Mattathias Westwood Q&A

"Missionary Weekly Report for 28 March-3 April, Mumbai 1st Branch, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" by Mattathias Westwood, the final finalist in this year's Mormon Lit Blitz, is up today. Check out the story, and then come back for the Q&A:

This piece explores an Indian Mormon experience specifically. How do you feel like the national context shapes the story? Would the same tensions play out differently somewhere else?

The only Mormon experiences I can speak to convincingly are American Mormon experience and Indian Mormon experience. I do think that in India, the pressure of missionary work is heightened by the fact that there are just so many people around to teach. And because religion is such a major and public part of most people's lives, there's not even the excuse that exists in some parts of the world that most people probably just aren't interested in religion of any kind, and that's why they don't want to listen and we maybe don't need to bother them. In India, almost everyone takes religion very seriously, and most people are very open to talking about it. But that doesn't mean that they're going to take Mormonism seriously or decide to join the Church, because conversion is hard and the truthfulness of Mormonism isn't obvious or self-evident at first glance (or second or third).

For me, this led to a state of constant discouragement, where I felt like because people were so ready to listen, if people were not interested in joining the church, it was because I wasn't good enough at teaching the gospel for them to recognize it. At some point, I realized that I was absolutely right-- I wasn't good at teaching it at all, but there were people who understood it anyway, who figured out all the things I couldn't teach them, because it wasn't me they were learning from. I was just there to give them a human point of contact and directions towards the church building.

What role do you think literature could play in increasing our multicultural awareness and imagination in the Church?

The scriptures say that God speaks to people in a language they can understand. I don't know what the future holds, but I hope that as more Mormons from around the world share their own experiences, share how the gospel feels and tastes to them, share what pulled them into this life and keeps pulling them back even when things are hard, that it will help us to be one, in the way that the scriptures say we should.

I think when we hear how the gospel sounds to other people's ears, it will become even more beautiful, and maybe some of the things that cause us worry or pain will be eased as we see them through other eyes, or as we see different ways of doing things, as we learn from each other. I don't think it's fully possible to separate gospel and culture, because they blend together and it can be hard to tell which is which, and stories that show how the gospel weaves itself into different cultures can give us possibilities we didn't think of before or help us see our own mistakes. And all of it hopefully gives us more types of language, so that God has more ways to reach us.

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature? 

Honestly, I would be happy just to have more of it, from more people, in more places, thinking through Mormonism in their own experience and writing what it feels like and means for them. I am much more of a reader than a writer, and I read pretty much whatever I can get my hands on and I'm grateful if it helps me think through my own experience or think outside my own experience, and the details of where it comes from or what it says don't matter much to me as long as they are genuine and thoughtful. "Let a thousand flowers bloom."

Where can we read more of your work? 
As I said, I'm more of a reader than a writer. I have lots of stories that float in my head but usually I'm too busy finding new stories to add to the mix and break down into raw materials for living a good life for me to write stories of my own. You could try breaking into my parent's house and sorting through the boxes they keep in the spare bedroom for the notebooks I wrote in when I was in high school. But there are a lot of boxes, and most of them are just my dad's books, so you'd probably get tired of looking, and if you found those old buried stories they might not be worth it.  If you're interested in listening to me ramble on about other people's stories, you can find me at http://mattathiasingh.blogspot.com/ continuing to occasionally write a blog long after it stopped being cool, or you can see what I'm reading and what I've read at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14527427-mattathias (My name is Mattathias, king of readers, look upon my works, ye mighty, and get really excited because you've never heard of that book before but it looks really interesting and now it's time to go to the library and check out a bunch of books...)

Eric Jepson Q&A

This year's Mormon Lit Blitz is winding down--just one more story left after today's excellent poem, Eric Jepson's "Joseph and Emma Grow Old Together." Here's a Q&A with the author: 

In your introduction to States of Deseret, you speculated about an alternate history where the wild success of Joseph Smith Sr.'s ginseng venture allows him to send Joseph and Hyrum to study with Ralph Waldo Emerson--and go on to found a college, not a religion. What draws you to alternate history where the restoration as we know it doesn't happen?

