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.