tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post6016728944310840852..comments2024-01-17T04:33:08.243-08:00Comments on My Friend Amy: The Sunday Salon: A Few Thoughts (or minor rant?)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515314638093018928noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-5279278740580215002009-07-25T03:58:12.973-07:002009-07-25T03:58:12.973-07:00Stephenie Meyer is not a "writer".Stephenie Meyer is not a "writer".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-40690802636658749902008-12-17T19:08:00.000-08:002008-12-17T19:08:00.000-08:00Natasha,I'm curious what you mean by you could tel...Natasha,<BR/>I'm curious what you mean by you could tell she was LDS by the way she wrote. And abstinence from sex before marriage surely spans many belief systems?<BR/><BR/>As for Orson Scott Card...that's interesting and tricky. I wish I could read what and how he wrote what he said.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02515314638093018928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-64706378854455501812008-12-17T07:32:00.000-08:002008-12-17T07:32:00.000-08:00Oh man, I'm really late to this conversation. I'm...Oh man, I'm really late to this conversation. I'm heartened to hear everybody's positive thoughts on this. As many of you know, I'm also LDS. I knew Meyer was LDS before I even picked up the book (to tell you the truth that was a main factor in my book club picking it). I could tell that she was LDS by the way she wrote but I don't think it bothered me. Perhaps the only Mormon doctrine found is abstinence from sex, but come one there was tons of other "bad" stuff to counter balance that. If she really wanted to convert everybody, writing a bestselling books about vampires is not a really productive way to do it. I don't think it's possible to leave your life experiences behind when writing. <BR/><BR/>In another related manner. I remember reading that a die hard fan of Orson Scott Card was now turned off and wouldn't read another thing of his after reading a article he wrote about Prop 8. Sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-87725225641803318322008-11-25T17:57:00.000-08:002008-11-25T17:57:00.000-08:00I totally agree with you. I wonder what the Mormo...I totally agree with you. I wonder what the Mormons think of this theory. I doubt that they really want to be associated with a sexually-charged story of vampire lust and obsession. Unless of course there is something I didn't know about that church. In that case, I may be interested in checking them out. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-7593698881375143632008-11-24T10:49:00.000-08:002008-11-24T10:49:00.000-08:00I haven't read the books but I do believe that a p...I haven't read the books but I do believe that a person's worldview is intrinsic to who they are and will be expressed in their work be it art, writing, speaking or any other medium of sharing they engage in.<BR/><BR/>I know for me even in conversations about "mundane" everyday things I can't help but acknowledge and refer to my own beliefs and values many times.<BR/><BR/>I also know that sometimes when people hear someone committed to a belief system they don't agree with any reference or element of that belief system is offensive to the person who doesn't agree so they react to the medium with scorn or derision rather than checking it out or choosing to pass on it based on the merits of the work or their interest in the overt content such as story or visual subject matter.<BR/><BR/>Again I haven't read these books necause I simply wasn't interested enough to pick them up despite all the raves I hear and that was well before I had any idea what the author's personal belief system was or was not. There are so many books out there to read why bother picking up something just to pick on an authors belief system or rant about it because it is obvious its not your thing. I try to choose books because they interest me or I want to try something new that I am not sure about not books that I suspect will provide fodder for a soapbox speech about something OT to the story itself.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08885416877999731273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-32426231515700422892008-11-24T00:22:00.000-08:002008-11-24T00:22:00.000-08:00I am so glad you all agree. (I wonder if anyone re...I am so glad you all agree. (I wonder if anyone read that didn't agree and was just afraid to speak up) <BR/><BR/>Well said everyone! :)Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02515314638093018928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-63810441463837610032008-11-23T19:13:00.000-08:002008-11-23T19:13:00.000-08:00Well, everyone said it better than I could. I thi...Well, everyone said it better than I could. I think Elizabeth nailed it when she said that Stephenie Meyer trying to turn everyone Mormon is like J.K. Rowling trying to turn everyone into witches. It's ridiculous. Twilight isn't billed as Christian genre and Harry isn't billed as Wiccan. They're both fiction. I'm a Mormon, and I can tell you that Twilight has no "Mormon doctrine" in it. I don't think there is any danger of someone converting because they read it! I didn't love Twilight anyway. I thought it was poorly written and completely overrated. But, I adore Harry Potter. ;) It certainly has not made me want to embrace witchcraft either.