In the case of Joseph Smith, his greatness is inextricably tied to the pain and tragedy he endures. We all want to be Christlike, but none of us want to wander the dusty plains of Galilee only to be hung on a cross. I don't know, if given the option, that I wouldn't take the easily understood pleasures of studying with Emerson or growing old with my wife over the recurring stress and sadness and horror of Ohio and Missouri and Illinois. Martin asked to take the translation three times. What if Emma had been as insistent on a peaceful life with her husband?

I don't think I could blame them if she had.

This poem seems to deal with the tension between contentedness on the own hand and intense spiritual quest on the other. How do we deal with a spiritually intense founder in an era when simple, contented life has become such a central value for us?

This is exactly what worries me. I'm teaching seminary now and this year we covered the Book of Mormon. In just a few hundred pages, Mormon lets us stand back and see the shape of one thousand years of human history as a series of mountains and valleys. And times of simple contentment don't often last.

I'm a firm believer that the general thrust of human history is towards goodness and peace---but that doesn't happen on the small scale. That's on the centuries scale. We want to believe our comforts will last forever. I'm not sure scripture smiles at that attitude.

But hey. Life is safer and more predictable without ten new sections added to the D&C every April and October.

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature?

Everything. I want more voices from more countries and regions and languages. Which is an honest answer I'm working toward. The now answer is more of what I already love. But please, worldwide Mormonism! Convince me to love you all!

Where can we read more of your work?   

Well, buying stuff on Amazon is good for me.

Unfortunately, my website is down, but a complete bibliography as of seven months ago sits on my blog. (A good place to start might be my previous appearances on the Mormon Lit Blitz, one and two.)

Sheldon Lawrence Q&A

Sheldon Lawrence's essay "The Last Swing" is today's Mormon Lit Blitz finalist. After you read it, join us for the Q&A:

This piece felt very reflective of Mormon values to us, even though there are no overtly Mormon references. Is it just the concern with family? Or do you think there's something about this piece thematically that might make it feel so resonant to us?

There is something about the passage of time and the limitation of memory that has always haunted me. It’s unsettling to think that any given moment will die and never repeat. Every passing moment is a death of something. Are these moments lost to eternity? Is our only comfort the prospect of eternal novelty, eternal rebirth of time? I think on some level Mormonism takes memory seriously, or the idea that the whole of our life, every detail, will be resurrected and make up the tapestry of our souls. I believe our memories will be redeemed, not only in that we will have perfect recollection, but that even painful moments will be seen as sacred and important.  I think this piece reflects that sense of loss, of death, but perhaps hints at the hope of a resurrection of such moments.

How has parenting helped you as a writer--and writing helped you as a parent?

I didn’t set out to be a “dad” writer, but it turns out  that an awful lot of my work, especially the stuff that has gotten published or recognized, is heavily influenced by my experience as a parent. I never knew that parenting would involve so much guilt and fear and joy all at the same time. Writing is a way of working through those issues. It makes me more reflective as a parent. When my kids appear in a piece, they feel honored, which is kind of fun.

We have a two-year-old daughter who just learned to climb out of her crib and now systemically destroys her room before falling asleep around midnight. Will we miss the last nighttime rampage with equal unspoken nostalgia?

Yes, you will! “The Last Rampage” has a nice ring to it.

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature?

It seems there is an unnecessary dichotomy out there that art is either angsty and raw (and therefore “real”) on the one hand, or trite and syrupy sweet (and therefore “fake”) on the other. I would like to see more work, especially in memoir and personal essay, that is uncompromisingly authentic but also celebratory of life and its richness. I suppose that is what I strive for, in any case.

Where can we read more of your work?

I usually put stuff on my blog: thepearlandswine.wordpress.com  I also post links to my published work there.

William Morris Q&A (Sister Greeley)

Today's finalist is "Proof That Sister Greeley Is aWitch (Even Though Mormons Don't Believe in Witches)" by William Morris. Here's our Q&A with him about this story:

One thing we loved about the story is the way it implicitly explores the network of relationships among the women in a ward. In the real world, how do you see inter-generational relationships influencing young Mormon women?

