From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #890 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 Tuesday, November 12 2002 Volume 01 : Number 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 09 Nov 2002 22:57:35 -0700 From: "Travis Manning" Subject: [AML] Mary Lythgoe Bradford Query I am doing some research and need to locate Mary Lythgoe Bradford. Does anyone have her email address? If you don't feel comfortable giving it to me directly, could you at least foward this message to her and ask her if she wouldn't mind responding directly to me. Regards, Travis Manning Manning_Travis@hotmail.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 10:38:56 -0700 From: "Paris Anderson" Subject: Re: [AML] Y'All Need to Get Out More I won't say anything, Linda, but your post to me funny. To quote Lao Tsu: Forty-seven Without going outside, you may know the whole world. Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven. The farther you go, the less you know. Thus the sage knows without traveling; He sees without looking; He works without doing. Paris Anderson (I am currently copying and binding the Tao Te Ching as a Christmas present for my old home teaching companion. My best friends never know that I like them except on Christmas.) - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 17:47:25 -0700 From: sregor Subject: [AML] re: Book of Mormon Movie Casting Call Date: Sun. 10 Nov. 2002 From: Gary Rogers Subject: re: [AML] Book of Mormon Movie Casting Call I was recently directed to the AML website by a friend that indicated negative comments were being made about the Book of Mormon Movie. I must say it was amazing and even humorous to read many of the comments that were completely erroneous. For example; On November 1st, Andrew Hall stated: "the Book of Mormon Movie will be directed by Gary Rogers who mostly has done advertisements and has been an assistant director on a few TV shows." Where in the world is Andrew getting his information? I have never been an assistant director on a TV show in my life? On October 31st, Thom Duncan stated: "this project is horribly underfunded and will probably stink to high heaven if it ever gets done in the first place." Where is Thom getting his information? No details of the budget have been released, other than the movie will be a multi-million dollar production! As I said, I had to laugh at most of the comments. However, I was appalled at some of the comments made by Eric R. Samuelsen. In a post on November 1st, Mr. Samuelsen took issue with my decision to hire non-union talent. I have no problem with that and would be happy to explain the reasons for this decision at anytime. Hiring non-union talent is a very common practice that is being done every day in the industry and has been for years, especially with independent pictures. I have worked with hundreds of actors over the years, both non-union and union, including academy award-winning actor, Charlton Heston. It is what Mr. Samuelsen said next that bothered me. Mr. Samuelsen stated in his November 1st, post: "young actors trying to get a break into the industry are vulnerable enough and desperate enough that you can really take financial advantage of them." He went on to say: "this casting call, though, for the Book of Mormon film, well my heck. Practically every word is a red flag. 'No SAG actors.' : in other words, we have no plans to treat actors fairly, or pay anything close to a standard working wage. So who can possibly have written a Book of Mormon screenplay, which you never know, may well have involved actually reading the Book of Mormon, and from that come to the conclusion that, in filming it, it's okay to grind in the faces of the poor like this? I mean, lots of filmmakers make the decision going in that they're not going to behave ethically, but, uh, this is a film based on the Book of Mormon." Samuelsen continued to say: "how may I count the ways in which these yokels have proved that they have no idea what they're doing.........they're going to cut every corner they can, financially and ethically." Mr. Samuelsen has made false charges, misrepresentations, defamatory and slanderous statements that I do not take lightly. If Mr. Samuelsen had bothered to check the facts, he would have found that every single principal actor in the Book of Mormon Movie is being paid wages ABOVE union scale. In fact, "Nephi" will receive nearly two and one half times more money than he would have if we paid him union wages! To make comments without foundation, that we are going to "take financial advantage" of people, "not pay anything close to a standard working wage," and to state in a public forum that we are "not going to behave ethically," is disgusting. People are certainly welcome to their opinion, but to print false and