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Author Archives: Josh Allen
Now’s the Time to Subscribe to Irreantum
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been putting the finishing touches on the upcoming issue of Irreantum. (For those who don’t know, Irreantum is AML’s semi-annual literary journal.) I’ve been working through the last-minute details. I’ve been editing bios from … Continue reading
Mormon Culture and Les Miserables
Everywhere I go, people are talking about this. Yep, that’s right. Les Miserables! The Movie! This Christmas! Oh! My! Heck! But here’s a confession: I don’t care. Not even a bit.
One Irreantum Judge’s Take on this Year’s Contests
A few weeks ago, I helped judge the Irreantum contests in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. It’s the second year I’ve done so, and it’s been an absolute joy both times. Mormon literature is an eclectic thing. It’s quirky and serious … Continue reading
Is Contemporary Literary Fiction any Fun?
I try to read a lot of contemporary literary fiction. Students in my creative writing classes know why. How, I often ask them, do you plan to enter a literary conversation if you haven’t been paying attention to that conversation? … Continue reading
From the Writer’s Desk: Conflict in Fiction
I assume you’re familiar with Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If not, you can check out the Wikipedia entry on it here. Simply put, it’s a psychological theory that details the things people need to live happy, healthy, productive lives. … Continue reading
A Shameless Plug for Irreantum
If you’ve already received and read the latest issue of Irreantum, you’ll want to skip this post. It’s just a shameless Irreantum plug. But if you haven’t read the newest issue of Irreantum yet, I hope this post will encourage … Continue reading
Posted in Announcements, Storytelling and Community, The Writer's Desk
Tagged adversity, Irreantum, motivation to write, scars
8 Comments
Why I Spent Years Trying not to Be a Mormon Writer (and How I Got Over That)
In 1992, back when I started my freshman year of college, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I also knew (or at least thought I knew) that I didn’t want to be a “Mormon writer.” The only … Continue reading
AML and Student Participation
At the risk of sounding self-congratulatory, I’d like to start off this post by trumpeting a few great things about AML: First, AML’s mission is pretty darn noble. Writing about AML, Gae Lyn Henderson says our mission is “to promote … Continue reading
Posted in Community Voices
35 Comments
From The Writer’s Desk: Must Writers Suffer?
I’ll admit it. I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve lived thirty-seven fantastically charmed years. I’ll spare you the sunshine-laced details of my history, but I’ll sum it up this way: good parents, good friends, good spouse, good kids, good … Continue reading
The Writer’s Desk: Ideas Are Cheap; Inspiration’s a Moonshine
Have you ever had this happen? A friend calls. She’s just had a brilliant idea for a story. Or maybe even a novel. This friend doesn’t have time to write stories, but she knows that you do, so she thought … Continue reading
