A Gorgeous Essay

By: Sam MB - February 25, 2008

I’ll leave to colleagues with better organizational skills the provision of a methodical review of the latest Dialogue, which arrived in my mailbox today.
I just want to praise “Joseph Smith: Lost and Found,” a gorgeous essay from Jane Barnes, one of the key writers for the Helen Whitney documentary. Jane, a lapsed Episcopalian with Buddhist and post-theological spiritual leanings, provides one of the most sympathetic and thoughtful views of Mormonism by an outsider I have read in a long time. She captures what Harold Bloom was after, and does it much more clearly than he. She also knows her stuff–when I spoke with her at length a year or so ago, she clearly had mastered a substantial portion of the scholarship on Mormonism. I’m delighted that the Dialogue crew was able to provide a forum for her moving and delightful essay, a view of ourselves from a highly sympathetic observer. Her enthusiasm for the young Joseph is infectious, her sense of his insight into the great tragicomedy of life refreshing.

12 Comments

  1. I did some pre-interviews with Jane for the documentary, and she was wonderful to talk to. A great lady.

    Comment by Tito — February 26, 2008 @ 7:01 am

  2. Thanks for the heads-up.

    Comment by Ben — February 26, 2008 @ 10:17 am

  3. For those of us without Dialogue subscriptions, any suggestions on how to get a copy of this essay?

    Comment by Mark B. — February 26, 2008 @ 11:38 am

  4. Thanks for letting us know about it, I’ll look forward to reading it when my issue arrives.

    Mark B., I have a suggestion–subscribe! (heh.)

    Comment by Kevin Barney — February 26, 2008 @ 1:16 pm

  5. Sam, this is such a cruel tease for us out here in the hinterlands, waiting for our copies to arrive with the Pony Express!

    Comment by Kristine — February 26, 2008 @ 1:24 pm

  6. http://dialoguejournal.metapress.com/link.asp?id=y0406hgj54t26642 should take you where you can subscribe or buy the article. I think.

    Comment by we — February 26, 2008 @ 1:34 pm

  7. Can’t afford it, Kevin. See Sideblog, Item: Mazel Tov.

    Comment by Mark B. — February 26, 2008 @ 2:06 pm

  8. Mark B, congrats on the new life in your family.
    Perhaps the Dialogue powers that be can read this post and stick her essay on the website?

    Comment by smb — February 26, 2008 @ 3:06 pm

  9. Mark, mazel tov!
    In celebration, may I buy you a subscription as a gift?

    Comment by Stirling — February 26, 2008 @ 3:20 pm

  10. What a wonderful gesture, Stirling! Mazel tov indeed.

    Comment by Kevin Barney — February 26, 2008 @ 4:39 pm

  11. Thanks all. I’m not really that hard up. :-) But, send me an email at mebutler (at) nyc (dot) rr (dot) com if you’d like, Stirling, and I’ll send you my address. It may be a while before I respond–I’m off to Calgary tomorrow.

    Comment by Mark B. — February 26, 2008 @ 11:08 pm

  12. Couldn’t agree more. Just read it last night. “Joseph Smith: Lost and Found” was a gorgeous essay!!

    Comment by Matt Thurston — February 29, 2008 @ 10:52 am