slanderous comments is a disgrace. I know that EVERYONE wants nothing more than to see a beautiful motion picture on the Book of Mormon. I can certainly understand people's concerns and anxieties..........but please get the facts straight. Gary Rogers - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 01:30:04 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] LDS Cinema Articles (DN, Daily Herald) Deseret News Friday, November 8, 2002 'Singles Ward' a lightweight of an LDS film By Chris Hicks Deseret News feature editor Although I'm not sure why, people often ask my opinion of the "Mormon Movies," the recent crop of pictures by LDS filmmakers about the LDS culture that have followed in the wake of Richard Dutcher's success with "God's Army" and "Brigham City." So far, I've gone on record about just two - "God's Army," when it initially hit theaters (and turned out to be such a delightful surprise), and "Brigham City," when it was released on DVD last April. Now it's time to discuss a third as it lands on DVD - "The Singles Ward," the only comedy of the lot. (Which I'm sure will be followed in fairly quick succession by "The Other Side of Heaven," "Out of Step," "Handcart" and "Charly"; we'll take those on as they arrive.) "The Singles Ward" (Halestorm, 2002, PG, $24.95). When I saw this in a theater - despite the laughter of the twentysomethings around me - it struck me as little more than a bigger-budget roadshow. What little plot there is has to do with a divorced, inactive LDS standup comic who falls for a woman in his singles ward. Silly comic subplots and characters abound, and then things get mawkish when she is offended by his standup act, which includes jokes about Mormon culture. (She is so lacking a sense of humor that she would also hate this movie!) "Singles Ward" is really just a series of skits =97 some good, some mediocre, some awful - and the performances are a mix ofprofessional and amateurish, including the LDS celebrity guest cameos. (Just because you're having fun on the set doesn't necessarily mean it will translate to the audience.) The film's jokes and colloquialisms are extremely inside; those unfamiliar with the culture may be lost. And, of course, most gags play off of broad stereotypes. Having watched it again, I still find much of it puerile, but I did chuckle here and there. It really plays better on the small screen, where its flaws have less impact. Extras: Most of these are quite clever, and many are more amusing than the film itself. Widescreen, outtakes, music videos, Jell-O recipes, interactive games, trailers, DVD-ROM applications. PERHAPS THIS IS ALSO a good place to note that some of LDS filmmaker T.C. Christensen's beloved short films are finding their way to DVD (priced at $11.95 each). The still-hilarious "The Mouths of Babes," an LDS spin on Art Linkletter's old "Kids Say the Darndest Things," along with the more generic Christian "Son of Babes," are on one disc. And=20 Christensen's gorgeous "The Touch of the Master's Hand," adapted from the famous Myra Brooks Welch poem, has also been given a nice DVD treatment. (Christensen provides both discs with entertaining, self-effacing audio-commentary tracks.) Copyright 2002 Deseret News Publishing Company The Daily Herald Sunday, November 10 Filmmakers looking to cash in on LDS movies C.G. WALLACE Associated Press Writer SALT LAKE CITY -- Odds are long that any of the LDS-themed movies flooding Utah screens will duplicate the small-budget, big-return success of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," a $5 million movie that's earned more than $185 million -- so far -- at the box office. LDS moviemakers may be holding out for crossover appeal. But even if they don't make $100 million, a market filled with the state's religious majority is sure to keep cameras rolling. But critics are complaining, and some of the genre's own directors fear quality is succumbing to quantity. Richard Dutcher, known among the denomination's cinema aficionados as the "Mormon Spielberg," is unhappy with the small movie trend he started with the film "God's Army," a tale about missionaries working in Los Angeles which cost $240,000 but netted $2.6 million. "I wanted it to bring all these LDS filmmakers and writers out of the woodwork. But now that I see how it's gone, however, I'd like some of them to go back into the woodwork," Dutcher said. Seven LDS-themed films have popped up on local screens since 2000, and the trend of independent movies about and for members of the faith is building momentum. The films have a 1950s sensibility about them, unsurprising given that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discouraged from watching R-rated films. Sex, swearing and graphic violence are all absent. Recent works have included an earnest film about