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By AML Press Release
AML Announces 2000 Literary Awards
AML Announces 2000 Literary Awards
At this past weekend's Association for Mormon Letters Conference, the following Literary awards for works published in 2000 were announced:
Novel
Margaret Blair Young, Darius Aiden Gray Standing on the Promises,
Book One: One More River to Cross. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000.
In One More River to Cross, Margaret Young and Darius Gray have
created a haunting, beautifully written, carefully documented story
that describes the lives of black saints in the early history of the
Church of Jesus Christ. Pioneer stories often neglect these saints of
color. This novel reminds us of their presence and prominence among
the early saints, including close association with the Prophet Joseph
Smith and his family. Many black saints had only recently attained
their freedom, and they found some relief in the company of the
saints. We would hope that the early saints had treated all men as
equals, but we learn that-like today-prejudice often appears even
among people who should know better. In the fine people of One More
River to Cross, you find a strength and an integrity that served them
well in their long trek across the nation-escaping from slavery in
Maryland, joining the Saints in Illinois, and traveling across the
plains to the Mountains of Zion. You'll likewise find a deep humanity
that extended beyond the boundaries of their own culture to those
around them, setting an example for our growing, multi-cultural
church today. One More River to Cross is an important addition to
both Mormon and African-American literature, with the story of a
people who learned to reach deeply within themselves to find a sense
of purpose, a sense of worth, that only the Gospel of Jesus Christ
can bring.
See:
More about Margaret Blair Young and Darius Aiden Gray's "One More River to Cross" at Amazon.com
Short Fiction
Darrell Spencer, CAUTION: Men in Trees. Athens: University of Georgia
Press, 2000.
Writers judging writers. Whoever thought this one up? As if one
writer could judge another's work without bias. On the one hand, it's
easy to dismiss something that doesn't actually fall within your own
genre or violates one of the seven deadly sins that you've taught
against all these years. It's easy to dismiss one of those. But when
the writer is particularly good and competes with your own space,
breathes the air that should have been yours, a writer-judge has to
swallow pride and say, damn that's good. Because when you have pulled
apart at all the critical edges and the center still holds, what else
is there to say? So this year, the award in short fiction goes to a
collection that is totally without humility. You might expect a
writer to find one good metaphor or image and play with it for a
while like a cat. No economy there. You might expect a writer to have
one story out of a collection that easily leads the pack. You might
at least expect him to stumble every once in awhile, please. But not
so. The language of this collection never lets up. Every story is a
downpour of image, a deluge of metaphor, a torrent of detail. In
fact, it is a flood of everything that the judge holds sacred. So
what else is there for the judge to do, but to fall and be washed
away, to struggle and then cling again, and finally crawl, and gasp,
and in a whisper with that last breath of air say-"Awe. I could never
have written this."
See:
More about Darrell Spencer's "CAUTION: Men in Trees" at Amazon.com
Personal Essay
Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something. New York: Times Books, 2000.
Once in a great while, a book comes along that makes such a
significant contribution to our culture that it really needs to be
recognized in a significant way. This past year, Latter-day Saints
witnessed an unimagined phenomenon as the president of the Church
wrote a book that ended up on the New York Times bestseller list.
That book, Standing for Something, is a forthright, unflinching call
for society to return to its moral moorings. In a day of
rationalizations and redefinitions regarding family and morality,
here is a book that says, without apology, that married couples ought
to stay married, that parents have actual responsibilities to teach
their children, and that the way to find happiness and personal
freedom is to embrace such values as integrity, civility, and hard
work. That President Gordon B. Hinckley would say such things is no
surprise to anyone in our culture. That a national publisher would
produce his book, that Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes would write a
foreword for it, and that hundreds of thousands of people across the
country would buy copies of it-those are unforeseen and unprecedented
events. President Hinckley has always been an opener of doors, and
Standing for Something has opened new doors for The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in ways that will affect the world's view
of us for years to come. It has built a bridge between Zion and New
York, demonstrating that Mormon views and Mormon writings are welcome
in the national culture.
See:
More about "Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes" by President Gordon B. Hinckley at Amazon.com
Film
Richard Dutcher, God's Army. Excel Entertainment Group: Zion Films, 2000.
When considering Richard Dutcher's film God's Army, the immediate
temptation is to focus on this film more for what it seems to herald
than for what it actually is. Since LDS filmmaking has now so clearly
taken such a major step forward with the release of God's Army,
cinema can now be said to have joined the conversation with our
culture that so many LDS novelists, playwrights, poets and essayists
have been engaging in for generations. God's Army seems to presage a
movement, a renaissance, in which Richard Dutcher, in the best LDS
tradition, plays the role of pioneer. And yet we ought not allow the
God's Army event to overshadow the film itself. And it's such a
lovely, intimate film, a film of understatement and modesty. A
powerful miracle scene is treated quietly, without intrusive
underscoring or acting histrionics. A prayer scene is accompanied,
not by violins or choral angels, but by the simple sound of a car
engine sputtering to a start. The camera work is inobtrusive, and yet
the camera is always in the right place, and the lighting
convincingly captures the shabbiness of missionary apartments.