Based on my experience--which is limited because I'm a male member of the church--young Mormon women both want and are leery of the influence of older Mormon women. They are leery of being judged and found wanting. Or they are leery because they have different cultural and/or political attitudes. But they also know that maturity can bring wisdom, and that there things they can learn, especially when visiting teaching/ministering and serving side-by-side in callings is working the way it should.

I will add that in my (again, limited) experience young Mormon women really appreciate it when middle-aged and elderly women are open (in a charitable way) about the challenges they had when they were younger. It helps them know that they aren't alone. They aren't weird. They aren't defective. And things get better, but you have to work at it and they never actually get perfect in spite of how things might sometimes appear.

It's also awesome when older women ask young Mormon women to help them with things where the young women have expertise (like technology--but other areas too).

Some of the practices Heidi describes seem old enough to be just outside living memory for the people around a young Mormon woman growing up today. How do past generations of Mormon women play into that network?

Hopefully they play a large role, but I'm not sure that they do. Or at least not as deeply and widespread as perhaps they should. Back in 2006, I wrote a post for A Motley Vision called Holding to the traditions of our mothers. In it, I wrote:

"What happens when our daily practices — our material life, our life with materials — is suffused with their spirit, with the way they do/did things?
Let’s find out. I propose that all of us seek out our mothers — especially our aunts, great aunts and grandmothers — and learn from them whatever it is they do best. Not only cooking, but quilting, gardening, sewing — all the practices that arose out of gospel teachings, pioneer heritage and the conditions of life and history."

Since that time, these kinds of material practices--especially pickling and bread-making--have become much more widespread among young people. I would hope that Mormon women (and men) who engage with them tie them not to a fashionable but vague notion of authenticity but rather to the previous generations, especially the material culture of their mothers. And I'd add to my call above that I'd recommend starting with the women who are still living, but then also seek out (and, if needed, preserve) documentation for women who have passed on to other side--letters, journals, cookbooks, personal/family/ward histories, etc.

You told last week what you'd like to see more of in Mormon literature: what in Mormon literature are you most bored with?

I'm tempted to say novels about male Mormon missionaries engaging in high-jinks and short stories about middle-aged, white Mormon males from the American West have minor crises and epiphanies, but that's not entirely true. I think any subject or theme or setting can be interesting and innovative.

I suppose what I'm most bored with are works of Mormon literature that don't show any awareness of what has already been written or that engage in simplistic tropes. I don't know that we need more conversion or de-conversion stories or feminist awakenings or male mid-life crises. Not unless they're done in ways that add to the conversation rather than re-create it. I mean, I totally understand the impetus to write such works if that's what your personal experiences are, especially if you're a newer writer. But that's not what I'm interested in reading. And there's so much more to explore.

I'm also tired of genre fiction for the Mormon market that takes Christian or mainstream American fiction trends, files of the serial numbers, hastily magic markers on a Mormon serial number or Mormon-level appropriateness in content, and then presents the finished product as something of good report.

Finally, I'm bored with Mormon literature always being a referendum on the possibility/impossibility of Mormon literature (esp. vis a vis that whole Shakespeares and Miltons of our own quote). But that's such an old complaint of mine that to complain about it now also bores me. Let's just have some fun with MoLit, you know?

You told us last week where to read your work: what's some other Mormon Lit you'd recommend?

In all seriousness: read through the Mormon Lit Blitz archives. There's good short fiction and poetry to be found in Dialogue, Sunstone, and Irreantum. But if you want a quick, satisfying way to explore the wide range of modern Mormon lit, the Mormon Lit Blitz is the place to start. Also: pretty much everything from BCC Press (especially Third Wheel by Melissa Leilani Larson) and Zarahemla Books (especially Long After Dark by Todd Robert Petersen and the story anthology Dispensation, edited by Angela Hallstrom). A few older titles that influenced me: Nothing very important and other stories by Bela Petsco, Angel of the Danube by Alan Rex Mitchell, Salvador by Margaret Young, and For the Strength of the Hills by Lee Allred. Also: if you haven't seen the documentary New York Doll by Greg Whitely, then track it down--it can be streamed for free if you have Amazon Prime.

Thanks!

Sherry Work Q&A

Today's finalist is "Still Clean" by Sherry Work. Here's our Q&A with the author:

The characters and setting of this poem feel believably ancient at the same time the themes feel very timely. When and how did you decide you wanted to write this poem? 

