Benson Y. Parkinson
Born1960
Provo, Utah
NationalityAmerican
EducationB.A. in Comparative Literature from Brigham Young University, 1985
Occupation(s)Writer, editor
Years active1994-
OrganizationThe Association for Mormon Letters
Notable workThe MTC: Set Apart
Into the Field
S. Dilworth Young: General Authority, Scouter, Poet
SpouseRobin Parkinson
Children5
Awards2000 AML Award for Criticism

Benson Young Parkinson (born 1960) is a Latter-day Saint novelist, literary critic, and biographer. He has published two novels concerning fictional LDS missionaries, entitled The MTC: Set Apart and Into the Field, as well as a biography of S. Dilworth Young, an LDS general authority. In the mid-1990s he became involved in the Association for Mormon Letters (AML), primarily by creating an email forum for the discussion of LDS literature called AML-List, for which he was awarded the 2000 AML Award for Criticism. Parkinson then co-founded the literary journal Irreantum and served as co-editor for a year. His criticism of LDS literature has been featured in multiple publications. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University.

Personal life

Parkinson was born in Provo, Utah. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France. In 1985 he graduated from Brigham Young University[1] with a degree in Comparative Literature.[2] He and his wife Robin are the parents of five children and live in Ogden, Utah.[3]

Career

Writing

Parkinson's novel The MTC: Set Apart was published by Aspen Books in 1995.[4] It follows four new LDS missionaries as they enter the Missionary Training Center. Robert M. Hogge praised the "rich language, symbolism, ... and allusion" present in The MTC,[5] but writer Brian Evensen called the novel's characters stereotypical and the dialogue "hackneyed and predictable."[4] Parkinson continued the missionaries' story with 2000's Into the Field, which follows the four young men as they travel to France. In a review in Irreantum, Neal Kramer commended the realistic nature of the novel, saying: "I wondered whether I was reading a novel or a memoir. I had to shake myself a little to remember I was reading LDS fiction."[6] Parkinson has also published a biography of his grandfather S. Dilworth Young, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, entitled S. Dilworth Young: General Authority, Scouter, Poet.[3] The author presented this work at the AML's symposium that year.[7] In a review for the Journal of Mormon History, Gary Huxford called the biography "a good read that deserves a wide audience," citing Parkinson's inexperience as a biographer as both a strength and a weakness to the work overall.[8] In 1996, Parkinson hosted a session at the Fourth Annual LDS Writers Conference entitled "How to Sell Your LDS Novel."[9]

In addition to full-length books, Parkinson has written reviews and articles about Latter-day Saint fiction, many of which have been published in issues of Irreantum.[10][11] The 1998 edition of AML Annual featured his essay "Electric Talk: Twenty Months of AML-List."[12] "The Deseret School and the Missionary School," Parkinson's take on the different approaches to LDS writing, was published in the first volume of Irreantum in 1999.[10] In addition to publishing such essays, Parkinson worked as an editor for the Church Educational System in the early 2000s.[3]

The Association for Mormon Letters

Beginning in the mid-1990s, Parkinson was an active participant in the Association for Mormon Letters (AML). In 1995, he created AML-List, an email forum for the discussion of LDS literature sponsored by the association.[13] He also served as moderator[14] until the year 2000.[15] The forum received an average of 30 posts per day,[16] which included reviews of various LDS films and books. Over time, AML-List received more than 1000 entries from users.[17] Parkinson wanted to facilitate an energetic environment that would allow people with different interests to share their opinions. During this time, he also worked on AML-List Magazine, which showcased authors' works online.[2] Parkinson won the 2000 AML Award for Criticism for his work on AML-List: including establishing the forum, moderating it, editing thousands of posts, and creating regular columns of literary news and reviews.[18]

Then, in 1999,[19] he co-founded the literary magazine Irreantum with Chris Bigelow. The publication featured some content first produced on AML-List[20] as well as "original fiction, poetry, essays, reviews, interviews, and literary news."[2] Parkinson and Bigelow were Irreantum's first co-editors, with Parkinson serving as the first reader of submissions and collaborator with the editing staff. Similar to his goal of inclusivity for AML-List, Parkinson wanted the magazine "to give broad coverage and support to every sort of Mormon literature and to promote all kinds."[2] During this time he also served as an ex officio board member of the AML.[11] He ended his time as co-editor after the Summer 2000 issue.[21]

