AML Writers Conference

The 2007 AML Writers Conference will be held at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood Campus Student Center on 10 November 2007. Speakers include Robert Kirby (keynote), Dave Wolverton, Tim Slover, Margaret Blair Young, Rick Walton, Jim Bell, Chris Bigelow, as well as a panel discussion between Bruce Jorgensen and Neal Kramer.

This conference is free for students as long as you register to be an AML member. (You don't need to pay the membership dues either.) Preregistration deadline is 27 October. A link to the online registration form, a page listing speakers and links to information about them, and directions and parking information for the conference can be found at http://www.mormonletters.org/events/aml2007wcreg.html

Thorns and Thistles Review

As you may have heard, we're trying an experiment this year at BYUAML where members can review Mormon arts related events they attend. If you send a review to me, I'll post it on the blog. To jump start things, we gave out two sets of free tickets to the New Play Project's fall religious play set Thorns and Thistles. Here's our first review from Elizabeth Obreza.

The New Play Project’s “Thorns and Thistles” series of short plays made me consider the significance of Mormon culture. During the first two years of my membership in the Church I was able to avoid Mormon culture almost completely. I focused so much on learning about my new faith and commitments that I didn’t usually notice the oddities and complexities of LDS culture. Now I realize that the LDS faith is not in a vacuum, but rather directly tied to Mormon culture, for better and for worse.

“Thorns and Thistles” equally explored the irritation and anguish associated with various forms of human trials. The writers also complicated LDS culture in a way that I have never seen in a dramatic performance, or even in literature. The Church can polarize people of different opinions inside an outside of the faith. It was refreshing to examine those polarizations head on. It was also interesting to see dramatic responses to the Sunday school answers to questions about faith, missionary work, and God’s will. New Play Project writers were bold in that way.

The audience was disappointing. One short called “Based on True-ish Stories” showed the spiritual quest of a Catholic girl trying to understand her own belief in God. There were several characters of different faiths explaining their beliefs. The audience laughed at inappropriate moments, when the characters were explaining their “untruish” beliefs. Maybe this was the writer’s intention. Maybe she wanted to make the audience feel like laughing and then wonder “why did I laugh?” Therein is the reason the world, especially the LDS world, needs more exposure to LDS plays. One character in another short was a bishop, and as part of his monologue he bore his testimony. The woman sitting next to me said “amen” at the end and then laughed at herself. When considering Mormon culture, we have to ready and willing to laugh at ourselves before laughing at anyone else.

Guest Lecture: Scott Bronson

Back in the 80s, Chiam Potok came to BYU. In his presentation he said that nothing is so sacred that a respectful discussion of it should be banished from our literature. Is there a way to address even our most deeply felt and cherished doctrines and beliefs without breaking covenants?

J. Scott Bronson will be speaking on this topic in relation to modern Mormon drama and playwriting. Scott is a Mormon actor and dramatist (playwright), and as I hear, a very interesting lecturer. The lecture is tomorrow, October 9th, at 7 pm in B092 JFSB. See you all there!

English Reading Series: Doug Thayer

This week, the English Department Reading Series will feature Doug Thayer, a long time professor in the English department and author of the new memoir Hooligan: A Mormon Boyhood. This book has gotten glowing reviews in everything from the Deseret News to Orson Scott Card (" One of the finest writers the LDS Church has yet produced has now turned his talent to his own growing-up years. Entertaining, wise—and it's even true.") Doug will be reading from his memoir and also taking questions from the audience.

The reading will be Friday at noon in the BYU library auditorium. There will be bagels afterward.

Mormon Film Series: Wagon Master (1950)

This Tuesday, BYUAML will be showing the film Wagon Master. The summary from IMDB:

A group of Mormons hoping to found a new colony in the trackless San Juan River country hire horse traders Travis and Sandy as wagonmaster and guide. One attraction for Sandy is "redheaded gal" Prudence. Soon they're joined by Doc Hall's broken down medicine show, with "scarlet women" Denver and Fleuretty. Then the Clegg boys, slightly psycho outlaws, decide a Mormon wagon train will make ideal camouflage.

Sounds like it'll be interesting . . . . Bring a friend! :D

News: Reading Group on BYU Studies Film Issue

Thanks to everyone who made it out to our opening activity! Sorry that we went so late. Future activities will not be nearly as long.

Our next activity is on Tuesday September 25th at 7 pm in B092 JFSB. We will be holding a reading group on the most recent BYU Studies issue on Mormon Cinema. If you missed the opening lecture, this is your chance to read about what you missed. We're open to discussing any and all issues related to Mormon film, so come ready to debate.

Copies of BYU Studies are available in Dr. Burton's office for $10. This is the production cost of the magazine and a significant discount from the bookstore price of $18. Even if you can't make it to the reading group, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up.

News: Opening Lecture and Film

Welcome to the second year of BYUAML, the student chapter of the Association for Mormon Letters. We've planned some exciting activities for this semester, and we can't wait to see you all there.

Our opening lecture and film will held on Tuesday, September 18th, at 7 pm in B092 JFSB. Gideon Burton will present a lecture, "The Five Waves of Mormon Cinema." Ever heard of the 1915 silent film of First Nephi? How about Gideon, the Book of Mormon novel turned Broadway stage play? Come find out about the history of Mormon film before God's Army and Singles' Ward.

We'll also be watching a Mormon film from 1922--Trapped by the Mormons. In this silent anti-Mormon propaganda film, women live in terror of being captured by the Mormons and forced to become polygamous wives. This intended smear has become outdated over time, making this film a hilarious cult classic.

We'll also be announcing the rest of the semester's activities, which include writing groups, lectures, reading groups, a film series, and AML conferences. It's sure to be a great time!

News: Website Features

No more searching for Katherine's last email because you can't remember where the lecture is tonight! The new BYUAML website has several features designed to keep you informed about future BYUAML activities.

First, the Google calendar in the sidebar will keep you informed about what's going on in the world of Mormon Letters. The calendar contains a list of all the events BYUAML will be hosting throughout the semester, as well as any other Mormon arts activities on campus and around the Wasatch Front. If you use Google for your personal calendar, you can subscribe to ours by clicking the button below the calendar and have all the events automatically added to your calendar.

Below the calendar are our RSS feed and email subscription links--more ways to keep track of what the club is doing and thinking throughout the semester. If you use a feed reader, such as Google Reader, you'll receive a notification whenever there's a new post on the blog. Or add your email to the email list and we'll mail updates to you.

As for the actual blog, at each activity throughout the semester, I'll be asking attendees to write up their reaction to the lecture or discussion. These reactions will be posted on our blog so we can continue our discussion of Mormon letters online. The comments are open, so feel free to let people know what you thought about the activity.