Dutcher's writing has the same understated complexity as we find in
the best fiction of Doug Thayer or John Bennion. His characters are
rich, multi-faceted, multi-dimensional. Dutcher's missionaries are
believable both as young men and as God's servants, easily confused
and yet also idealistic, given to practical jokes, but also capable
of great faith. The story of the making of God's Army, the struggle
to raise funds and to find a distributor, is in many ways as
inspirational as the film itself. God's Army is a fine and an
important film, but it was also a commercial success. That may be the
most encouraging thing about it. And so, the Association for Mormon
Letters honors not only a remarkable piece of LDS writing, but also
the work of a producer of courage and tenacity, a director of vision
and imagination, an actor of sensitivity and insight, and a marketer
of creativity and skill. It is not hyperbole to declare God's Army
the most remarkable and important film in the history of Mormon
letters. It is a pleasure to honor this extraordinary movie.
See:
More about Richard Dutcher's "God's Army" at Amazon.com
Drama
Margaret Blair Young, I Am Jane (produced for The Genesis Group,
March 2000; in Springville, Utah's Villa Theater in Spring 2001, at
the AML Writer's Conference at Utah Valley State College in November,
2000; in Chicago, Illinois in 2000; and at Brigham Young University,
February 2001).
Jane Manning James was one of our most remarkable pioneer ancestors.
She was a woman of tremendous courage and faith, and she survived
personal tragedies that would have destroyed many. And she was black,
a former slave. The fact that she was a convert to Mormonism, a
pioneer and a Saint makes her a compelling subject for drama; the
fact that she was African-American gives her story resonance and
power far beyond the facts of her life history. Margaret Young,
together with her writing partner, Darius Gray, have begun to explore
the sad legacy of LDS race relations in what promises to be a
groundbreaking trilogy of historical novels, "Standing on the
Promises," book one of which, One More River to Cross was recently
published by Deseret Book. Now, with I Am Jane, Young has taken the
same body of research, and created a theatrical event of the first
rank. Using gospel music from the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, and employing a free-flowing theatrical style that moves
the story throughout time and space, I Am Jane is an exciting piece
of theatre. Although the writing is direct and eloquent, Young has
made the difficult choice to mute her own strong, poetic voice, and
give us instead the voice of her subject. The play's title is no
accident; I Am Jane is clearly intended as a tribute to a remarkable
subject, instead of the subjective vision of a masterful artist. And,
as such, the play becomes a vehicle not only for Jane James'
testimony, but also the vehicle through which we also hear the
testimonies of our living brothers and sisters. The written texts of
plays are merely the blueprints for performances, and a fine play
needs to be seen and heard, and not merely read. This is doubly true
for I Am Jane. One cannot mention the power and impact of this text,
and not mention the dedication and commitment of the members of the
LDS theatrical community, black and white, who have sacrificed to
present it in so many venues. I am Jane is a wonderful play. But by
bringing together present and past, black and white, brothers and
sisters, this play becomes more than a work of art. It becomes an act
of goodness.
Criticism
Benson Parkinson, AML-List.
The first award established by the Association for Mormon Letters in
1978 was in the category of criticism, and no activity can be
considered more central to the mission and vision of this body than
enabling meaningful conversations. As Wayne Booth has said, Mormonism
"will never attain a great artistic culture until we have achieved a
great critical culture." That critical culture is indeed developing,
and it has grown exponentially in recent years due to the pioneering
vision and indefatigable efforts of Benson Parkinson. Back in 1995,
before email became so widely used, Benson foresaw the utility of
establishing an online conversation about Mormon letters and in May
of that year inaugurated AML-List. Since that time, hundreds and
hundreds of scholars, students, church members, and the casually
interested from all over the world have become part of an online
community dedicated to analyzing the aesthetic, cultural, pragmatic,
and spiritual aspects of Mormon-related literature. The membership of
the Association for Mormon Letters has swelled as a direct
consequence of AML-List, and our meetings now reflect the influx of
many younger writers and critics and the broader variety of literary
genres represented by AML-List subscribers. For all but two or three
days of the year when our live events take the foreground, AML-List
is the Association for Mormon Letters. It has become a clearinghouse
for news about LDS literature, a resource for budding writers, a
forum for literary experts and lay readers, a vehicle for announcing
and promoting readings, book signings, conferences, and online
resources of interest to AML members. The guiding force behind the
list has been Benson Parkinson. As moderator of the list until last
year, Benson not only solved many technical problems, especially
before email became more established, but he also read every post to
the list-literally thousands-screening out both digressions and
diatribes, continually reminding the participants of the goals and
texts central to this body. AML-List could have had a shorter and
less meaningful life if it had not been overseen by a well-read,
good-natured, and articulate critic who knew how to tame this novel
medium and turn it to account. Benson established regular columns,
including outlets for news, bibliographies, new creative writing, and
especially reviews. To date, some 400 reviews have appeared on
AML-List, most of which were made possible through the mediation and
editing of Benson Parkinson. AML's literary quarterly, Irreantum, was
born out of the vision and the the community of personnel Benson
Parkinson has fashioned over the last five years. As Robert Hogge
adumbrated in his recent AML presidential address, the Association
for Mormon Letters has been reborn electronically, and Benson
Parkinson has been the midwife to that great renewal. It is with
great enthusiasm and appreciation that the Association for Mormon
Letters presents to Benson Parkinson this Special Award in Criticism
for 2000.