Bibliography

Novels

  • The MTC: Set Apart (1995)
  • Into the Field (2000)[1]

Short stories

  • "Wesley's Carol" in Once Upon a Christmastime: Short Stories for the Season (1997)[22]

Biographies

  • S. Dilworth Young: General Authority, Scouter, Poet (1994)

Criticism

  • "Toward an LDS Aesthetic of the Novel: A Report from the Front Lines" (1997)[23]
  • "Three Kinds of Appropriateness" in Irreantum, vol. 2 (2000)[24]
  • "The Deseret School and the Missionary School" in Irreantum, vol. 1 (1999)[25]

References

  1. 1 2 "Benson Y. Parkinson | Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database | HBLL". mormonarts.lib.byu.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hall, Andrew (2017-11-13). "The Founding and Early Years of Irreantum". Dawning of a Brighter Day. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  3. 1 2 3 Parkinson, Benson Y. (2001). "S. Dilworth Young of the First Quorum of Seventy". Journal of Mormon History. University of Illinois Press. 27 (1): 215–251. JSTOR 23288627.
  4. 1 2 Evensen, Brian (1997). "The MTC: Set Apart" (PDF). Sunstone. p. 70. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  5. ↑ Hogge, Robert M. (1996). "Review, The MTC: Set Apart". Brigham Young University Studies. Brigham Young University. 36 (2): 263. JSTOR 43042010.
  6. ↑ Kramer, Neal (2000). "For Without Me Ye Can Do Nothing: A Review of Benson Parkinson's Into the Field". Irreantum. 2 (2): 50–52.
  7. ↑ "AML Conference Programs 1976-2002". associationmormonletters.org. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  8. ↑ Huxford, Gary (1994). "Review, S. Dilworth Young: General Authority, Scouter, Poet". Journal of Mormon History. University of Illinois Press. 20 (2): 186–188. JSTOR 23286606.
  9. ↑ "LDS Readers, Writers and Reciters Plan Conference Oct. 12 at UVSC". Deseret News. 1996-09-29. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  10. 1 2 Parkinson, Benson (1999). "The Deseret School and the Missionary School". Irreantum. 1 (1): 13–14.
  11. 1 2 "Ex officio board members". Irreantum. 2 (1): 2. 2000.
  12. ↑ "AML Annual 1998". associationmormonletters.org. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  13. ↑ Hall, Andrew (2017-11-08). "Irreantum, Issue #1, March 1999. Magazine of the Association for Mormon Letters". Dawning of a Brighter Day. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  14. ↑ Burton, Gideon; Kramer, Neal (1999). "The State of Mormon Literature and Criticism". Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. University of Illinois Press. 32 (3): 11. JSTOR 45226606.
  15. ↑ Parkinson, Benson (2000). "Three Kinds of Appropriateness". Irreantum. 2 (1): 6.
  16. ↑ Anderson, Lavina Fielding (2000-01-01). "Little Mormon Magazines: Sinking, Swimming, And Treading Water" (Podcast). Sunstone Magazine. Event occurs at 15:52. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  17. ↑ "Review Archive", MormonLetters.org, Association for Mormon Letters, archived from the original on 28 February 2009 The current review archive is http://associationmormonletters.org/blog/reviews/
  18. ↑ "AML Awards 2000-2001". Dawning of a Brighter Day. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  19. ↑ Hunter, J. Michael (2012). Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0313391682.
  20. ↑ "Founders hope Irreantum has long life among LDS magazines". Deseret News. 2000-04-22. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  21. ↑ "Irreantum". Dawning of a Brighter Day. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  22. ↑ "Wesley's Carol | Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database | HBLL". mormonarts.lib.byu.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  23. ↑ "Toward an LDS Aesthetic of the Novel | Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database | HBLL". mormonarts.lib.byu.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  24. ↑ "Three Kinds of Appropriateness | Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database | HBLL". mormonarts.lib.byu.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  25. ↑ "The Deseret School and the Missionary School | Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database | HBLL". mormonarts.lib.byu.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
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