AuthorCast
AuthorCast #101: Interview with Blake Ostler July 11 2018
Episode 101: Interview with Blake Ostler
Hosted by Brian Whitney
Blake T. Ostler is an independent scholar residing in Salt Lake City, Utah,and the author of the multi-volume Exploring Mormon Thought series. Volume 1: The Attributes of God has recently been re-issued in paperback. In this interview, Blake discusses his background, the series, some of the key philosophocal discussions in The Attributes of God, such as the nature of free will, God's existence within time, and Mormon Christology.
“These books are the most important works on Mormon theology ever written. There is nothing currently available that is even close to the rigor and sophistication of these volumes.” — FARMS Review, Neal A. Maxwell Institute, Brigham Young University
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AuthorCast #35—Conversation with Scott Hales, creator of The Garden of Enid December 13 2016
In this episode, we chat with Scott Hales, author and illustrator of The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl.
About the book:
Fifteen-year-old Enid Gardner is a self-proclaimed “weird Mormon girl.” When she isn’t chatting with Joseph Smith or the Book of Abraham mummy, she’s searching for herself between the spaces of doubt and belief. Along the way, she must grapple with her Mormon faith as it adapts to the twenty-first century. She also must confront the painful mysteries at the heart of her strained relationship with her ailing mother.
This edition of The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl recasts the award-winning webcomic as a two-part graphic novel. With revised and previously unpublished comics, it features the familiar story that captivated thousands online, yet offers new glimpses into Enid’s year-long odyssey.
Preview the volume here.
AuthorCast #29 — Writing Ourselves live event at Writ & Vision July 15 2016
In this episode, we join a live event for Jack Harrell’s release of Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism that took place at Writ & Vision rare books and fine art in Provo, UT on June 28th.
For our next live event, we will be trying something new: Facebook Live. Join us on Thursday, July 21st as Julie M. Smith, Joseph M. Spencer, and Benjamin Peters discuss Julie's two new releases: Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22 and As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture. This event is co-sponsored by Greg Kofford Books and Neal A. Maxwell Institute. It is free to the public and will begin at 7 p.m.
Click here for more details and watch our Facebook Page around 7 p.m. on July 21st for a live feed.
AuthorCast #27 - Jack Harrell reads from Writing Ourselves June 23 2016
Jack Harrell reads “Making Meaning as a Mormon Writer” from Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism.
Part candid memoir, part critical theory and philosophy, and part writing advice, Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism, by Jack Harrell offers a refreshing look at the creative process and authenticity. Eric Samuelsen, well-known Utah playwright, said about the book, “Jack Harrell’s essays on writing and Mormonism and life reflect a life spent in the service of thoughtful and compassionate humanism.” “Embrace your weirdness!” wrote Margaret Blair Young, creative writing faculty at Brigham Young University, who called the book “a gift . . . to LDS writers and artists who are forever self-censoring.”
Listen to our AuthorCast interview with Jack Harrell.
Meet the author on Tuesday, June 28th at 7:00 p.m. at Writ & Vision in Provo, UT, for a special panel discussion on creativity and critical theory in Mormonism. Panelists will include:
Jack Harrell, Creative Writing instructor at BYU-Idaho and author of Writing Ourselves
Boyd Jay Peterson - English professor at UVU and editor of Dialogue
Darlene Young - English professor at BYU-Provo
Eric Samuelsen - Playwright and emeritus professor of theatre at BYU-Provo
The event is free and Jack will be available for questions and book signing.
Writ & Vision
274 W Center Street
Provo, UT, 84601
AuthorCast #25 - Jack Harrell June 10 2016
An interview with Jack Harrell, author of Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism.
Continuing a conversation as old as Mormonism itself, Jack Harrell explores the relationship between Mormonism and the writer. Mormons see the universe in mythic proportions. Their God is a creator, their devil a destroyer. This makes meaningful conflict fundamental to their worldview, and begs the terms for religious redemption, as well as the redemptive power of art. Harrell urges writers to be authentic as they embrace the difficulties inherent in the creative process. His essays blend faithful intellectual inquiry, personal narrative, research, and application to offer insights for anyone who cares about writing, creativity, and the human condition.
“A thought-provoking, inspiring, and beautifully written book.” — Margaret Blair Young, creative writing faculty at Brigham Young University, and co-author of the Standing on the Promises series
“If you care about Mormonism and good writing and the moral implications of fiction, you need to add this book to your library.” — Eric Samuelsen, playwright and former president of the Association for Mormon Letters
Preview the volume here.
**Join us for a special panel event at Writ & Vision on Tuesday, June 28 at 7:00 p.m. with Jack Harrell, Boyd Peterson, Darlene Young, and Eric Samuelsen discussing creativity, expresion, and a "Mormon literary theory." The event is free and light refreshments will be served.**