MAGAZINE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR MORMON LETTERS March 1999 + Issue #1 [News ofthe Association for Mormon Letters 3 Essay “The Deseret School andthe Missionary School, Benson Parkinson sw 1Y Creative Writing “The Mission Home, Edgar C. Stow Jr On the Road o Osoyoos, Besse Saderborg Clark Sundays Impression, Rober’ M. Hogge Living Words fr Easter, Marden J. Clark. ight Leaves, Marden Clark LDS Publishing News as Book Reviews a AML-List Highlights 3°News of the Association for Mormon Letters President's Message: New Directions for the AML {A few weeks ago I wa deep in conversation with thee cildren and youn: saul writers: Loni Anderson, Lars Torte, and Caco Lynch Willams, Wetalked shop: writing habits, wits” groups, and publishing. Body language sid our ‘conversation wasaliveand vital. Then broughtupthe AML-Theyeachtookastep back, and immediately denied they had done so. Our comsequent alk led me Understand more about the baits between aesdemictypesand practicing writes academicians fuss 1o9 mach and produce too ltl, and nationally published writersen ignore the controversial ssuesof Faith which seem important those Publishing i the literary’ and populae Mormon markets. Inthe Few minutes we falked, we didnt get much past oversimplificaion, “The past fee years, following the advice of Eleanor Knowles, Neal Kramer, Jerry Johnston, and others. the AML oatd has sought waysto broaden tsbase and ‘makeitsrelationshp ois members more vt ery Jfnston rites, "Moxsonis isa populist movement, Sothe mos vital voices in he culture have turned out te popular voices. The culture pradaes and prizes gypsy stores: Sent Cad, Gerry Lund, ita Stansfield, Richard Siddoway. etcetera Despise them at your peril: Unlessthe AML is willing wembvace these writers lepitimte members oF the LDS) literary community. the AML is destined 16 wither into insigniicance,much ike the Lies! Literary Club bat with Less funding” As a tard, we decided tht the AMLncededtexplre ways ‘wintldence te crent tia wave of Mormon writing, without losing our identity 3 an association of Ierary writes, readers, and etc. Perhaps what we are about to dois like walking down the edge ofa razor blade uring a retreat last November, wediscussedthe scope of the organization, the role of the published proceedings, andfuning. In Terms of scope, we decided March 1999cxcelenc in imaginative literature. expand out scope to include the real of Popular literature, and organize efforts to increase, membership. Secondly. ‘onectmingtheannvaly published AML Anaual, wedecidedtocontinaeto publish and distribute the volume to all members bu republish the best articles in special issue of Dialogue. Finally, we decided to evenly increase the amount ‘of awards by esablihing an endowment, posiby through hiring a pefessional fund riser In discussions since then, we have amend the bylaws to include waders, ‘voting thatthe purpose ofthe AML iso foster scholarly and eeative work and inert inthe ied of Mormon etersandto promote fellowship and communication among scholars, erties, writers, editors, booksellers, and teas interested in| Mormon iteratre. In addition, we hope to promote chapters ofthe AMI aay ‘rom the Wasatch Fron to hola yearly writers workshop and to greatly expand ‘or eadingseris, through which Welope to connect Morton writes and readers Finally, we have zivenan editorial eam fre een withthe design and production of itasiny the new AML magazine that eplces the newsletter ‘What am Tasing of you? Let us know how t help you, Volunteer to help “orpanizsteadngsand new chplers,ovritefr las avi,toengageinconvenation shut Mormon itertureomthe AML-Liste-maidiscusion group, tohelp withthe annual conference and the fund-raiser, orto paticipate in AML sessions athe Sunstone and Rocky Mounain Modern Language Assocation meetings. “Jon Beanion Local Chapter Organizations ‘This year the AML board will sponsoc experimental chapter organizations, Recently subscribers to AML-List, the AML's e-mail discussion group. have cessed how to organize forums for face-to-face discussion: these ehapers would serve readers, writers and erties of Moemon literature who liveaway rom Usa ad the Waste Feo. “Those whodesir to organize an experimental chapter should register 1Oor more members withthe AML, 2)plansix meetings oreventsa year, 3)send alter ‘of application (including alist of your members) to the board, and 4) send bret ‘eporsof mectingstotheboard For this experimental yerallsochcommunicaton should be addressed to Sohn Benion current president ohn bennion byw edu, 3170 JKHB, BYU, Provo, UT 81603), All members of chapters wil receive Iacastew andthe annually produced AML Annual. Members will also be encouraged to subscribe to AML List and attend the fund-raiser andthe annual meting. The AIL bourd will considera ‘hater for fewer people than 10 there are not enough people in any given area Ira chapter grows to 25 members and the organizes woul Tike to publish newsletter, the board wil hep with cepted production and mailing eras, Events ormestngs cn beauthor readings, discussions by those involved with the production of iterature or eading groups. I you have ober ideas of what ‘night propery constiute a meeting, please communicate that information. The bylaws state tht the purpose ofthe AML is to faster scholarly and creative work 4 Tnneanrumt and interest in the field of Mormon letters and t2 promote fellowship and ommunication among scholars, ites, writers editors, booksellers, and readers terested in Mormon iteature- During he pas year the board has discussed the need for embracing and encouraging excellent writing of al sos; however, we must not lose our iety, which isto examine literature critically. We will ‘encourage chapters to maintain a eical edge that searches for excellence and