LDS missionaries, a murder-mystery and a romantic-comedy. Five more films are expected to open here this spring. "The Singles Ward," a guy-meets-girl romantic comedy, is essentially a series of inside jokes about Mormons, from the scrap-booking opening credits (Mormons love scrap-booking) to good-natured jabs at the church's polygamist past. For example, at one point the romantic lead turns to the camera and complains about the reaction from fellow church members to being dumped by his wife: "Our ancestors were able to handle four or five wives and you can't handle one? What's the deal?" Dutcher had hoped the success of his movie would draw out the faithful within the entertainment business. Instead, he says, it spawned a series of poorly made movies with an LDS stamp. Sean Means, movie reviewer for the state's largest newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune, says films like "The Singles Ward," "Handcart" and "Charly" mark a sophomore slump for LDS cinema. They're plagued by bad scripts and boring plots, he says. Because they aren't good enough to succeed elsewhere, Means says, they end up being marketed squarely at locals. And there's enough of an audience here to pull down a profit; the church claims 70 percent of Utah residents. "The Singles Ward" was made for $400,000 and made almost $1.5 million, said director and producer Kurt Hale. Now there are 200,000 copies at video stores. Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Eggett's family is a perfect example of what moviemakers have in mind when they eye an LDS audience. When "The Other Side of Heaven" -- the story of a farm kid who becomes a missionary in the remote Tongan islands -- hit theaters, Jennifer's grandmother declared it a family movie night for all 36 members of the clan. Jennifer said she liked the movie. "It made me cry. It's good for people to know the real truth about Mormons." But critics will be critics. "At the moment the mindset is: It's a movie about Mormons, let's go see it," Means said. "But a few more movies of questionable quality and they'll get over it." Thomas Baggaley, who runs the Web site www.ldsfilms.com, agrees that too many LDS directors are banking on a guaranteed LDS audience. "They weren't saying come watch the film because it's a good film, they were saying come see this film so there can be more of these films. I don't think that argument is going to work for very long," Baggaley said. "Now we have more films about us and it's not such a novelty. And that's a good thing. That will force the films to become better," he predicted. Hale will release two more Mormon-themed comedies. The first -- "The R.M.," about a return missionary -- will hit Utah in January. The other -- "Church Ball," about church basketball leagues -- will be out in January 2004. There's no shortage of material, or self-deprecating humor, Hale said. "We can make 50 movies based on how strange we are." Copyright 2002 by HarkTheHerald.com _________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*=20 http://join.msn.com/?page=3Dfeatures/junkmail - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 17:43:40 -0600 From: LDS Film Festival (by way of Jonathan Langford ) Subject: [AML] Festival Starts Tomorrow MAILBOX NEWSLETTER #9/2002 http://www.ldsbox.com feedback@ldsbox.com GET READY FOR THE 2ND LDS FILM FESTIVAL 2002 NOVEMBER 13-16 | PROVO CITY LIBRARY IN THIS ISSUE: 1. FESTIVAL PROGRAM FINALIZED 2. THE 24-HOUR FILMMAKING MARATHON STARTS TOMORROW 3. SCREENPLAY COMPETITION PROGRAM AND JUDGING UPDATE 4. IMPORTANT FESTIVAL LINKS - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. FESTIVAL PROGRAM FINALIZED - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The 2ND LDS FILM FESTIVAL 2002 will take place this week Wednesday through Saturday, November 13-16, at the historic Provo City Library. The program for the festival is now finalized. For admissions information go to: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/tickets.php The following filmmaker's presentations have been added to the schedule: Spanish director Jose Maria Oliveira ("The Dead, the Devil and the Flesh"), documentary filmmakers Matt Whitaker and Rick McFarland ("Saints at War," "Truth and Treason: The Helmuth Huebner Story"), producer Greggory Peck ("Christmas Mission," "Cowboys and Angels") and distributor Linda Thomson ("Saturday Warriors", "Out of Step"). Other participating filmmakers are: Kurt Hale and Dave Hunter ("Singles Ward," "The RM"), Adam Anderegg and Micah Merrill ("Charly"), Lee B. Groberg ("American Prophet," "Sacred Stone: The Temple at Nauvoo"), Dean Hale (Distributor of "God's Army," "The Other Side of Heaven"), Gary Rogers ("Book of Mormon Movie") and Nathan Smith Jones ("The Work and the Story"). Four competition programs including the Female Filmmakers