Thanks for the faint praise Thom. Just so you know, I support every
assertion I make in my review of Martha's book with evidence from her book,
and each piece of evidence comes with a handy footnote. I also give the
names of any other sources I use. For example, I name the librarians I
spoke with, the leaders of the BYU Women's Conference who commented on
Martha's claims, the Utah doctor and former counselor in the General Primary
Presidency who dispute Martha's claims about a Women's Conference session
that figures prominently in Martha's narrative. Would that Martha had been
so kind to her readers.
I even acknowledge that there is a whiff of truth to some of what Martha
says. I guess it's that "whiff" that makes Dave Pace think her little book
is a "legitimate critique" and a "brilliant expose" of Mormon culture. I
disagree--vehemently. A "legitimate critique" and a "brilliant expose"
would put the words in the mouths of the people who said them. It would
point fingers at real people rather than at strange concoctions like Tweedy.
If Martha wants to allege that an apostle wrote a laughably bad
dissertation, then name the apostle and cite his dissertation, so that all
may have a look for themselves. If a bishop really didn't want to listen to
her complaints, say so. Don't ask us to believe that he stuck his fingers
in his ears. If she had done those things, the reader could then check to
see how legitimate her critique really is, and we could have a fact-based
discussion about what's allegedly wrong with Mormon culture rather than one
that's buried safely in the "wink wink, nudge nudge, know what I mean"
anonymity of pseudonyms and the passive voice.
Finally, funny that you let my tone and not Martha's disrupt your reading.
By the way, do you take your personality out of your playwriting?
Greg Taggart
Thom wrote:
A fine article but I stopped reading when you went Nibley on us and started
mocking Martha, a la No Ma'am That's Not History, another article I never
finished because of its mocking tone. A lot of what FARMS has been putting
out lately bugs me, too. Why can't they just answer the issues without going
cutsie pie? If a fact is wrong, tell me it's wrong, show me the evidence,
and leave your presonality out of it.
Thom Duncan replies to:
>-----Original Message-----
>From:
>aml-list-bounces+thomduncan=gmail.com@???
>[mailto:aml-list-bounces+thomduncan=gmail.com@???.
>com] On Behalf Of Gregory Taggart
>Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 10:47 PM
>To: 'AML Discussion List'
>Subject: RE: [AML] Beck, Leaving the Saints
>
>Thom and others have asked what facts Martha got wrong.
>Herewith is a link to my little review of her book, offered
>not before I read the book but after plowing through it twice
>and then referring back to it again and again and again. I
>think you'll find that she got more than just a few wrong:
>
>http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/pdf.php?filename=NDQ0NjE4NDAzLT
>E3LTEucGRm&ty
>pe=cmV2aWV3
>
>The short version is captured in the following quote from my review:
>"'Leaving the Saints' is a frustrating book. It is also a
>dishonest book, calling to mind Mary McCarthy's famous
>critique of Lillian Hellman's writing, 'Every word she writes
>is a lie--including 'and' and 'the.' Ms.
>Beck caricatures sacred ordinances and doctrines, fabricates
>dialogue, turns the silliest myth into organizational policy,
>and creates events out of whole cloth with an aplomb that
>boggles the mind."
>
>That's my opinion anyway.
>
>Greg Taggart
>
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>
>
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