<BR/><BR/>The word is Fiction, people!Holly (2 Kids and Tired)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13075380878850295214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-64823725704850559672008-11-23T19:03:00.000-08:002008-11-23T19:03:00.000-08:00I'm not a Twilight fan (read the first book, thoug...I'm not a Twilight fan (read the first book, thought it was poorly written overall), but like you, I'm tired of people dismissing them as Mormon propoganda. I grew up in a Mormon household, and I can vouch that there's nothing Mormon about them. I mean, I can't remember the part where Mormons teach about vampires, the romance of sneaking into girls' bedrooms to watch them sleep, or the art of hitting on people 100 years your senior. And while the books do (sort of) promote abstinence before marriage, they promote teen suicide just as avidly. Because ew, who wants to be 30 and old?<BR/><BR/>The vast majority of the time, the people who create such a fuss over the popular books are the ones who haven't bothered to read the things. The accusations make no sense, and really, it's sad that we can't judge books on their own merits instead of jumping to conclusions based on the author's personal lifestyle choices.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-74358041620430047752008-11-23T17:30:00.000-08:002008-11-23T17:30:00.000-08:00I agree with you... mountains out of mole hills. I...I agree with you... mountains out of mole hills. I hated when everyone freaked out about Harry Potter. Its called FICTION for a reasonKate McDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02971624042910635580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-20334179925188829842008-11-23T13:47:00.000-08:002008-11-23T13:47:00.000-08:00Interesting post. I haven't heard anyone say that ...Interesting post. I haven't heard anyone say that Meyer was promoting Mormonism. (I haven't read the books, though, so my eyes may have just glazed over if someone did.) I have heard people make the same complaints about Orson Scott Card. I'm not Mormon, and I disagree with some of the Mormon teachings, but I don't care a bit if OSC is. He's a good writer/storyteller and that's all that matters. I do sort of avoid reading anything personal/political from him, since I don't want any annoyance about his personal beliefs to "taint" my enjoyment of his fiction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-87458590303231598092008-11-23T12:12:00.000-08:002008-11-23T12:12:00.000-08:00I agree, Amy. We all come from varied backgrounds ...I agree, Amy. We all come from varied backgrounds and philosophies. I was raised in a Mormon neighborhood, my doctor was ward bishop of the church, I have Mormon friends and my editor is a Mormon. I'm not. If we all belonged to the same religion and agreed on everything, this planet would be a very boring and static place.Jean Henry Meadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08146960738692672013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-71960982757037068592008-11-23T10:17:00.000-08:002008-11-23T10:17:00.000-08:00Seriously, Stephenie Meyer is trying to turn us al...Seriously, Stephenie Meyer is trying to turn us all Mormon in the same way JK Rowling was trying to turn us all into witches - this stuff makes me crazy. Every author has a set of values through which they view the world. That doesn't mean the purpose of the books they write is to convert everyone to that viewpoint. My mom teaches a a very conservative, private christian school, and in one of her classes she assigns the kids to read a "controversial" book - like Harry Potter, or The DaVinci Code - the point of the assignment being for the kids to think critically about whether or not the book actually is as terrible as they've been told, and to give parents an opportunity to discuss with their kids why they have problems with it. It has actually been a very profitable assignment, for the kids whose parents don't freak out and refuse to let their child participate.