program plus the 24-hour filmmaking marathon will be screened Wednesday through Friday at 5.00 and 7.30 p.m. The "Best of 2002" program will be shown on Saturday at 5.00 and 7.30 p.m. We have also added a script reading of the winning short screenplays on Saturday, November 16, at 3.00 p.m. Screenplay judge Eric Samuelsen will lead the discussion. Musical guests are Fiddlesticks (Thursday night), Dave Eaton and Ambiguous Sun (Friday night) and Stephanie Smith (Saturday night). For a detailed outline of the complete festival program go to: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/program2002.php - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. THE 24-HOUR FILMMAKING MARATHON STARTS TOMORROW - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The LDS FILM FESTIVAL is launching its first 24-HOUR FILMMAKING MARATHON tomorrow morning at 10.30 a.m. Get together with a group of friends and be part of this exhilarating competition. No pre-registration is necessary. Just sign-up at 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 13, at the Provo City Library at Academy Square. You will receive a theme for a short film that you have to finish in 24 hours. On Thursday, November 14, no later than 10.30 a.m. you hand in your finished film. That same evening at 5.00 p.m. your film will be screened and judged at the 2ND LDS FILM FESTIVAL. You will be allowed to use any equipment and format of your choice. You have only 24 hours to write, shoot and edit your film. Your finished film can be no longer than 5 minutes. No more than five people (cast and crew) per group will be allowed to take part. You need to know your team members when you sign-up. At least one member of the group needs to be present for sign-up and drop-off. No foul language, sexual content or graphic violence will be permitted. All films must be completely original and all permissions must be retained for any copyrighted media. The entry fee is $ 20.00 per participating group. 60% of the entry fee goes to the price money. All participants contribute to the prize money that will be awarded to the winner of the 24-HOUR FILMMAKING MARATHON (for example: if 25 groups participate the price money will be $ 300.00). You will also receive 2 free tickets for the screening on Thursday at 5 p.m. Additionally, the best film will be part of the "BEST OF 2002" program and tour around the world. This is your chance to become an accomplished filmmaker in 24-hours... - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. SCREENPLAY COMPETITION PROGRAM AND JUDGING UPDATE - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The winners of the short script competition will be announced on Friday, November 15. The winners of the feature script competition will not be announced until the end of November. We want to make sure that every script is read by several judges and justly evaluated. We are now halfway through the judging process. We have added a script reading of the winning short screenplays on Saturday, November 16, at 3.00 p.m. Screenplay judge Eric Samuelsen will lead the discussion. Everyone is invited to participate in the reading. To view the finalists for this year's screenplay competition, click on one of the following links: Short Script Finalists 2002: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/finalist2.php Feature Script Finalists 2002: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/finalist3.php - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. IMPORTANT FESTIVAL LINKS - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The following festival links will provide you with helpful information: ADMISSIONS: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/tickets.php FESTIVAL PROGRAM OVERVIEW: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/program2002.php COMPETITION PROGRAM A: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/shortsA.php COMPETITION PROGRAM B: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/shortsB.php COMPETITION PROGRAM C: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/shortsC.php COMPETITION PROGRAM D: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/shortsD.php FILMMAKER'S PRESENTATIONS: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/filmmakers.php SPECIAL SCREENINGS: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/screenings.php LDS FILM FORUM: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/filmforum.php 24-HOUR FILMMAKING MARATHON: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/marathon.php FESTIVAL JUDGES: http://www.ldsbox.com/cgi-bin/judges.php You either signed up for our newsletter or were recommended to us by a friend. If you would like to unsubscribe from future LDSBOX mailings, simply reply to this message with the word REMOVE in the subject line. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 21:13:11 -0600 From: "Kumiko" Subject: [AML] Women in DeVore BofM Movie Tony Markham wrote: >>I don't know why either of the B of M movies is even thinking of casting women in this film, as they are largely absent from the source text. Women are likely to have large onscreen roles in both Book of Mormon film projects. One of the women left unnamed in the Book of Mormon -- Nephi's wife -- is given a name in the Neil Newell script for the DeVore/Smoot/Swofford/Peter Johnson Book of Mormon project ("Voice from the Dust: Journey to the Promised Land"). Nephi's wife is named "Miriam." The official website even has a picture of her... quite a striking woman. Preston Hunter www.ldsfilm.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 01:35:41 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] Richard Evans Profile (SL Tribune) Salt Lake Tribune Evans Moves to Italy in Search of Respect, Time With Family Sunday, November 10, 2002 BY CHRISTY KARRAS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE His story is enough to inspire envy in any aspiring novelist. Local businessman writes book, pounds the pavement selling it. Said book smolders for a while, finds an audience and takes off faster than a bottle rocket. Several subsequent best sellers later, he does what anyone dreaming of writing a successful novel might consider: He packs up the family and moves to Tuscany. Richard Paul Evans says anyone green with envy should know that the move hasn't been easy. The kids were unhappy about it from the beginning, but soon, homesickness set in for the entire family. "We promised them, if this is just an awful idea, we'll come back in three months," Evans said. Obviously, everything worked out, because he said it by telephone from his Florentine villa. He moved to Italy to get away from the pressure of being an icon in his home state. A victim of his own success, he no longer could stand the constant stream of attention that was wearing down his family and draining his creative energy. "We went to Italy to shake up our lives a little bit. Life was too complex. I wasn't seeing my children anymore -- not just because of my schedule but because of theirs. Italians are always together. It seemed almost impossible to have that lifestyle in Utah," he said. Life is good for Evans. He has the best sellers, starting with The Christmas Box nearly 10 years ago, the money, the family, the villa. The onetime Republican political strategist and marketing guru still thinks of every book launch like a campaign and still agonizes over sales figures, which he tracks meticulously. Still the master of self-promotion (from a letter to fans promoting his latest book: "If I say so myself, one of my most captivating novels"), he is thrilled with every piece of publicity, every bit of good news. But he is still searching for that last great prize: respect. Despite his books' commercial success, many critics have been lukewarm to scathing in their assessments. (USA Today lashed Timepiece, for example, for its "dreadful execution, confused plot and poor writing," and said the book contained "some of the very worst bantering ever committed to print.") Evans knows he didn't start out as a great writer. He recalls hearing that no one should publish a book before writing six of them. "I didn't have that luxury. I had to develop publicly." He is pinning his hopes on his latest novel, The Last Promise, which in a lot of ways is nothing like his previous work. It has nothing to do with Christmas. It is set in Italy, not Utah, and involves Catholics instead of Mormons. And it involves distinctly adult, if not adulterous, relationships. Evans had wanted to write an all-out love story for a while, and when he moved to Italy, the idea moved to the forefront. "In a sense, all my books have been love stories, but as my agent says, they've been low simmer," he said. Though he didn't want to be like the dozens of authors who have moved to Italy and written about it, the place did inspire him. He was especially intrigued by the temple of Vesta and the Vestal Virgins, who were required to forswear love in order to serve the goddess of home and family. If they fell in love and broke their vows, they were buried alive. "I'm thinking, surely no one ever did it. But 18 of them did and were buried alive," Evans said. "These women were willing to risk everything for love." The catalyst, he says, was meeting an American woman who told him about her unhappy life as the wife of a chauvinistic Italian. She wanted to leave him and take their child back to America, but he wouldn't let her. The book's plot developed from that, but Evans included an American man who becomes the American woman's paramour. Evans hurries to correct any ideas that she actually commits