I wrote this poem after preparing to teach an Old Testament class about David and Bathsheba, and wanting to research to see what might really have happened. Multiple depictions in art show Bathsheba as somewhat wantonly bathing on the roof of her house which exposed her naked body to David, leading to adultery (perhaps we would now call it rape) and murder. Centuries of patriarchy in the Christian church have shifted the blame at least partly to Bathsheba for her supposed immodest actions in tempting David. As I read the chapters following this initial incident I saw no blame attached to Bathsheba for her part in the story. Just has Eve has been exonerated from committing sin, I felt that Bathsheba should also be seen as a righteous daughter of God.

We loved your presentation of the bath as a mikveh. What's the value for you of imagining scriptural events from a perspective or voice we don't usually spend as much time with? 

Here are the verses from 2 Samuel 11 depicted at the beginning of the poem. Bathsheba is not bathing on her rooftop as she is usually painted. It is important to note that verse 4 indicates that she may have been performing a mikveh, a cleansing ritual or washing required by the Mosaic Law after the end of menstruation. The water had to be "living water" from a natural spring which would flow over the body. It was very important to me to read more about Jewish ritual in order to be accurate about this story, and that in turn helped me to see much symbolism and types of Christ within it. The compelling part of the poem for me is to give Bathsheba her voice, as she is silent in the entire story, except to tell David that she is with child. She loved her husband, she was a righteous woman, but she was powerless to refuse David. My heart ached for her from the beginning of her story to the death of her child.

2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.


What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature? 

I would love to read novels where the protagonist has to make hard choices, or where making the "correct" choice does not necessarily lead to what we might hope for. I think that it is important to read less simplistic works which better reflect the decisions that we have to make on a regular basis. It would be wonderful if Mormons everywhere could find a book where they see themselves represented.


Where can we read more of your work?

This question made me smile because the short answer is that you can't. My most prolific work is my 40 years of journals which would be a little tedious even for my own children, except for the very few pages where I remember that my opinions and experiences are far more important than what I did that day. I much prefer to read than write.

Lee Allred Q&A

Welcome back to the second (and final) week of this year's Mormon Lit Blitz. Today, we posted Lee Allred's "Beneath the Visiting Moon." You owe it to yourself to read the story before the Q&A...check it out first, then come back for this behind-the-scenes look:

At first, we read this story as a psychological study of the difficulties and trauma of returning home from war. It wasn't until just after we finished reading that we realized it's also a werewolf story. Which totally blew our minds: we loved the way the werewolf element deepened, in many ways, the exploration of trauma. What made you think of putting the two elements together? 

Actually, I've been writing "movie monster" stories as  Mormon Lit Blitz contest entries for some time now, looking at monster movie tropes through a Mormon lens. I've done already done vampires ("Where Nothing Lives But Crosses") and Frankenstein (the non-finalist "Organized Matter" -- which I'm working up as a longer piece), This year I did my werewolf piece.

As an Iraqi War vet myself, I guess it was natural to see lycanthropy through the lens of PTSD and how the Church assists returning wounded warriors through local ward Home Teachers.

It's a bit unusual to take a fantastical element and make it so subtle--and yet so present at the same time. What advice would you give to someone who wants to pull off an effect like that? 

Bit of mental ju-jitsu, really. Saturated with Hollywood and 24-hour news, the reader will come into the story with certain preconceptions about PTSD. You construct a story where the details all feed into those preconceptions. "Moon" can in fact be read as a straight PTSD story. Nothing per se violates that premise.

But the reader also has preconceptions about werewolves, and each of the details you put in are actually dual-purpose. They feed into those werewolf preconceptions, too.

As the story progresses, the details are more and more weighted towards the werewolf side -- raw meat, animal bite, moon, wolves howling -- until there is an obvious "aha!" moment with the big reveal.

Only you don't write the big "aha!" reveal. You end the story short of that. (The micro fiction format of Mo Lit Blitz aids in this regard; it’d be far more difficult in a longer piece. )

What you are left with is a mainstream PTSD story constructed in such a way that the reader's werewolf preconceptions are just starting to overcome their PTSD preconceptions right as the story ends.

