S U N S T O N E Y E A , Y E A N A Y , N A Y Founded in 1974 Editors Emeritus SCOTT KENNEY 1974–1978 ALLEN D. ROBERTS 1978–1980 PEGGY FLETCHER 1978–1986 ELBERT EUGENE PECK 1986–2001 DAN WOTHERSPOON 2001-2008 Publishers Emeritus DANIEL H. RECTOR 1986–1991 WILLIAM STANFORD 2000–2008 Editor STEPHEN CARTER Director of Outreach and Symposia MARY ELLEN ROBERTSON Associate Editor CAROL B. QUIST Section Editors PHYLLIS BAKER, Fiction Contest Coordinator DAN WOTHERSPOON, Touchstones, Cornucopia, An Olive Leaf LISA TORCASSO DOWNING, Fiction ALAN AND VICKIE EASTMAN, “Righteous Dominion” JAMES P. HARRIS, “A Place for Every Truth” HUGO OLAIZ, News/Update DIXIE PARTRIDGE, Poetry DALLAS ROBBINS, “In the World” ALISON TAKENAKA, “Margin Notes” MICHAEL VINSON, “Scripture Notes” Editorial Assistants JOHN-CHARLES DUFFY, HUGO OLAIZ Contributing Columnists D. JEFF BURTON, MICHAEL FARNWORTH Cartoonists JEANETTE ATWOOD, CAMI THORNOCK. JONATHAN DAVID CLARK, JONNY HAWKINS Much-Appreciated Volunteers ADRIANE ANDERSEN, SUSAN ANDERSEN, PHYLLIS BAKER, LES AND SHANON GRIPKEY DON AND LUCINDA GUSTAVSON, BRUCE JENSEN ANN M. JOHNSON, LLOYD PENDLETON, MARY BETH PENDLETON, SHERRI PENDLETON CAMI THORNOCK, SHARI THORNOCK I N RESPONSE TO Noah Van Sciver’s comic, “Book of Mormon Origins,” (June 2011) SUNSTONE received the following: GRAPHIC NOVEL The Sacred Grove is strangely young—devoid of foliage, with spindly, half-grown trees. And awkward, teen-age Joseph, on his knees—trapped inside the walls of his own comic strip—has coal-black hair, and fuller lips than we recall. Is all of this a horror tale? His pale countenance is dipped in wash of pen-and-ink, encroaching menace of the adversary’s darkness that surrounds him. The vision’s blackest blacks and whitest whites reveal his face as stark and vulnerable—he swims in waves of perspiration. Perhaps we, too, should THE SUNSTONE EDUCATION FOUNDATION The mission of The <strong>Sunstone</strong> Education Foundation is to sponsor open forums of Mormon thought and experience. Under the motto, “Faith Seeking Understanding,” we examine and express the rich spiritual, intellectual, social, and artistic qualities of Mormon history and contemporary life. We encourage humanitarian service, honest inquiry, and responsible interchange of ideas that is respectful of all people and what they hold sacred. Board of Directors MICHAEL J. STEVENS co-chair, LAURA R. COMPTON co-chair JOANNA BROOKS , DOE DAUGHTREY, JOHN P. DEHLIN, BILL HANSEN, DAVID KING LANDRITH, KIM MCCALL J. FREDERICK (TOBY) PINGREE, MARK D. THOMAS, MATT THURSTON, KAIMIPONO WENGER, CLAY WHIPKEY, DAN WOTHERSPOON Office Manager CAROL B. QUIST Regional Symposium Partners (2010 symposiums) MOLLY BENNION, Northwest JOHN HAMER, MIKE KARPOWICZ, JEANNE MURPHY, DON COMPIER, Independence Audio Assistants WADE GREENWOOD, STEVE MAYFIELD, MATT WRIGHT Photographer STEVE MAYFIELD be afraid, since comic art defies an orthodox interpretation. Blinding light that's soon to vanquish fleeing vestiges of Satan’s power, and then to manifest a Father God presumed ‘til now as dead, will also testify the boy and Deity converse in charming lunacy of ordinary speech—preserved and read in dialogue balloons. Trite—the superhero cartoon-god is old, and whiter still than any ghost. But almost lost in shadow, the story’s one authentic flesh-and-bone anomaly, the Son— swarthy, plain, Semitic, real—no form or comeliness we should desire. How is it, cartoon-Joseph seems to know him? PAUL SWENSON PAGE 2 OCTOBER 2011
The Signature Books Library Several years back, we thought it would be a grand idea to post some of our books (in their entirety) on a website. We assummed this would be useful for history researchers and readers of poetry and fiction. Now that we have, we want to advertise to <strong>Sunstone</strong>rs, the only question being how to do so effectively. We met and talked about it and had pizza (which was really tasty), then met a few more times before we realized we had spent our budget on delicious cheese and pepperoni. So we decided we would just show you one of our pizzas and hope you understand. Ugh! www.signaturebookslibrary.org