a woman would be more successfull doing it. She could actually write from a woman's POV. That doesn't mean men shouldn't try. I just wish that there was some attitude (and there probably is out there), of "I don't really know, but I'm going to do my best." The attitude I've been feeling here, (and I may be wrong) is, "women don't experience anything special or unique, I completely understand them and I know just how they feel." I think if a man were to go through childbirth he would realize how extremely different this experience is from anything else and he would develop an incredible respect for women. As for symbolism, sure it could be nice for someone to find nuances in a story you weren't aware was there. That's part of an actors job, to create a character from what the writer has written and put other levels into it. But what if your readers, critics etc. find stuff that really isn't there. For instance finding gay characters because two of your straight males hug. Or claiming when your female character bites into an apple that it really represents a deal that Eve made with Satan, when actually, your character bit into the apple because she was hungry, on a picnic, and that's what was in the picnic basket. Or how about "the protagonist wore a black tuxedo to the formal dance because black is the color of death, and he has a secret suicide wish." Well, I guess the protagonist could have worn a powder blue tuxedo if he were a geek or living in the seventies. But lets face it, most men would choose the black tuxedo because it looks the best. It kind of reminds me of the controversy of Tinky Winky being gay because he was purple, had a triangle on his head and carried a magic bag. Or when Seseme Street got rid of Bert because a small minority of people thought Bert and Ernie were gay. Or those people who spend their time slow moing through Disney flicks to find anything that might resemble a fallic symbol, drug paraphanalia or the devil. That's what I mean about reading things into a peice of writing that aren't there. You could take any book and turn anything on any page into a symbol, but that doesn't make it so. I just think it would be the height of arrogance to approach a writer and tell the writer insistantly, "this is what you meant by this, and this is what this means," even when the writer says it ain't so. Finding symbols in writing can be fun and makes the writing richer, but, it should be tempered with the knowledge that one might be wrong or might lead you down a track that the author never went. Anna Wight - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 22:07:34 -0500 From: "REWIGHT" Subject: [AML] Value of Artists (was: Temple in Fiction) - ----- Original Message ----- From: "J. Scott Bronson" To: Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 10:33 AM Subject: Re: [AML] Temple in Fiction > Anna Wight wrote: > > >>But lets face it, artists, in the great scheme of things, are not > >>as important personages as they like to think. > > That's assuming 1) that all artists think they're important, and 2) that > in the great scheme of things they're not important. I think a case can > be made that they're at least as important as anybody else. I think the > great scheme of the gospel is for us to follow the example of Christ and > value all our brothers and sisters equally, judging them not according to > the various talents and gifts they have received from God, but according > to their spiritual parentage ... which makes it impossible for us to > place one above or below another. Oh, I wasn't talking about individuals. Of course we are all equally important. I was talking in a more professional way where many artists seem to feel that they don't need to follow the rules, they can break them because they are artists. Or when we look at the way people are paid for their work where a successful actor can make millions but a successful teacher makes very little. All God given skills and talents are important. But writing a book although it may last through centuries, may not be as important as saving a life or teaching a child. Having the ability to sing, is wonderful, but it means little if you are nasty to your fellow men, whereas if you're a kind and considerate person, being able to sing is not a consideration for worthiness or happiness. Anna Wight - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 23:03:02 -0500 From: Larry Jackson Subject: [AML] re: Temple in Fiction Alan Mitchell: Can we say that much? _______________ I would have left one sentence out and reworded the next one. Other than that, I had no problem with it, assuming the thoughts were a part of the story that was being furthered. I'm not sure a reader who is not a member would understand a lot of it, though. Larry Jackson ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 22:14:21 -0600 From: Thom Duncan Subject: Re: [AML] Secular Prophets Jacob Proffitt wrote: > Your dog is more important than your writing, though. Anything living > is more important than anything dead. Writing is dead? Writing (or any art, for