Tricky and I wasn't sure I'd timed things right. Nice to read from your comments I had.

 What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature?

More Lee Allred stories. Somebody needs to prod that author into writing more of 'em! :)

Seriously, we're in the Golden Age of Mormon fiction. I feel sort of silly asking for more when our cup is so overflowing.

Where can we read more of your work?

I've had quite a few genre stories published in recent Fiction River anthologies. I have stories in the Mormon fiction anthologies States of Deseret, Mormons & Monsters, and Dispensation. My Assembled Allred collection is also still in print I think, and there should soon be a second Rookhouse Books collection appearing, hopefully before the end of the year. And you can always check 2016’s Lit Blitz and 2014’s Lit Blitz Meeting of the Myths monster mash-up for my finalist pieces there.

Also, keep an eye on my @lee_allred Twitter feed. I have a number of short fiction pieces coming out (sold seven this year so far) and some upcoming comic book stuff. I'll announce them on Twitter whenever my publishers give the go-ahead.

William Morris Q&A (After the Fast)

We're closing out the first week of the Mormon Lit Blitz with William Morris's "After the Fast." Here's our Q&A. Feel free to add your own questions in the comments. 

Stories about the Three Nephites are a classic Mormon genre. What made you decide to join the tradition? 

I included a character that was one of the Three Nephites in last year's Lit Blitz entry "There Wrestled a Man in Parowan," but the story didn't require interpreting it that way, which delighted me because it seems like a lot of the stories that use the Three Nephites as a way to discomfit the institutional church and/or orthodox Mormon characters. A valid approach, to be sure, but not one that interested me so I figured I'd get mine out of the way (because, yes, every Mormon writer has to have a Three Nephites story). But then earlier this spring, the notion of what it'd be like to try to eat again after fasting for forty days and forty nights started rolling around my brain, and, like it always does, my brain revolted against the strictures I had tried to set for myself (like the time I decided I wouldn't be writing Mormon faithful realism anymore and then three weeks later wrote the most Doug Thayerish story ever). And it is easy to see why a Three Nephites story is irresistible: as doctrine and folklore, it's unique to Mormonism, and the mysterious stranger who is helpful but also a bit unsettling is a classic character trope.

Have you ever eaten colivă?

I have. It was given to us either by a recent member or a long-time investigator. I believe she had made it not for a recent death, but for placing on the graves of loved ones. The version I had was starchy and chewy and not as sweet as it looked. Nor did it have cocoa powder on it or dried fruits in it. It was quite filling, though, and that's the most important thing for young missionaries.  

Was your time in Romania an influence on the story thematically at all? 

Honestly, the ending of the story came as a complete surprise to me. More so than most of the stories I write. I wasn't planning on drawing on my mission experience at all. Indeed, I didn't know that the Third Nephite would go back to the dead woman's house until I wrote it. I had originally planned to take him to his favorite restaurant and have the story be more about aesthetics and memory than about grief and honoring the dead. And once he's at the house, he ends up in the basement. And what would be in the basement but food storage? And so then what would be a better way to break his fast than with food storage? But what are you going to do with barrels of wheat? And then that's where serving a mission in Romania and being able to draw on that experience paid off.

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature? 

More novel-length fiction about sister missionaries. More stories about older Mormons, international Mormons, urban U.S./Canadian Mormons, rural but non-Intermountain West Mormons, etc. More fiction and nonfiction that takes Mormon history and theology/doctrine/folk beliefs seriously. More stories about single Mormons and childless Mormons and single parent Mormons. An alternate history novel where the United Order works and Mormons become the world's leading communitarians. An anthology of Mormon satire that skewers the larger world as much as it does Mormon life and culture. A romance novel where a recently married couple figure out how to mesh their differing backgrounds and orthopraxises in relation to Mormonism and the ending is happy but also bittersweet. 

And, of course, more readers of Mormon literature, more venues where Mormon writers can publish their work, and, ultimately, actual paying markets for Mormon writers, especially fiction writers. 

Where can we read more of your work?