all-out adultery, though. "This is not The Bridges of Tuscany, " he said, referring to the best-selling Bridges of Madison County, in which a lonely housewife has an affair with a stranger passing through town. Still, it's a far cry from the simple, heartwarming stories he is known for. And the book's conclusions about love's triumph over convention may raise a few eyebrows among his conservative fans. Evans says anyone upset by the message doesn't get the point. "I know I will get some criticism from some people who don't get it. It deals with some issues that people would be uncomfortable with," Evans said. But "anyone who would have a problem with it is a hypocrite. This is a woman who has been abused, who needs some love in her life. I believe we have the right to be loved. And I have real trouble with anyone who doesn't believe that." At Borders Richard Paul Evans will sign copies of The Last Promise Wednesday at noon at the downtown Borders (in the Crossroads Mall) and at Media Play, 5546 S. Redwood Road, Taylorsville, at 7 p.m. Copyright 2002, The Salt Lake Tribune _________________________________________________________________ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 00:26:46 -0600 From: "Kumiko" Subject: [AML] Eclipse Film Festival Winners The Eclipse Film Festival, one of the finest film festivals held in Utah each year, took place in St. George on Nov. 9 and 10. The 29 films which were selected as finalists, from a much larger pool of entries, came from all over the world. The winners, announced at the festival late Saturday night, were: Best Picture: Soledad Best Director: Christian Vuissa "Roots & Wings" Best Screenplay: Maria Perez "Roots & Wings" Best Cinematography: Jim Orr "Soledad" Best Actor: Reggie Willis "Soledad" Best Animation: "Bug-Beat" Audience Choice: "5 Minutes" "Roots & Wings" depicts a Mexican immigrant family in which the father struggles as members of his family adopt American ways and Latter-day Saint faith. The film previously won major awards (including the Audience Award, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor) at BYU's Final Cut film festival. It has also won awards in national film festivals. Christian Vuissa, who won the Best Director award at Eclipse, is the founder of the LDS Film Festival, which will be held this coming week in Provo, Utah. A special screening of "Roots & Wings" will be featured at the LDS Film Festival, but the film, of course, is not in competition. Screenwriter, a Latter-day Saint convert of Mexican background, drew on her own background in writing this sensitive, award-winning screenplay. The Eclipse Film Festival judges this year were: Chris Hicks - Deseret News Feature Editor Rocco DeVilliers =AD Producer/Director Philippe Denham - Producer/Director Jennifer Buster - Casting Agent T.C. Christensen - Cinematographer - - Preston Hunter, www.ldsfilm.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 07:27:26 -0700 From: "Peter Chamberlain" Subject: RE: [AML] WILSON, _The Prelude to Glory_ I think it's Long Beach/ Santa Monica. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-aml-list@lists.xmission.com [mailto:owner-aml-list@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Jerry Tyner Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 3:12 PM To: aml-list@lists.xmission.com Subject: RE: [AML] WILSON, _The Prelude to Glory_ This is a dumb question but isn't this phone number (Call 310-587-0144) in the LA area code? Jerry Tyner Orange County, CA - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 07:08:31 -0700 From: "Nan McCulloch" Subject: [AML] Recent Spoken Word My compliments to the person who wrote *The Spoken Word* for Sunday's = TabChoir broadcast. I was busy and only listening casually, so I can't = quote it carefully, but I can give you the gist of the piece. The = picture was painted of walking down the lovely tree-lined street of a = small quiet town. The malls and shops are closed for Sunday worship. = We approach a prominent intersection where four churches of different = denominations grace each corner. We begin to hear beautiful hymns of = praise with pleasing synergism drifting forth from the churches. We = stop to listen to the music and we are filled with love, gratitude and a = feeling of peace. What would be the effect if we took the time to = listen to the music of others? I am seeing a paradigm change in the = texts of these messages. This is a good thing and it is about time. = This theme has a two-fold meaning for me. As a former choir director = and a ward music chairman of many years, I set up choir exchanges with a = Lutheran church in California and two different Protestant churches in = Texas. Here in Draper my group The Women of Note have sung at a = community non-denominational church on many occasions. I