that matter) is, next to parenthood, is one of the most rewarding ways of creating life. Thom - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 22:19:26 -0600 From: Thom Duncan Subject: Re: [AML] Emotional Honesty Barbara Hume wrote: > At 05:35 PM 6/5/01 -0600, you wrote: > >Movie classified as "tear-jerkers" are aptly named, because they often > >practically force the tears out of us. It's a sign of lazy writing when an > >author (or screenwriter) says, "Well, we want the audience to cry here, so > >what should we do? Oh, I remember, Screenwriting 101: Give a character > >cancer, and that equals instant tears!" > > Exactly how I felt about that horrible movie Terms of > Endearment. Throughout the movie I was certain that I was supposed to > respond in certain ways, so I stubbornly refused to feel anything (except > irritation). Fifteen minutes into it, I thought, "I hate this movie so > much that I just know it will sweep the Oscars." > > Besides, Jack Nicholson creeps me out. [Moderator may remove this unkind > remark if he chooses.] > > With Steel Magnolias, however, a similar situation cropped up, and I cried > buckets. It did reach me emotionally. I'm not a film critic, so I can't > tell you exactly why one movie touched me and the other made me want my > money back. They were probably both equally manipulative. No. Steel Magnolias was manipulative. But it worked for you (and my wife) probably because it is, basically, a chick flick. The men in the film are virtually insignificant as characters. Terms of Endearment, on the other hand, earned every inch of its Oscars. Thom - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 22:13:22 -0600 From: "J. Scott Bronson" Subject: Re: [AML] Temple in Fiction REWIGHT wrote: > > Let me ask you this. You're stranded on a deserted island. Who > > do you want with you. The guy who can stitch up your shark bites > > or teach you how to fish, or the guy who can make pretty pictures > > in the sand. I bet I could find someone who could do all three. Thom said: > In (I believe) Volume 9 of the Journal of Discourses, the Lion of > the Lord says (paraphrasing) "If I were given the task to civilize a > group of savages, I would first teach them to appreciate the arts. > THEN I would teach them religion." The Church published "Theater Manual" uses this quote as an epigraph before the title page, but it gives the source as _Mormon Arts_, ed. Lorin F. Wheelright and Lael J. Woodbury [Provo: BYU Press, 1972], p. 43. And it goes like this: "If I were placed on a cannibal island and given the task of civilizing its people, I should straightway build a theatre for the purpose." They end the quote there. Maybe he did say "THEN I would teach them religion," but I can't be certain. J. Scott Bronson Member of Playwrights Circle "An Organization of Professionals" www.playwrightscircle.com See SF x 5 this weekend! - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 08:00:08 -0600 From: "J. Scott Bronson" Subject: [AML] A Word A Day Quote Borrowed this quote from Anu Garg's A Word A Day service. I thought it was (im)pertinent to some of our discussions. I think Anna Wight's really gonna like it. ;-) If a man have a genius for painting, poetry, music, architecture, or philosophy, he makes a bad husband, and an ill provider. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882) scott - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 10:19:05 -0600 From: Eileen Stringer Subject: Re: [AML] Definitions of Art This discussion lept to mind the other day as I was reading a literary critique on Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." The critic quoted Samuel Johnson from Rasselas on how a writer should write: "[a writer].... must divest himself of the prejudices of his age or country; he must consider right and wrong in their abstracted and invariable state; he must disregard present laws and opinions, and rise to general and transcendental truths, which will always be the same: He must write as the interpreter of nature, and the legislator of mankind, and consider himself as presiding over the thoughts and manners of future generations; as a being superiour to time and place." In the context of our genre, Mormon Literature, do these words speak across the centuries to us and if so how? Do the works that are considered classics adhere to the above principles espoused by Samuel Johnson. Are we not in the keeping of general and transcendental truths that are always the same? Is our literature already doing this? If so is that why we are not widely accepted because we are writing works that are superior to time and place? Just wonderings that ramble in my mind at Midnight when reading Austen and her critics and the AML List. Eileen Stringer eileens99@bigplanet.