Most of my Mormon-related short fiction from 2003 to 2015 can be found in the story collection Dark Watch and other Mormon-American stories. I have also edited two anthologies: Monsters & Mormons and States of Deseret. For more Mormon stuff visit A Motley Vision. And for my non-Mormon market work, see Frozen Sea Press. 

Faith Kershisnik Q&A

Today's piece is "Counsel" by Faith Kershisnik. Take a look at the poem, then come back for the Q&A:

A lot of Adam and Eve stories deal with the firsts, and this piece features a cool one: the first surgery. The first time doctors ever talked while their patients were under. What drew you as a writer to this moment?

Oh, that’s an interesting observation. Does it sound crazy to say I hadn’t thought of it at all in those terms? I didn’t have a surgical scenario in mind when writing this, but I was fascinated by the dramatic irony of God’s words to Adam regarding the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. We know the story, we know that Eve and Adam eat and don’t die that day (in the sense that we understand the term). There’s some disconnect between what God says and what Adam could comprehend in that moment, and then what he and Eve experience. So what do we do with that, as readers? I wanted to play with Jehovah being in that position, dealing with the disconnect, and getting a response directly from God. If this Jehovah has anything in common with me, he would’ve been bursting at the seams to reconcile the dissonance as soon as he had a moment alone with God, which happens to come right as they put Adam in a deep sleep. I wanted the conversation to reveal some of the complexity of that type of confrontation, to leave the reader with a sense of ‘huh, yeah, what was the right thing to do here? Who’s position do I identify with?’

Maybe it's cheating for us as readers to ask you this, but: what's the relationship for you between the frame scene of forming woman and the counsel God is giving the Son?

That’s totally cheating.

…But I’ll indulge you anyway. I think this is the part of creation where everything gets interesting. I like that human relationship is in the process of being created at the same time woman is created, and that this is a complicated, conflicted relational moment between God and Jehovah, when he is also teaching Jehovah about the complexities of human relationship. It felt like a great moment to illuminate the death and destructive processes inherent in the creativity of relationship.  You don’t get one in this world without the other. 

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature?

I guess that depends on whether we’re talking about literature with Mormon themes and content for a Mormon audience, or literature written by Mormons. I should also preface any responses with the admission that I’m not a Mormon literature connoisseur, so undoubtedly I’ll say something really ignorant that marginalizes someone’s work.  Feel free to leave a comment telling me how wrong I am.

As for literature with Mormon themes and content for a Mormon audience, I’d like to see 2 things: first, more Mormon midrash. More Mormons diving into scripture with their imagination, coming up with more pearls to share with the rest of us. Second, I’d like to hear/read more literature about people’s actual lived experiences with Mormonism. We have loads of fiction at places like Deseret Book or Seagull Books that idealize the Mormon experience, but I think there’s a disconnect with those types of stories and what a lot of people are living now. I want art that deepens (or demands that we deepen) how we apply faith in our real-life struggles, rather than art that fantasizes about or sentimentalizes faith.

As for literature written by Mormons but not exclusive to Mormon audiences, I’d like to see more Mormons publishing literary work, in addition to the strong genre presence we have out there. I know there are strong voices already in the mix, so I don’t mean to dismiss their work; I just want to see more of us in the game. I think we sometimes get a bad wrap for being ‘juvenile’ because there’s so much young adult fiction out there, or for being incapable of writing and comprehending tragedy because of our relationship to grief/the afterlife/eternal families, but I feel there’s a richer and more faceted cultural voice that’s needing to be shared. I don’t care what the literature is about and how ‘Mormon’ it is, I just want to see it done and available for the world to experience.

Where can we read more of your work?

I’m a rookie. I was first published last month with Segullah’s editorial journal, which can be read online, and I’m currently working with Tryst Press to publish my complete collection of poetry and short stories on the Genesis Creation myth in art book form. Feel free to follow me on IG for updates on the project :)

Tanya Hanamaikai Q&A

Day four of this year's Mormon Lit Blitz is Tanya Hanamaikai's "New Rhythm." Here's a short Q&A about the story and her work:

This story does a great job of letting us feel like we're in a complete world and culture in a very short word count. How did you come up with Morah's culture for this piece? 