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10939074543470696025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-14186410404577073322008-11-23T10:14:00.000-08:002008-11-23T10:14:00.000-08:00I really disliked the Twilight books, for reasons ...I really disliked the Twilight books, for reasons relating to plot, characterization, feminism, and much more, but I completely agree that the idea that Meyer is trying to promote Mormonism through the books is completely ridiculous. First of all, none of the characters is even remotely religious. Sure, Bella and Edward agree not to have sex until they're married, but they spend so much time obsessing about how badly they want to do it that one could hardly argue that line of narrative promotes Mormon values. And hello, Edward sneaks into her room at night and lies in bed beside her while she sleeps. Again, not so Mormon friendly. <BR/><BR/>I think it's fair to assume that most authors' worldviews and/or religious beliefs affect their writing, and we shouldn't expect anything else. And come on, people, if you really think that reading a book like Twilight or Harry Potter is going to morally corrupt your child, that is evidence of nothing except that you are not confident in the job you've done instilling them with your values.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-27300297400766121552008-11-23T09:49:00.000-08:002008-11-23T09:49:00.000-08:00I am glad to hear that you are enjoying The House ...I am glad to hear that you are enjoying The House on Tradd Street. I won that book in a recent contest, so I'm sure I'll be reading it sometime soon. <BR/><BR/>I haven't read the Twilight books or heard that that the author was Mormon, but I thought your opinion was spot on.Alycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10919057159829023714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-14281211435382910412008-11-23T09:12:00.000-08:002008-11-23T09:12:00.000-08:00I want to add to your thought that the popular boo...I want to add to your thought that the popular books are often dismissed by critics. I think it is unfair to discount a book just because a lot of people like it. It is true that many people only read books that they have seen on Oprah or that have been covered extensively in the media. However, I know from my reading habits and those of my kids that if the book isn't good, we won't keep reading it. <BR/><BR/>This is especially true of a series like Harry Potter or Twilight. I consider myself more of a general reader than a bibliophile. Before I started reading book blogs, I only heard about books on talk shows and such, so I guess you can say that my choices are definitely influenced by the media. That makes it look like I don't know how to think for myself when it comes to my book choices. However, do critics really think someone like me, who is more accustomed to getting her entertainment the easy way from sources like TV, would actually read all seven books of the Harry Potter series just because everyone else is doing it? That last book was so thick I could have given someone a concussion if I'd hit them with it :-). Casual readers don't slog through 700+ pages if the book isn't any good.Dani In NChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15032707452740200776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-91741122079483894012008-11-23T07:27:00.000-08:002008-11-23T07:27:00.000-08:00I agree with your rant - just because she is Mormo...I agree with your rant - just because she is Mormon doesn't mean she wants everyone to be Mormon. That being said, she is going to write the world the way she sees it.<BR/><BR/>And I totally agree with you on The House on Tradd Street - amazing book.S. Krishnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10268527069548216054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-42124332974817642222008-11-23T06:34:00.000-08:002008-11-23T06:34:00.000-08:00I had no idea Stephanie Meyer is LDS. I haven't r...I had no idea Stephanie Meyer is LDS. I haven't read the books, and won't see the movie, because the concept just doesn't interest me. It reminds of the soap opera Dark Shadows that was so popular when I was a kid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11303971.post-78431726229420051042008-11-23T04:23:00.000-08:002008-11-23T04:23:00.000-08:00The week before Breaking Dawn was released, my dau...The week before Breaking Dawn was released, my daughter and I were interviewed for a story in the Houston Chronicle about Meyer and her books. The journalist asked me a handful of questions about how I thought the Twilight books mirrored Mormon doctrine (he knew I am Mormon). I finally had to tell him, "Look, the book has nothing to do with my church!" I was glad to see when the article came out that he ended up with nothing to say about the book v. church. <BR/><BR/>I know you're reading the Laura Miller book about Narnia, and it has been interesting to see how she's trying to say, "You know, you don't TOTALLY have to read this as a Christian allegory! There's something in there for *everyone*"<BR/><BR/>This is an interesting discussion, and lots to think about.stacey @ bookthirtyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00651419665171650201noreply@blogger.com