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 10:22:23 -0600 (MDT) From: Ivan Angus Wolfe Subject: [AML] SF X 5 (Review) Well, I saw SF X 5 last weekend and took liberal notes - so I feel that as this is the last weekend to see it, I'll give a quick review to (hopefully) entice all of you to go see it. There are "spoilers" below, though I don't give away any endings, but if you'd rather not know, just skip this email until you have seen them. Before getting into each individual play, I would like to comment on the title of the groups of plays as a whole. Five short Science Fiction plays is slightly inaccurate - as two of the plays are clearly fantasy - but I also understand that most of the public would have been confused by something like "five speculative fiction plays" since Speculative fiction is a term generally only used in SF/F circles, and "five Science Fiction and Fantasy plays" may have caused layout problems (not to mention SF/F X 5 would have looked like an algebraic equation, not a title). On to the first play: "Youtahneeks" by James Arrington. "the matriarch Aunt Pearl addressing her clan." This play is somewhat in the same vein as the book "Hotel of the Mysteries" where archeologists dig up relics of our time and imbue into them religious meanings and study even the most simple of concepts as though they were the very mysteries of the Universe. The basic setup is that Paleolingusits of the future have found the "holy book" of Microsoft and a damaged copy of a Farley Family reunion videocassette (which was very brave of Arrington to put into this play). Using these and other sources the paleolinguists recreate, in a stuffy, stilted and very academic (and very funny) way the dialect of Utah (particularly, as the play puts it "American Farkisms") was pronounced and used in such everyday situations as arguments on dates and parents saying farewell to their children attending BYU. (To pronounce the title correctly, rhyme it with the term "eubonics" that linguists use today for the African- American dialect). This play is basically the equivalent of an overlong Saturday night live sketch. It's really funny at first, but it really is a one-joke play. There's nothing beyond making fun of the Utah dialect (or at least the way paleolinguists would treat it in the future). There are some very funny skits and pronunciations, and then there are more. And more. And more. It gets tiresome. This particular sketch (it is more of a sketch than a play) would have benefitted from being half as long. But it is funny. Next play: Fata Morgana by Scott Bronson. Q: Are you God? A: I don't remember. This ties for the best play in the bunch. It starts off with an obviously Hindu deity doing Yoga on the stage, a very American farmer walking across in the background and a vaguely European peasant girl wandering around. Quite intriguing set up, especially when the peasant girl begins pestering the Hindu deity about "what it's all for." The girl seems unaware of the American farmer setting up a table with food on it in the background until the very end, when the farmer tries to dissuade her from following the deity's advice through some technobabble. At first I thought it was a science vs. religion theme, but I've come to decide that this play was more about physical vs. spiritual. The Hindu deity is about as Eastern and spiritual as possible (especially if you understand the Hindu philosophy of rejecting the spiritual) - and the American farmer was about as physical and Western as you can get. He was taking care of his bodily needs by eating, while the deity was overcoming the body through Yoga and meditation. Very thought provoking - of all the plays, the most likely to create discussion in the car on the way home at the very least. "On the way out" by Shannyn Walters. "No dear, I'm still dead." This play may have been more enjoyable, but the dead lady was breathing!!!! It doesn't take much to get me to suspend my disbelief, but a dead lady taking in rather large breaths of air (especially when she has a purse on her stomach to accentuate the fact) ruins it for me. I could accept it when she "comes back to life" halfway through the play (despite her protestations that she's still dead), but at the beginning and end, when she's supposed to be dead, she is taking in large, gulping breaths of air that cause the purse on her stomach to move several inches. It might have been better to have no purse on her stomach and tell the actress to breathe shallowly. This play was rather funny, and the characters all well acted. The dialogue was well written, and the storyline moved rather quickly. I enjoyed it for that part. That's all I can say. Let the Memories Die." by Thom Duncan. "The fringe benefits are great." The basic set up is one that hardly needs a Science Fiction set up. A house must be demolished to make way for some important building or another, but the old lady who lives there won't leave - at least not until she sees her niece. Her niece "Sunny" is a member of the "Star Corps" or something like that (I forget the exact name). The play at first seems odd, in that Sunny is narrating everything as it happens (she says, for example "She reached out to touch me" as the other actress reaches out to touch her). At first I found this annoying and began to wonder what this play had to do with anything really SF other than a few odd references