by Category
by Year
2007
AML Award:
Short Fiction
Presented to:
Lisa Torcasso Downing
For:
"Clothing Esther”
In an age when minimalism is expected, perhaps even preferred, the breathtaking “Clothing Esther” seems almost rococo. Carl Sandburg’s famous simile comes to mind: “Life is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.” Lisa Torcasso Downing gives an account of one of the most solemn, sacred, and private practices in the Church: the clothing of the dead. Remaining both respectful and realistic, she weaves into this story a family’s history, turning both into a narrative of strength and memory, full of the surprises and gentle truths that separate a people and a way of life from the world. The Association for Mormon Letters is proud to present this year’s award in Short Fiction to “Clothing Esther.”