It has been a big week for the arts!! First of all, check out Tom Clark‘s gorgeous book of photographs: The Utah Collection. (It’s a little bit NSFW, otherwise I’d post a picture of the cover here for you.) We’ve watched Tom build this collection over the past year, and now it’s finally available — congrats Tom!
Meanwhile, John Remy has been holding a group creativity experiment — right here in blogspace — with some fantastic results!! The idea is to randomly select a Tarot card each day, and let your imagination run wild with whatever the card inspires. It’s not just for exmos, but the folks of Outer Blogness have come up with flash fiction, comic haiku, drawings, personal reflection and much more!! And it’s not to late to join in for the remaining days.
This experiment illustrates the thing I find most interesting about Tarot cards: the symbolism is so rich and varied that one can reasonably expect a hand of cards to spark some new ideas, and maybe look at things in a new way. So why haven’t I participated yet? Well, maybe I will, but so far I’ve been distracted by other creative projects. Notably, I’d really like to come up with a submission for Sunstone‘s special comics edition! Unfortunately, my LDS-themed comics are sadly lacking in the punch-line department. Maybe you can help. đ
In other creative endeavors, Zoe Murdock has given an interview about her participation in Our Visions, Our Voices: A Mormon Womens Literary Tour. And if you have a secular story you’d like like to share, you might consider entering it in Non-Prophet Status’s Share Your Secular Story Contest. Meanwhile, the Urban Koda has been creating beer. (I’m not sure creating beer falls in quite the same category as creating art and literature, but maybe…)
Speaking of stories, I just happened upon a brand-new former Mormon blog There is a charge for the eyeing of my scars, with a bit of an exit story that starts like this: freedom is slavery, I shall take no bite of your body, and the leap we talked, too late, of making. Reina has also shared her thoughts about coming out along with the tale of her Mormon family’s reaction.
p.s. OK, one little coda because I just can’t round up arts only and no politics.
First of all, did you guys know that there are two post-mo blogs writing from opposite sides of the Zion Curtain? It’s true — one is behind it and the other has escaped. Obi Wan Kolobi (reporting from Behind the Zion Curtain) has written a nice concise piece on atheist gratitude). Brad (the one who escaped), has written an interesting essay analyzing the LDS church’s idea that “We” should proscribe all people’s actions. On a related note, Curmudgeon wrote a thoughtful piece on tribal vs. family values.
Also note: Blue in Red Zion (another person trapped behind the Zion Curtain) has posted a summary of the 2010 bills to watch series, and Merril Leroy Jessop was sentenced to 75 years.
Brad Spencer’s latest Escape the Zion Curtain post that you link to pretty much describes the why behind the protest in San Diego tonight (Monday, March 22). Details here (Ads and Demonstration Set for Mitt Romneys San Diego Book Signing).
Here’s another potential avenue for your creativity!:
We are seeking stories from LDS or former LDS Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender individuals and their families and loved ones. The purpose of these stories is help members of the LDS church gain greater empathy and understanding for the LGBT community.
The best of these stories will be published in a book called Road to Reconciliation. Publication is expected by the end of 2011. Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place entries.
For more information go to http://www.ldsapology.org