here and there, and then an ending worthy of M. Night Shyamalan sneaked up on me and redeemed the entire piece. I can't give it away, of course - but it was a good ending, and the actress - despite having some difficulty with her lines, managed to pull it off very well. The M.A.K.E.R. by James Arrington "I pray." This is the other one that ties fro best in the bunch. Absolutely hilarious, it's also a fair Garden of Eden allegory that probably has deeper meanings behind it, but I was too busy having fun to try to do any close readings of the play. Basically, the richest man in the Universe spends all of his money to buy a machine called "The M.A.K.E.R." which will give him whatever he wants. However, to distinguish between casual conversation and true wishes, he must use the trip word "pray" to activate the maker (which is artificially intelligent, speaks, and has an interesting sense of humor). The rich dude locks himself in a warehouse, totally sealed off from the rest of humanity, convinced he will live the rest of his days in debauchery. Of course, as is common ever since genies first appeared, what you wish for may not always be what you really want, and having all your desires granted can be rather boring. There you go. Hope everyone who can see these plays will. I enjoyed myself and came away glad I saw it. [Ivan Wolfe] - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 13:00:44 -0400 From: "Tracie Laulusa" Subject: [AML] Plausability (was: Influencing Mormon Culture) I finished a book last night that could have been very good. I've been wanting to read it because I heard the author read part of in at a conference. (John Ritter/Over the Wall) I finally found it and started in. About a third of the way the author wrote something that I found totally improbable--though others might not--and he lost me. I finished the book, but from then on I was reading a book, not living the story. I know I've read equally implausible things in fiction that have not really disrupted my enjoyment of the story. Now I'm wondering why. Was this just soooo improbable to me that it overcame the connection to the story? Was I already having trouble connecting to the story, so it didn't take as much of an improbability to break the connection? Is it because it was about how something was thinking and feeling rather than an 'action scene'? I'm not sure, but I know I said out loud--now why didn't an editor catch that! Tracie Laulusa - ----- Original Message ----- > audience, merely saying "It really happened" isn't good enough (unless > you're writing biography or historical fiction or > > I once read an anecdote in a how-to-write book. An author wrote a story > about a dog who grabbed onto a cable with his teeth as it dangled from a > plane passing by for take-off, and was whisked up by the plane. When he > submitted the story to an editor, the editor dismissed that as > ridiculous. The author produced a newspaper article about that very > event actually happening. The editor was not impressed. He didn't care > if it had happened. He only cared that it sounded plausible. > - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 11:06:35 -0600 From: Eileen Stringer Subject: Re: [AML] Missionary Stories > From: Tom Johnson > >Actually I'd love to see a sister missionary pov in which the sister > >suffers from a tremendous lack of self-esteem, trudges through the streets > >and contemplates stepping in front of buses, tries to outdo the brother > >missionaries just to prove her equal ability, while inside she has no > desire > >at all to really preach the gospel, only to occupy her forlorn life. > > May one ask why you would like to see this? > > Eileen Stringer > eileens99@bigplanet.com > > >Hmmm, I'm trying to decide whether the story would break stereotypes or >reinforce them. I was originally thinking that a raging subtext behind the >sweet-sister missionary would break stereotypes, but now that I reflect on >it, perhaps not. Eileen, just out of curiosity, what is the raging subtext >of the sister missionary? (perhaps you are a sister RM.) The Johnston >newspaper critic praised the female miss. pov b/c he was tired of reading >about the elder's raging lions. do sister miss's have raging lionesses? >Tom J. It would actually reinforce the stereotypes and certainly wouldn't do much to change the genre, just a variation on a theme and rather unrealistic from where I sit. The raging subtext of a sister missionary was succinctly described by Scott Bronson when he replied under the topic Female Writer Wanted and I paraphrase: "The story from the Sister POV, will have to include the travail of all Sisters in the field: That is that they are more mature and effective as missionaries than the Elders, but completely under appreciated and undervalued as to the potential for their contributions to the work." I would also add that the sister POV would be less self-absorbed than the elder. "The good of the many outweighing the good of the few or the one." {Paraphrasing Spock} That would be the "raging lioness" I saw in most of the sisters I