I finally gave in and signed up for a Twitter account. You can follow me by name Oscar Case. I felt that I couldn't hold out any longer even though I don't have a smart phone, I-pad, or any other device than Nook Color and my PC. This twit will try it for a while to see what happens. Don't expect tweets like "Going to the store" or "We're at the steak house for dinner," and I won't be twittering every five minutes, maybe not even every day.
I'm progressing on the next book, O'Shaughnessy's New Deputy, and it should be out before too long. I'm going to start calling these books Utah Westerns since they all take place there and most of them have some comments about the Mormon way as I see/saw it at the time. O'Shaughnessy certainly has some of this inside the tale. My thought about this is that it may turn some people away, but in the long run, I may pick up some readers. Here is an example of what I'm talking about from O'Shaughnessy:
[Bishop Lane said, "Let us pray for this poor, lost soul. Gather around him, please. Jack, Cadmus put your hands on his head with mine."
Amelia, Jack, Cadmus, and the Mayor moved closer to the bed. The Bishop put his left hand on top of the hands already on the head of Billy Kelly and began, "Our Father Who art in Heaven, we thank Thee for this opportunity to show our devotion. And we thank Thee for our own good health and that of our dear friend, Missus Wilson, who the doctor just said was going to be fine, and for this chance to address our concern for this poor, disillusioned bank robber. Our Father in Heaven we thank Thee for all Your great blessings, for the food on the table. . ."]
This excerpt is a "laying on of hands" the Mormons use in certain circumstances and maybe other religions. In the book, this prayer (and it goes on) didn't have quite the effect the Bishop was looking for, or any of the people gathered around. This is just one example of the "Mormonisms" I have used in the Utah novels and they are not saturated with it. I thought this type of writing should be included in stories that take place in Utah as a general rule to reflect the lives of those who live there.
You raise an issue I have with so-called Christian literature, which seems to subscribe to family-friendly material and to be morally uplifting. I think of it as fiction with an agenda. I would feel the same way about fiction that wants me to think favorably of Mormonism.
ReplyDeleteA truthful representation of the Old West, however, would represent Mormons in their variety, neither condemning them as a whole nor advocating the faith. Portrayals of commonly held beliefs and practices, appropriate to the time, would be illuminating and have potential entertainment value. Just as you explain above.
I try to reflect daily life without preaching. Thanks, Ron.
DeleteI have a smart phone but no tweeting for me, hope it works out for you. Writing, fishing, golf, grandkids, hiking and naps seem to take up my day. Good Luck
ReplyDeleteI'll give it a try just for the heck of it, but I won't be tweeting too much.
DeleteStill avoiding Twitter. Maybe some day.
ReplyDeleteTweeting is taking over the world, Charles.
DeleteI agree with Ron that a portrayal of Mormonism, especially in the context you describe, would be enlightening. Too often we (meaning writers) use unsupported generalities when dealing with individual people. I have met good and bad people from every major faith.
ReplyDeleteWallace Stegner does that in some of his writings, like "Big Rock Candy Mountain." A portrayal of Utah life wouldn't be accurate without the Mormonism, especially in the small towns.
ReplyDelete