No Mormon Literary Giants?

by Kasey Tross

Last year I came across this article in the New York Times by Mark Oppenheimer:

Mormons Offer Cautionary Lesson on Sunny Outlook vs. Literary Greatness

I was bereft of post ideas for today so I turned to my “Writing Articles” files and found this one to share. It’s a juicy one, that’s for sure.

I’ll give you a minute to click on that link up there and have a quick read. Because I’m too tired today to do a lengthy summary.

All done? Great. :-)

So, there are several things I agree with in this article- Shannon Hale’s (ILOVEHER) observation that much “serious” literature is on the gloomier side is one thing (“Of Mice and Men”, anybody?). Another would be Rachel Ann Nunes’ assertion that LDS writers try to avoid time in the bedroom in their books. Also very true.

What I didn’t agree with was the conclusion that Mormons can’t be “serious” because it is a part of our culture to essentially “put on a happy face.” It’s no wonder to me that Brian Evenson moved toward writing literature that resulted in him getting kicked out of BYU and eventually excommunicated if he grew up in a family culture where (from what he said) it appears that he was forced to repress all negative feelings. I certainly hope I am correct in saying that his situation was was an unfortunate anomaly in the Mormon culture and not the norm. 

While I do believe that as a whole we Mormons are fairly cheerful because of the gospel knowledge we have and the resulting testimonies, faith, and spiritual fortitude we enjoy, I would hope that we are not propagating a culture where we quash feelings that don’t “fit” with that mindset. First and foremost we should be practicing a culture of love, and that includes loving not only the pretty smiling mom with her kids all lined up in matching outfits but also the homeless man who is struggling with a drug problem. 

Do we focus on the ugly side of life? Not usually, but we shouldn't hide from it, either. When I read the article I thought a lot of Ender’s Game by LDS author Orson Scott Card, and about the struggles the main character, Ender faced. These were not just your typical coming-of-age struggles, either. They were serious moral questions and while Ender was certainly a hero, he wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Unfortunately, because that book falls in the science fiction genre, it may never be applauded for its “serious” themes.

As LDS authors, we write what we know, and it’s true that we know a culture of hope. We can and do address serious themes, just with a dash of hope (and sometimes sci-fi) thrown in, not only because that’s what we believe but because that’s what the world needs. Most of us probably see our writing abilities as a gift from God, and we feel inclined to use it to uplift our fellow man, because we believe that is what He wants us to do with the gifts He gives us.

What is your take on this article? Do you agree or disagree with the author’s conclusions? 

(And is anyone else feeling the pressure to achieve literary greatness after reading that? Yikes.)

Coming Clean

By Cheri Chesley

This is a re-post from one of my Writing Fortress blogs from last year. :)

I have a confession to make. Aside from being an author, I am an avid reader. In fact, avid may not aptly describe my habit. I lose sleep to read. I forget to eat while reading. I can read for hours and never grow tired or bored.

A little over a year ago, I discovered the wonderful world of LDS fiction. Up to that point, I read the same books over and over because I liked the stories and also because I knew there would be no hidden surprises such as gratuitous sex, violence or language. But now I'm like a kid in a candy store with a credit card.

Except I do have to rein in my spending once in a while.

Without counting, I know I have purchased more than 50 books over the last year. I want to support my fellow authors, so I go to book signings when I can. And I buy the book. Some of the books in my shelves have been free because I did reviews. Some I've even won from blog contests and other contests.

Unlike the kid in the candy store analogy, these books aren't going to give me a stomach ache the more I read them. In fact, I often feel uplifted, edified and educated. And all while losing myself in complex plots, difficult character challenges and tons of excitement.

But, seriously, I'm running out of room in my house. Some of my bookshelves are already two books deep.

I know I could find the books used, or at a library, but that rational thought doesn't hit me when one of my author friends has a new book out. I'm so excited for them and I want to share in that. These last few months, due to severe budget restrictions, I've had to turn down several book signings because I couldn't justify the expense of driving from Tooele to UT county three times in a month. It's been really hard for me, but I know my friends understand.

Maybe some of that is selfish. If I support as many authors as I can, maybe they will in exchange support me when my book comes out. That sounds rational, right? It's what we all want: to sell our books.

But I tend to forget that when I'm having so much fun reading great, quality literature.

Bye for now. I'm going to go read something. :)