served with (I served in Australia Perth). All I served with came out with a testimony and an overwhelming desire to teach the gospel to any and all who would listen, very few "sweet sisters." Many of the sisters were converts and came out with a burning desire to share the truth and ran headlong with the obstacles Scott B. articulated and that did sometimes frustrate them and cooled their fire causing angst. I think it appropriate to note here as well that few of the missionary stories I have read really have the mission president involved much at all in the missionaries' lives. In my mind such a pivotal position in mission life should get a bit more ink. That is the view from my porch today. Eileen Stringer eileens99@bigplanet.com - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 14:02:49 -0400 From: "Tracie Laulusa" Subject: Re: [AML] Favorite Adventure Stories I, too, like Amelia Peabody stories. Though I like to listen to them on tape rather than read them. Sometimes she gets a little too prosy for my reading attention span. I think the young Ramses(sp?) was a little far fetched. He got much more believable for me as he got older. I really liked the backdrop of archaeology. I like most of Dick Francis--he's also one I mostly listen to. (These days I listen to most fiction I 'read'--doing laundry, driving the kids around.....) Still horse mad after all these years. And he can tell a ripping chase-type scene. I thought I would have a whole list, but most of them fall into other classifications. I love Dorothy Sayers, but I believe her books would be classified as a mysteries. Adventure in another time and place is fantasy or sci-fi....... Tracie Laulusa - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 13:49:57 -0500 From: BYU Press Release (by way of Ronn Blankenship ) Subject: [AML] MN BYU professor completes transcripts of original and printer's manuscripts of the Book of Mormon: BYU Press Release 6Jun01 A2 From Mormon-News: See footer for instructions on joining and leaving this list. Do you have an opinion on this news item? Send your comment to letters.to.editor@MormonsToday.com BYU professor completes transcripts of original and printer's manuscripts of the Book of Mormon PROVO, UTAH -- After more than a decade of research, Brigham Young University English professor Royal Skousen has completed typographical transcripts of the handwritten original and printer's manuscripts of the Book of Mormon. A three-book set of the manuscripts is now available to scholars for the first time. The books provide an interesting literalism about the Book of Mormon and its translation, said Skousen, and will engender discussion and strengthen the understanding of the remarkable consistency of the text. The first volume in the series contains a transcript of the original manuscript, which is the text of the Book of Mormon written down by various scribes as Joseph Smith, first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dictated the translation of the book from ancient records. In 1841, Joseph Smith placed the original manuscript in the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House in Nauvoo, Ill. Upon its removal in 1882, most of the manuscript had been destroyed by mold and water seepage - only 28 percent of the original manuscript remains. The second and third books contain a transcript of the printer's manuscript, a handwritten copy of the original manuscript used for typesetting the 1830 edition. The printer's manuscript is virtually 100 percent intact and is held by the Community of Christ (previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) in Independence, Mo. The newly published volumes make available to researchers the earliest primary sources needed for scholarly study of the Book of Mormon, one of four canonized scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "As an internationally respected linguist, Professor Royal Skousen has produced a careful, scholarly transcript of the original textual sources associated with the Book of Mormon. His work provides scholars and other interested individuals easy access to the original and printer's manuscript," said BYU president Merrill J. Bateman. "This is an outstanding piece of scholarship by a well-respected professional." The volumes display the earliest available wording of the Book of Mormon. Additionally, the books provide a history and description of the manuscripts and feature color and ultraviolet photographs of select parts of the manuscripts, including a fragment showing what is considered the oldest existing sample of Joseph Smith's handwriting. For Skousen, the books are the result of 13 years of work - hunting down lost fragments of the original manuscript, analyzing language and structure and reconstructing the handwritten text into type. The project required his skills in linguistics, orthography, Hebrew, Greek, computers and technology. As he worked, Skousen found 14 examples of a common Hebrew-like construction in the text. Where English uses an "if-then" structure, Hebrew uses an "if-and" structure, said Skousen. In