For my mom, our proud Mexican heritage runs deeper than Aztec sun stones and temples. She'd shout with gust a song from her time as a performer with BYU'S Lamanite Generation: "Yes, I'm a Lamanite, a true blue-blooded Lamanite! My fathers came from far across the sea!" When I set out to write a Lamanite story, I wanted those of us who have been taught that we are their descendants to recognize a bit of ourselves in their life style.


How did you choose what details to include in this story? 

Every detail in this story was an opportunity to not only build a culture, but to also explore our relationship with it. My favorite line is, "Something in the ancient fathers' original Hebrew no one understood anymore."

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature? 

More writers who trust the value of what their diversity brings to our connection as Mormons, whether it comes from their rich culture, sole upbringing, or peculiar point of view.


Where can we read more of your work? 

My last Lit Blitz piece was Worthy World (http://lit.mormonartist.net/2017/06/worthy-world-by-tanya-hanamaikai/) And I blog now and then at tanyahanamaikai.blogspot.com

Katherine Cowley Q&A

Day three of this year's Lit Blitz is Katherine Cowley's "A Perfect Voice." Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the story:

Can you tell us a little bit about how you came up with Clara as a character and what interested you in her point of view? 

For a long time I've wanted to write a story about a musical number that went terribly wrong, because sometimes I have been Clara, judging the merit of the musical numbers, and sometimes I have been on the other side, performing not-so-perfect music. A few years ago I was in a ward that had special musical numbers almost every week, and for a while I was asked to accompany many of them on the piano. Then one week I was absolutely terrible, so terrible that no one in that ward ever asked me to play piano for anything again. 

When I began writing "A Perfect Voice" at first I considered a character who is a regularly-attending ward member, but there weren't any stakes--there was nothing at risk for the character--and so I ended up choosing an outsider, a visitor who comes expecting something completely different. As I started writing, I realized that for Clara to have her visceral reaction to the musical number, she needed a musical backstory, and suddenly I realized her past "failures" and I felt a connection to her, for all the things I have failed at and given up on. 

This piece deals the relationship between music and worship, and specifically about the role of ability vs. sincerity in making music. As a writer, I'm curious about whether you think the same ideas apply to any creative endeavor, or if there's something distinct about music specifically? 

This is a question I'm currently wrestling with, something I'm trying to find the answer to. On the one hand, I think it's okay to set aside dreams--we can't all be bestselling authors, Broadway stars, Hollywood filmmakers, professional dancers, or in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. And yet in the parable of the talents, the Lord expects even the servant with only one talent to use it and not bury it. Some of the best talks I've heard were not given by polished speakers; some of the best desserts didn't look that attractive; some of the most welcoming homes are messy and would never be featured in an interior design magazine. Ability is important, and we can develop our abilities, but even if our abilities in whatever creative endeavors do not compare to those of others, I'd like to think there's a place for them and that they can greatly bless both ourselves and those around us.

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature? 

I would love to read more literature set outside of the United States, and I would love to read Mormon stories not originally written in English that have been translated.

Where can we read more of your work?

Most recently, I had a fairy tale novella published about a magical, ugly princess who rides a goat and fights with a wooden spoon; her new husband goes missing and it's a story about love and loyalty and struggle. The story is titled "Tatterhood and the Prince's Hand" and can be found in Unspun: A Collection of Tattered Fairy Tales. In term of Mormon literature, I've been published in Segullah, in the Mormon Lit Blitz's Meetings of the Myths contest, and several times in the Mormon Lit Blitz (here, here, and here).  You can find links to my other published works on katherinecowley.com.

Lehua Parker Q&A

On the second day of this year's Mormon Lit Blitz, we move from the spirit world back to earth for Lehua Parker's  essay "Scrubbing Jesus's Toilets." After you've read it, come back for the Q&A and to share your thoughts:

Both "Scrubbing Jesus' Toilets" and your previous Mormon Lit Blitz finalist piece, "Decorating Someone Else's Service" are meditations on how we organize service in the Church. What's drawn you to that subject? 

Volunteer service is a cornerstone of the Church. It’s through acts of service that we learn how to become more Christlike. I find both humor and grace in situations where what we think is the goal—being extra efficient, for example—is not really the point at all. Service is often more about refining our own imperfections than it is about helping others.

