Honest and true
Great post on Segullah by Chris Bigelow entitled Mormon Literature: Carving Out a Middle Niche?
Piddling around with Mormon niche markets is okay, as far as it goes (which isn’t far). But for me, the real holy grail of Mormon literature would be for a Mormon author to break through nationally with authentic Mormon content. We need a Mormon Saul Bellow, John Updike, etc. If and when that ever happens, I think that’s what will crack open the Mormon culture for some real literary treatment. I haven’t seen anyone come anywhere near to pulling this off yet, though.
Good post. And in the comments, Angela Hallstrom (who wrote Bound on Earth) said this, which really resonated with me:
I think we just need to write things true, you know? Without an agenda. Without a, “I’m so spiritual, look at me,” OR a, “I’m so edgy and provocative, look at me” undertone ruining the honesty that makes good writing work.
Exactly! Honesty, not self-conscious pretention — in either direction. That’s one of the things I love about New Play Project. I don’t know how it happens so consistently, but the plays we produce really don’t have agendas. They’re not preachy or saccharine, yet they deal with hard issues without going “edgy” and chasing the Spirit away. They’re not afraid to question things, but it’s all within a context of faithfulness, all on a solid gospel foundation. They’re honest. They’re true. They’re awesome. :)
And the more we see of that in all the artistic disciplines, the better. I feel like we’re teetering on the cusp of a full-blown Mormon renaissance. Yes, we’ll always have sappy stuff, and we’ll always have edgy stuff, but now we’re finally starting to see the well-rounded and healthy works in the middle — the middle niche Chris talks about in his post. Ah, it’s a great time to be involved in Mormon arts. :)
This is why I like Wrestling With God, and for that matter, so much non-Mormon art. I respect, and usually like, art that thoughtfully deals with the complexity of life, and doesn’t present a sanitized, one-sided view of things. That is why I dislike the films produced by the Church, because that is content produced with a specific reaction in mind, not to promote thought on the issues. It’s not honest. It’s manipulative. The people involved are well-meaning, and many of them are talented, but art-by-committee is never art. And if you argue that it’s not trying to be art, well, that’s my point, too. It’s propaganda masquerading as art. That sounds harsh, but that’s what I think.
I recently saw the movie Missionary Homecoming aka The Return, on your recommendation. It’s not a particularly great movie, and the ending was sappy, but I did like it. It had a head-shaven, scalp-tattooed, body-pierced character in a sympathetic role! Much more likable than the protagonist, even. That’s a calculated choice, I’m sure, but at least it’s more like reality than the sugarcoated black-and-white world I seem to see elsewhere in Mormondom–most especially in the image of ourselves so many feel compelled to present to other Mormons. We’re a complex bunch, and I hope our art will begin to reflect that more.
I agree but I’m not entirely sure that official films from the Church shouldn’t be sanitized. (Then again, I’m not sure that they should either. :)) I wonder what it’d be like if the Church did produce art that deals with the complexity of life in the way you mentioned. Hmm…
Yes, Return with Honor (at least that’s the title it had when I saw it :)) wasn’t brilliant or anything, but it was a step in the right direction. I think our art is indeed beginning to reflect our complexities more, in a way that’s true to who we are as a people without sacrificing our values or our intelligence.