have to say = that participating in the musical part of these worship services was = very pleasant and rewarding and far more uplifting than most of the hymn = singing in our church. We have marvelous choristers and organists in = our ward, but NO ONE SINGS. Some don't even open their books. How can = we sing with the spirit and feel joy doing it and still meet the church = guidelines for acceptable sacrament meeting music? Dare I suggest that = some of us write some new hymns, or is this not the answer. Nan McCulloch - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 08:12:40 -0800 From: "Susan Malmrose" Subject: [AML] _Brigham City_ (Movie) I finally was able to rent Brigham City and watched it this weekend. Really enjoyed it, although it was kinda trippy to see so much Mormonism in a movie. :) I watch a lot of crime drama on tv, like the Law and Order shows, CSI. Whenever there's a scene where parents are being told their child has died, I always think to myself, "Nope. That's not what it's like, at all. They're getting it totally wrong." But Brigham City got it right. The scene where the parents are told their daughter has been found dead--the father's immediate sob, the mother knowing before she's even told--just rang totally true for me. Susan M - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 09:50:17 -0700 From: katie@aros.net Subject: Re: [AML] Exponent II Quoting jana : > I received this message from Exponent II today. I thought it might be = > of interest to those on AML-List who are interested in keeping Ex2 = > alive. At the risk of sounding completely out of touch, what is Exponent II? What kinds of articles do they have? How often does it come out? Perhaps other folks out there might be interested in knowing this, too. I remember my mother used to get it when I was a kid. I looked at it once or twice, but I thought it looked boring. But I was a kid then. Thanks! - --Katie Parker - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 19:08:16 -0800 From: "Bill Willson" Subject: Re: [AML] The Role of the Reader D. Michael Martindale wrote: >Here we go telling writers what they should write again. >Why on earth shouldn't we write to our own people, for >heaven's sake? > What makes you think all the lost sheep are "out there" >among the Gentiles? I wrote my novel _Brother >Brigham_ for a Mormon audience. Good for you, D.! That is your prerogative. What makes you think I'm *telling* writers what they should write? Just because I said - >>we need to reach out to the lost sheep.- doesn't necessarily mean we all have to do it. I merely meant to suggest that some of us focus more on the world outside our own culture and shed some light on the reality of the Church and Kingdom of God on earth. After all, I think the "others" are in the majority and we are commissioned by Christ to spread the word. By the way, I agree with you many of our own members are amongst the lost sheep, and they might be looking for their literature amongst the works written for the mainstream. I apologize if what I say is offensive to you. I only wish to express my opinion, we all certainly are entitled to have one, and wouldn't it be awful if they were all the same. Regards, Bill Willson - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 22:42:07 -0700 From: Lynette Jones Subject: Re: [AML] The Role of the Reader >>D. Michael Martindale wrote: > > >Why on earth shouldn't we write to our own people, for heaven's sake? We certainly do not have to write to try to gather sheep. That may be offensive to a person's intelligence, in my opinion. Remember, some of the best literature which has brought people into contact with the church was written for the general public and embraced by Latter-day Saints as their own. I think that in our American, "Puritan based society", the most important thing we fail to do, especially for men, is to validate their feelings. It is when we begin to do this honestly and sincerely, we will begin to be "found" by some of the best minds in this nation. Those feelings cross all barriers and all common in all walks of life. Lynette Jones - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 22:57:39 -0700 From: Lynette Jones Subject: RE: [AML] The Role of the Reader At 10:37 AM 11/7/2002 -0700, you wrote: > > > >Amen! I think we do quite enough `preaching to the Choir' as > >it is; we need to reach out to the lost sheep. If we have > >found the way, we need to leave a trail for them to follow, > >and then go out into the wilderness and heard them into the fold. > >I don't think you are saying this, but I'm going to use your statement >as a jumping off point nonetheless: Hearding people into the fold should >never be the sole reason one creates art. In fact, I would go so far as >to say that it should never be a reason at