Both pieces also involve your children as prominent characters. How has parenting helped you as a writer--and writing helped you as a parent? 

My kids are much better humans than I am. When confronted with something that doesn’t make sense at Church, they do the kind thing, the gracious thing, and simply do what’s asked of them without complaint. My first instinct is to whine or dig in my heels. But sometimes after a service project or lesson, they’ll come to me to talk about the whys. We break down what happened from multiple perspectives until they understand why a service project was organized a certain way or what a leader was trying to teach in a lesson that didn’t resonate with them. Through this process, they also figure out how they’ll do it when they’re in charge. It amazes me that there’s no question in their minds that they will be able to do things differently. I find that very powerful. I think about these conversations a lot, and what I think about, I write. And what I write about tends to circle back into the next why conversation.

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature? 

I’d like to see more fiction stories where characters just happen to be Mormon, rather than stereotypes of either perfection or perdition.  A lot of Mormon fiction for kids tends to be thinly veiled morality plays. I’d like to see fictional LDS kids who struggle and succeed and who come from a wide variety of families, nationalities, and experiences. There’s a need for good LDS kids’ literature that tackles tough questions squarely, but with an underlying message of compassion and hope.

Where can we read more of your work? 

I have a blog and website: www.LehuaParker.com. Most of my published works are available through Amazon and other retailers.  My most popular books are in a series for middle grade and young adult readers called The Niuhi Shark Saga. These magical realism stories are set in contemporary Hawaii and are full of Hawaiian culture, myths, and legends. Book 1, One Boy, No Water, was a 2017 Nene Award Nominee, a Hawaii Children’s Choice Award. For LDS audiences, I’m currently working on a collection of faith-based essays under the working title, Wayfinding Mortality.

Luisa Perkins Q&A

It's Mormon Lit Blitz season again! This year's first story is Luisa Perkins' "Three Dogs in the Afterlife," which you should go read now. After you finish, come back for this short Q&A with the author and let us know what you thought of the story:

One thing we really loved about your story was how much we felt immersed in the main character's very canine point of view. What did you do to help you think like a dog for this story? 

I'm glad you felt immersed in my character's point of view. I have a dog--a corgi named Moneypenny--whom I love to an absurd degree. She follows me around the house and sits at my feet when I'm reading or writing or doing the dishes. She's taught me the nature of submissiveness in the Mosiah 3:19 sense (I think the verse works well if you substitute "dog" for "child"). When I come home, she runs to me with her ears down and her whole back end wagging; she's full of joy and humility and utter conviction of my love for her. It's the attitude I want to have when I approach the Lord. Writing the story, I just tried to imagine life--and the afterlife--through her senses. 

We really loved the way the point of view was not just a gimmick, but something that gave us real spiritual insights. How do you know when you've found good ground for a religious or spiritual story? 

I think good religious or spiritual stories come from the same well as other good stories. They have to feel real and deep and true from the first flash of inspiration (which this time came when I was out on a long walk with my dog) throughout the drafting and revision process. Writing the ending of this story made me cry--and whenever I can get that far under the skin of a story, I feel like I've been successful. 

Any thoughts on what we might learn from a cat's perspective on heaven? 

I love cats. We buried a lovely, maddening, hilarious one a few years ago. That was a tough day. I think what we sometimes interpret as reserve on the part of a cat could actually be something else entirely. Cats, to me, seem both smarter and more alien than dogs. They're a mystery perhaps unknowable in this fallen world. 

What would you like to see more of in Mormon Literature? 

I would like to see more immersive Mormon Literature that isn't afraid to wrestle with hard questions, that engages heart and thought and imagination. I want stories that aren't just cool or entertaining, but that nag at me and haunt me and challenge me. I want there to be Mormon versions of Allegra Goodman and Mark Helprin and Margaret Atwood and Umberto Eco. That will require tremendous courage and dedication and work and vision--as well as a demanding yet nurturing audience. I also want to read more Mormon Literature that comes from experiences outside the Intermountain West. I want high-quality Mormon stories from Peoria and Porto Alegre and Lappeenranta and Luanda. Is that too much to ask?

Where can we read more of your work?

Here's a list of my published works: http://kashkawan.squarespace.com/my-published-work/