Passionate about Mormon Fiction, Drama, and Film?

Discover the Association for Mormon Letters

By Gae Lyn Henderson*
You may have noticed the proliferation of LDS novels in your favorite bookstore. Maybe you’ve wondered which books, movies, and plays are worth your time and money. Perhaps you want to know what the critics think. Let me tell you about an organization that provides answers for you both on the web and in print. In addition, this organization sponsors a variety of live events each year that are intellectually stimulating and inspiring for both readers and writers.

The Association for Mormon Letters was founded in 1976 by a group of volunteers who wanted to promote high-quality writing by, for, and about Mormons. The non-profit group has met annually since that time to present awards recognizing superior work, hear discussions of scholarly criticism, and cultivate a community of people who care about values and how they are presented in literature.

In recent years the organization has grown in membership, attendance at annual events, and particularly in participation on AML-List, its online discussion list. You are invited to spend a few minutes exploring the AML website to get better acquainted with what this organization is about and what it has to offer. I’ve been an AML member for the past few years, and here are some of the great benefits I’ve experienced:

Reviews: A tremendous resource for consumers and readers of Mormon literature is the AML review archive at http://mormonletters.org/Reviews . Now, before you buy, you can read what critics and other readers are saying about a particular text. For example, D. Michael Martindale begins his review of Gerald Lund’s Pillar of Light as follows: “I finally broke down and started reading The Work and the Glory by Lund. I had to, because my wife got me the first three books for Father’s Day. I approached the task with fear and trembling. I have not been very thrilled with what little LDS literature I have read, and considering how popular this series is, I expected some hack-level stuff.” As you can imagine, it is fun to find out what Martindale’s opinion is after he actually reads the book! (You can keep reading here .) Any and all readers are welcome to post reviews, formal or informal, to AML-List.

Irreantum: The AML publishes on paper (of all things) a thrice-yearly journal called Irreantum, which is edited by a team of professional writers and editors from all over the United States. If you want to read cutting-edge stories and poetry by Mormon authors, this is the place to find it. For example, the Winter 2000-2001 issue featured a science fiction and fantasy theme and included an intriguing science-fiction story by Thom Duncan about a time traveler who wants to go back to the time of Joseph Smith. A poem that caught my attention in that issue was “Breadcrumbs” by Jane D. Brady, which gave me a personal glimpse into what the atonement means in one woman’s life. Overall, the journal emphasizes a literary approach while respecting Mormon beliefs. Other features include Mormon literary news, reviews, essays, criticism, and interviews with the most popular figures in LDS literature and film. For example, the same issue featured a fascinating discussion with Dave Wolverton, a well-known LDS science fiction and fantasy novelist. A subscription is included in the $25 annual AML membership dues, or you can order an Irreantum-only subscription for just $16 a year (3 issues). To see a sample copy of the current issue of Irreantum, send a check for $8 to AML, P.O. Box 1315, Salt Lake City, UT 84110-1315. For more information about Irreantum, visit the Irreantum web page.

Writers’ Conference: This annual event brings literary bigwigs together with beginner and wannabe writers to talk about the practical stuff of how things in the writing world get done. The conference is held every fall on a Saturday. Bring your notebook to jot down all the ideas and advice you’ll be inundated with. In 2001, Kenny Kemp offered a fact-filled session on self-publishing in which he explained exactly how he got his self-published book Dad Was A Carpenter accepted by a national publisher and signed a lucrative contract. Also that year, Dean Hughes, popular author of Deseret Book’s popular Children of the Promise series, shared his philosophy and down-to-earth advice about how he has made writing a financially viable career. For up-to-date information on the forthcoming writers’ conference, keep your eye on the AML website .

Annual Meeting: This is my favorite event of the year! The AML invites you to meet with us on March 5, 2005, at Salt Lake’s Main Library in Salt Lake City to hear the scholars (and regular people too) debate and analyze the trends, successes, and controversies in Mormon literature. Papers from past meetings are published in the AML Annuals. You can find the tables of contents for some of them at the AML Annuals page. I love this annual meeting because, frankly, I love the people. (You too may enjoy the camaraderie of thoughtful, intelligent friends with artistic and aesthetic judgment!) During the elegant luncheon, you will witness the annual awards presented by the AML board for outstanding achievements in a range of genres, some of which include the novel, short fiction, poetry, children’s literature, personal essay, criticism, and devotional literature. President Hinckley’s remarkable book Standing for Something received the devotional award for the year 2000, and Richard Dutcher’s God’s Army won the award for film. For a list of the annual award-winners, go to humanities.byu.edu/MLDB/amlaward.htm .

If I’ve piqued your interest and you think you would enjoy being a part of this community, let me extend a warm welcome. You can find me on AML-List every day. To join the AML, print and mail in the order form or just send a check for $25 to

AML
PO Box 581422
Salt Lake City, UT 84158
*plus editorial changes to update the contact information