Devotional Literature
Patricia T. Holland, A Quiet Heart. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000.
On a beautiful day, Patricia T. Holland sat overlooking the Sea of
Galilee, wondering whether life should be as hard as it was and
worrying that she had not succeeded in her stewardships. As she felt
the healing rays of the sun, she seemed to hear Heavenly Father
whisper to her, "You don't have to worry over so many things. The
only thing that is truly needful is to keep your eyes toward the
sun-my Son." Against the backdrop of experiences such as this, Sister
Holland leads the reader of A Quiet Heart on a search for wholeness
and holiness. Sister Holland soothes the troubled mind, encouraging
the reader to "turn a few things down and turn a few things off" in
order to seek solutions and comfort from the one true Source. With
warmth, wisdom, and humor, she explains that joy will only be ours
when our actions and our aspirations match God's plan for us, not
God's plan for somebody else. Her honesty about her feelings and her
willingness to discuss personal challenges assures readers that their
own challenges can be met with courage and serenity. With her
friendly style, she inspires readers toward more consistent spiritual
strivings without making them feel more frenzied and guilty. She
invites readers to feel and enjoy the Lord's love for them. "Rest in
that love... Let it relax, calm and comfort you." A Quiet Heart is
the quintessential inspirational book. It leads readers gently,
quietly, and steadily toward having hearts filled with charity-for
themselves, for others, and for God. This thought-provoking and
well-crafted work instills peace and hope in its readers and leaves
them with Sister Holland's stirring reassurance that "God will not
fail or forsake us."
See:
More about Patricia Holland's "A Quiet Heart" at Amazon.com
Honorary Lifetime Membership
The Association for Mormon Letters presents honorary lifetime membership to
Richard H. Cracroft
The problem with honoring Richard Cracroft is that such an encomium
deserves the eloquence and good humor that he alone is most qualified
to give. To list his many contributions to Mormon letters falls short
of conveying his passion, his verve, his back-handed satire and his
front-loaded humor. For Richard Cracroft has not simply been a
scholar advancing our field; he has been a captain boldly leading us
into it-organizing, quelling, and presiding over the skirmishes that
have kept Mormon letters such an interesting panorama.
On one front Richard has been a literary scholar, credentialed in
American and Western Studies, bringing LDS literature under the
legitimizing aegis of those more established fields. On another front
he has been a popular and accessible critic, explaining the history
of LDS fiction to the church at large in the pages of the Ensign or
guiding readers of BYU Magazine to the best of current LDS
literature. As a kind of literary diplomat, Richard Cracroft has for
many years directed BYU's Center for Christian Values in Literature,
bringing LDS literature and criticism into contact with larger,
non-LDS audiences through the journal Literature and Belief, and
bringing together faculty and literary scholars from across campus
and the country through colloquia and conferences aptly named
"Literature and Belief" and "Spiritual Frontiers."
But Richard has been no literary pacificist. His passionate loyalty
to the Mormon faith and to a conservative Mormon aesthetics has
caused him to speak out with typical lack of timidity against
backsliding opinions and encroaching secularism. As he concluded his
year as President of AML in 1991, for example, he issued a stirring
call to LDS writers and critics to return to the core values of an
LDS worldview. Whether or not Richard has succeeded in stemming the
sophic tide of Mormon literature, his authentic Mormon voice has
created no enemies. To the contrary, it has always commanded
respect-as all great passion does, especially from someone who so
genially combines religious testimony and literary acumen.
Richard has been justly called the father of modern Mormon literary
studies, but we might even call him its godfather-substituting for
images of violence the force of Richard's constant good humor and
good will as he has presided over a dynasty of contributions to our
common cause. Not only did Richard inaugurate the first courses in
Mormon literature at BYU, but just prior to the founding of AML, he
edited (with Neal Lambert) the first anthology of Mormon literature,
A Believing People: Literature of the Latter-day Saints. That seminal
work has been repeatedly celebrated both for charting a course for
future LDS literary studies and for reviving genres and authors
otherwise passed over. That early work has paid off in a heritage of
renewed attention to the genres and figures that he and Neal Lambert
salvaged from obscurity. He has more recently defended "home
literature" and popular genres, convincing literary scholars to take
seriously what mainstream Mormons are reading. Richard is an advocate
and a champion, a literate voice for works considered by some as less
literary, both in the past and the present. He is a leader who rouses
and rallies his audiences from their stupors of thought, motivating
them towards more profound engagement of both their religion and its
literary expression.
For his mediation and advocacy as critic, for his countless articles
and presentations that have shaped the field, for his inimitable
eloquence and humor, and for his many years of tireless reading and
writing on behalf of Mormon letters, the Association for Mormon
Letters proudly confers upon Richard Cracroft honorary lifetime
membership.
Text:
AML Announces 2000 Literary Awards
AML Press Release 1Mar01 A4
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