the original text, one passage reads, "If ye shall ask with a sincere heart with real intent having faith in Christ and he will manifest the truth of it unto you." Cases of the "if -and" structure, uncharacteristic of English, were removed by Joseph Smith later for clarity. "Many of the changes Joseph Smith made to the text are like that. They are not earthshaking changes, but were made to improve the readability of the text," said Skousen. The transcripts of the two manuscripts are the first part of a planned five-volume series published by BYU's Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, of which the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) is a division. "Because Dr. Skousen's work was meticulously done, it will serve as a solid foundation for further study of the Book of Mormon and will help researchers be more precise in their study of its literary techniques," said Dan Peterson, chairman of FARMS. -###- Source: BYU professor completes transcripts of original and printer's manuscripts of the Book of Mormon BYU Press Release 6Jun01 A2 See also: More about "The Book of Mormon: The Original Manuscript: Typographical Facsimile of the Extant Text" edited by Royal Skousen at Amazon.com and More about "The Book of Mormon: The Printer's Manuscript: Typographical Facsimile of the Entire Text in Two Parts" edited by Royal Skousen at Amazon.com >From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events Forwarding is permitted as long as this footer is included Mormon News items may not be posted to the World Wide Web sites without permission. Please link to our pages instead. For more information see http://www.MormonsToday.com/ Send join and remove commands to: majordomo@MormonsToday.com Put appropriate commands in body of the message: To join: subscribe mormon-news To leave: unsubscribe mormon-news To join digest: subscribe mormon-news-digest - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 16:02:39 EDT From: KGrant100@aol.com Subject: re: [AML] Value of Artists Anna Wight wrote: > Let me ask you this. You're stranded on a deserted > island. Who do you want with you. The guy who can > stitch up your shark bites or teach you how to > fish, or the guy who can make pretty pictures in the > sand. I'd be willing to stay away from places sharks frequent so I could enjoy the company of the artist :) Seriously. . . I've found that during life's challenging times, art (particularly music, drama, and writing) becomes essential to sanity. For instance, there was a time when I literally found myself hungering for Out of the Grey's music (a Christian duo whose music expressed exactly what I needed to hear at the time). When I go too long without nourishing my soul in that way (enjoying or creating something artistic), I really feel the negative effects. I've always loved this poem (which I don't have time to look up, but this is close): If of thy worldly goods thou art bereft And of thy store two loaves alone are left Sell one, and with the dole Buy hyacinths to feed the soul. (Sorry, I don't remember the poet's name.) > I'm not saying artists aren't important. They are. > They just aren't as mportant as they think they are. Or, I would suggest, some may not be important in the *way* they think they are. An artist may believe that to be important, he has to be the next Dostoevsky or to receive continued critical acclaim. He may not achieve these things, but it may be that by being himself, he will save someone's life. Sounds important to me. Kathy - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 14:28:41 -0600 From: Jacob Proffitt Subject: Re: [AML] Facial Hair Christopher Bigelow wrote: > Jacob Proffit, shame on you for shaving. Huh? Who said I shaved? My goatee is still intact. In fact, in my recent decision to pursue an MBA, I deliberately didn't apply to BYU (even though I could probably get in and BYU is ranked 44th nationally) in part because I don't want to shave the goatee. It's too useful for reasons I already stated. It is my sincere belief that I would take a business hit if I were to shave. I have anecdotal evidence to support that claim. If I were to become a clean-shaven BYU clone, I would instantly lose a lot of valuable street cred. As far as the LDS cultural ramifications are concerned, so far I've identified no draw backs. Even though I live in Salt Lake City and have a very traditional Stake leadership, they still decided to call me as EQ President and treat me no different than any other active member. Of course, I'm pretty conservative generally and don't challenge cultural orthodoxy very often, beard notwithstanding. Jacob Proffitt - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 12:53:51 -0700 From: Elizabeth Hatch Subject: [AML] re: DUTCHER, _Brigham City_ WARNING: This post reveals the murderer in _Brigham City_--so don't read further if you don't want to know who it is. (I can't figure out any way to say what I want to say without doing it.) I wrote a long post about how I thought that _God's Army_ didn't so much show the world what Mormon missionaries