all. Whatever is of good >report in the life of the author will find its way into the work without >the author even trying. People: that is what good art has always been >about. Ideas, philosophies -- those make for good propaganda. > >Thom Ok, now let's get back to the point. Andrea Lewis wrote: >Writers do need to be honest about the audience to >which they are writing, and readers need to be more honest to be able to join >that audience and enjoy the greatness of our own literature along with >that of >the larger literary tradition. I would like to make a point here that what we are all seeking for in depth is honesty. We can not be conscientious believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by a church which we hold to be the true and living Church of God on the earth without being totally committed to honesty. Honesty is admittedly sometimes painful. But it can also be the doorway to truth and light. In fact, I would like to suggest that the point at which truth is painful is a turning point in our lives where we hear Satan and choose to bitterly turn from God and more truth and into darkness, or we hear the Holy Ghost and turn toward God, light and more truth. The test of which way we will turn is there for each of us when we come to that point. Are not the greatest authors the ones who can bring a reader to such a point and then show them that the first painful step toward brighter light is rewarded by fulfillment, validation of worth, peace and eventually the joy that comes from pure love flowing through us to others. Only when it flows through us to our deepest enemies can we feel it in fullness. Can we not do this on different maturity levels? At my Grandma DeFonda's Funeral two weeks ago, her library was opened up for all her descendant's who came to the funeral. Through the gracious generosity of a cousin, I was able to collect several volumes of lit. about Shakespeare and one book that contained what was judged to be his best works. In the front of the volume of Shakespeare, DeFonda had written in quotes, though with no reference the following statement: "...when reading a book, it is the reader who is on trial." I would tend to disagree with this. This came from the time when everyone was expected to be on the same level. It is time that we brought the gospel message to all levels in and out of the church. I see this happening with varying amounts of success right now. I am wondering if we could just stop dissing authors and readers and really develop a working model which will to some degree helpful for authors to gage their readers as they write. Some can do it instinctively. I think, however, that others try to write to a group on a level foreign to that group. Perhaps a worse situation is when authors write on a level that is foreign to the group they are trying to commune with. Lynette Jones - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 23:34:16 -0700 From: "Scott Parkin" Subject: Re: [AML] Epiphanies Cathy Wilson wrote: > I've been teaching about the brain and its chemistry at school and it > made me curious about the whole process of epiphany and bliss and so on. > We heard on the news that scientists think there is a "God spot" in the > limbic system in the right temporal lobe that activates when we are > praying or connecting with God. That's interesting, to pinpoint the > actual place that gets active when we are alive spiritually. Over time I > have trained myself to "go into" that state of delight and bliss and > connectedness. My kids at school sometimes ask if I'm "on something" and > I just tell them that they can take themselves there without any drugs. > I find that prayers of gratitude and acts of kindness are very sure > paths to that blessed state of bliss. On a completely tangential note, there was an interesting science fiction novel published late last year (or early this year) called _Distance Haze_ by Jamil Nassir that deals with this idea of the "God spot" in such a way as to allow for belief in God as something more than just a biochemical response. Of course the problem is cause and effect. Jamil makes some interesting arguments about how such a mechanism evolves in the brain, what the alleged survival value of such a mechanism is, and whether such evolution is purely the result of natural selection. Mo-lit connection...the book was recommended to me by an active Mormon, and the book features a lapsed Mormon character on the scientific team that's investigating the phenomena. Not a book for everyone--a fair amount of violence and a fair amount of meaningless or manipulative sex--but one of the more interesting attempts to explore the nearly universal human trait to worship something. Scott Parkin - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #890 ******************************