Past Association for Mormon Letters Events

The Association for Mormon Letters sponsors several annual events, such as the Writers Conference and Annual Meeting. We occasionally offer special events and lecture series.

While there have been no published annual proceedings since 2004, AML has been able to obtain mp3 files of some of the events since then, and is pleased to make them available for download as podcasts.

2011 Annual Meeting

25 & 26 March 2011

The Association for Mormon Letters' 2011 Annual Meeting was held on Friday and Saturday, March 25th and 26th on the campus of Utah Valley University. The theme of for the meeting was "Liberating Form."

In a seminal article published in the 1970s, Marden J. Clark pointed out a central paradox of creative production: that “the creative person is at once the most free and most bound of people.” As Clark wrote, “Freedom can find meaningful release, meaningful expression only in significant form.” This paradox of creativity, argued Clark, is also at play in creating a meaningful life: without plans, rules, and structure, our lives become chaotic and painful. “A glider soars, a jet plane flies, not just because the wind blows or because a motor develops a half million pounds of thrust, but because of the form of the wing it flies on.” This interplay of freedom and form is the focusing lens through which we not only create good literature but saintly lives.

In an effort to foster greater discussion and synergy, AML met jointly with Mormon Scholars in the Humanities. While both organizations hosted and created their own sessions, they shared some plenary speakers and hosted joint events.