do, as it showed that Mormon missionaries are Christians. I wrote that I thought the movie did that by its many parallels to Christ's ministry. Once again, I don't think _Brigham City_ is necessarily about being Mormon. It's about being Christian. I think the movie could almost have been set in any town. To me, the movie was about not seeing the beam in your own eye. When the sheriff questioned the construction company owner (he was so sure the murderer must be someone on that construction crew), he didn't apply the owner's answer to himself (and to the employee he'd hired). I was so sure that the conflict in this movie was going to be about whether the murderer had been forgiven because he'd just been baptized, and what was the sheriff/Bishop going to do about *that*! I, too, totally overlooked what the construction company owner had said. It was only when I was sitting there in my seat, stunned, with my mouth hanging open, that I saw my mistake! How powerfully done! (And a lesson I don't think I'll soon forget.) And then, of course, the sheriff feels responsible for his mistake and what it cost the town. And the ending shows the power, and necessity we all have, of Christ's atonement. (And, of course, this is most powerfully shown in a Mormon Sacrament meeting, but really, couldn't it also have been shown in a Catholic setting, or a Quaker setting, showing an authority and/or religious figure seeking, and receiving support and forgiveness?) I think Dutcher is a brilliant Christian writer, and I love it that his movies are set in a Mormon setting. I don't understand the negative reaction some people are having to seeing a blessing or the Sacrament ceremony being shown on the screen. We are certainly expected to watch Jesus Christ being crucified on the screen! I have never been able to watch *that*--but I have no problem with a Sacrament meeting. Beth Hatch - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 13:29:15 -0700 (PDT) From: William Morris Subject: [AML] Mormon Visual Trappings (was: Facial Hair) - --- Christopher Bigelow wrote: > I'm not so much interested in why people wear beards > (and I have a full one) as in why facial hair is so > touchy for Mormons (as opposed to touchy feely). > It's commonly said to be a holdover from the hippy > era, when perhaps Mormons saw beards as the first > step on a slippery slope that ended in drug overdose > and free-love communing. That so many remnants of > the beard taboo remain illustrates the petrified > conservatism our culture is capable of. > Now that the discussion has gotten interesting (not my fault---I was just curious about the whole facial hair thing), I think that it would be good to expand the topic a bit---especially so that our female listers (most of whom I assume do not sport facial hair) can get involved. I'm trying to think of the equivalent for women---maybe a second piercing in each ear. But the broad topic for the list that I'm thinking of is: the visual signs we use to show what 'brand'(and I use that word in its full, trendy marketing sense) of Mormon we are. I think of, for example, doc martens. It used to be that if you wore a pair of docs, that you were generally trying to project that you listened to some form of 'alternative' music, were interested in arts, and considered yourself an urbane, liberal kind of Mormon. Starting with the mid-90's, though, I began to notice that a lot of young Mormons who didn't quite fit the bohemian type began wearing them. I'm sure there are a plenty of other examples---both ones that are still in effect and others that have lost their cachet. Certainly, I agree with Chris that the beard thing is a holdover from the hippy generation and so its symbolic use in works of Mormon literature would probably be quite effective. On the other hand, I've found that Mormons, orthodox, conservative, or not, tend to be okay at getting over the visual things as long as 1. the visual symbols aren't too extreme, and 2. you're given a chance to exhibit your self----your personality and beliefs, either in a formal (sunday school lesson) or informal (foyer conversation) setting. We judge on appearance, but then revise our judgements fairly quickly as we interact with others (or at least that is my experience). That's why meeting together as fellow Saints is so important--we get a chance to get over ourselves. What that suggests to me is that visual details in Mormon literature mean something to Mormon audiences, but also can't be solidified or counted upon (for reaction), or rather can't be relied upon to be a straight up one signified (symbol) equals one signifier (meaning) kind of thing. So: Other examples of Mormon visual trappings? Comments on their use in Mormon literature, especially in Mormon lit. that tries to reach a broad Mormon audience? ~~William Morris [MOD: An excellent post, William. This rescues what had been a largely humorous off-topic thread and gives it a direct literary application! As moderator, I can only applaud.] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #351 ******************************