Dear Abbott

Abbott can you explain this more? There's a connection between Milton and Mormonism? I don't know about this. Even just link me to something if it's a lot to explain?

I don't think there is an official official connection that any official church leader would cite officially. That is why I thought my sister was kind of nuts in claiming that. But Paradise Lost is about Lucifer's moral shittifying & the subsequent war in heaven BEFORE humans were created, which makes Mormons freak the fuck out because I am p sure they think they have the 'pre-existence' market cornered.

Mormons believe that before we came to Earth, Jesus & Lucifer had differing thoughts about free will v determinism that lead to a war where ultimately 1/3rd of the spirits in Heaven chose to side with Lucifer & tempt humans who followed God & chose to get tried by coming to Earth & having lives/flesh bodies. Milton also talks about a pre-existence but it's more Lucifer just starts getting prideful & gets rebellious. This is the main diff I think: Lucifer in Mormon doctrine was saying humans should have a flesh body trial but not be exposed to sin (that's why I say 'free will v determinism,' Jesus was offering free will in a really Rush wort of way*). Lucifer in PL did not seem to give a fuck about robbing humans of agency.

*If you are interested in more literary/Mormon conflations by my family, I always thought Brave New World resembled the world Lucifer fought for in Mormon doctrine

ALso a link by a MOrmon who takes this more srsly than me: http://bycommonconsent.com/2009/11/07/mammons-wisdom-in-milton/

Ah that link reminds me: Milton is not a trinitarian, instant Mormon appeal!

Oooh thank you! BTW one of my friends is an ex-Mormon. You'd like her. If you ever come here I'll invite her on the train riding festivities.

btw the writer Mormons really have a boner for is C.S. Lewis, who has been quoted by Mormon prophets & leaders in an official capacity more than any other non-Mormon, ever.

Abbott i am sending you jim woodring's new book but i will get u a replacement copy of ed the happy clown if u would prefer

Abbott have you read Under the Banner of Heaven? I heard its a good read.

forks ––– that is v nice of you! I will find a replacement of the Ches book someday, it's ok.

gr8080, that is the only Krakauer book I have read, and the rumors are true. It is very good. As whiny as I am abt growing up Mormon, FLDS is 1000x more fucked. At least my uncle wasn't claiming God said he could marry me.

That book is excellent.

Dear Abbs,

Not a question, but I thought you'd like this.

My roommate had a friend visiting from out of town for the weekend, so we decided to pop over to Temple Square for an hour to show him around. We did not realize it was conference weekend, and we felt waaaaaaaaay more uncomfortable and out of place than we usually do walking through there. We went into the Visitors' Center (the one with Space Jesus) and at one point were accosted by a pair of women missionaries. When they asked where we were visiting from, we said we lived here, she wouldn't believe us. "Really? You don't look like people from Utah." We even explained that my roommate was stationed here for the Air Force, and that I had moved in with him, but she still wouldn't believe it. "You... you just don't look like people from Utah."

My roommates girlfriend then got into a really friendly argument about how fucked up it was that men missionaries got two years whereas women missionaries got one and a half "because girls spend more money."

Also, we were further outed when everyone except for us stopped as the prophet was saying a prayer over the loudspeakers, which was kind of a thrillingly terrifying experience, like being in a fascist dystopian movie for a minute.

en,

lollll at incredulous temple babes. Why would a guy from Utah have hair past his ears? I remember living in SLC and every once in a while downtown being incredibly busy & then remembering 'oh right conference.'

Have ppl pointed out to you that church where come or another Crow sequel was filmed? Maybe it was just the ppl I hung out with but I feel like it was pointed out to me alla time.

I have to say I think sister missionaries are p hardcore if only for doing all their bicycling in those ankle-length dresses

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qAwB9-ka3d8/TZLD_a2_yYI/AAAAAAAAAiM/hKdHQS7EVNA/s1600/Sister_Missionaries_2_Old.jpg

That'http://blog.devstone.com/images/emote_ellipsis.gifretty bitchin' mountain bike there, sister.

This is clearly the only login name for use in a library. I can tell I haven't been in a university library in a while because I saw a guy in a shirt with some Greek letters on it & thought how cool it was that he had apparently been to Greece.

This library is under the ground like the hall of the wicked Nome King.

Dear Abbottzin,

Your MiL befriended me on fb. Do you have any idea how hard it was not to digitally exclaim, "ZOMG, you're THAT lady??"

Yours in full and assured confidence,

Dear Laurel,

Whaaaaaat? Well, I suppose it's in character. She assumes she is best friends with all of her son's friends – and, by extension, with my friends. Even when my friends have expressed to her, in person, coolness towards her. Bless you for being patient with her.

Abbott-in-law

Dear Abbott,

Can you hop on AIM? :)

Sincerely,

Dear Mordy,

You are lucky every site has a built-in feature for talking to me.

AolInstantMessagebbott

oh dear Laurel I see she has called me a "good Scottish woman." Life is hilarious.

lol

http://i55.tinypic.com/2rdu3r7.gif

whoops, messed up the hair a lil', here's a fixed version.

http://i51.tinypic.com/21km0j7.gif

abbbbbbbotttttt (or philip nunez or anyone else) is there anything major i should change before sending it on? i'm out of town the rest of the weekend so speak now or forever hold yr peace!

!!!!!!!!!!!

oh man

A++++! but maybe bowdlerize KING SHIT into PRINCE POOP (for y'know, the young'uns)?

hahaha, well, it's the original so I can't alter the text itself too much without making it look overly computery, but maybe it could be

KING
S**T

?

or maybe the nirvana nevermind cover without a penis

King SHH? KING SHIP? I feel like a mean censor already. Winkie-free Nirvana baby would be hilarious.

i will give abbbbbbottttttt an hour to weigh in since it's her drawing, but if she doesn't respond i'll go with KING SHHH. unfortunately i only have a couple more hours to work on this since i'm heading out of town for the weekend sans computer early tomorrow morning.

btw, this is for a screen advertisement in philip nunez's new comic store, where he'll be selling abbbbottt's new book, in case anyone is wondering what the hell we're talking about

(it's not really my store! if it was I would be king shitting all over the place!)

makes me think of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd_QV4egw0s

!!

Oh man ZS it is beautiful and fantastic! What a beautifully lackadaisical shrug. Feel free to change it to whatever you want –– I would draw up some .psd letters if you want, or you could just alter it in whatever way you see fit. I don't care if you change it. It is the reason my parents didn't see the book – fear of the S-word – so I can dig.

You even gave him a nice little thumb that looks just perfect!!! Excatly how I would draw it. Now you can never claim a lack of drawing talent.

:)

I'll go with KING SHHH, it'll be easy to just copy and paste the existing H.

It is the reason my parents didn't see the book – fear of the S-word – so I can dig.

my parents didn't seem my little booklet because it was about a boner. so yeah, i definitely sympathize too!

Thanks ZS!!

My favorite reaction to my book has been non-ILX friends asking if the "drowning girl" ended up OK.

Favorite AFTER this animated gif that is! Whoa.

well there's not much we can do to censor z's book, but we'll totally make a censored version for your parents, abbs!!

aww that is a nice offer! But you don't have to do that because I relish hiding my life from them!

a few people that picked it up at the zine show we went to in december said something to the effect of, "that's horrible!" when looking at the cover. in my mind, i was like, "fuck you."

lol awesome

Ha, I have something measurably worse planned for the next cover.

i just reread my last post and realized that it could totally become the title of an excelsior thread.

and also - i can't wait to see it!

(abbott's next book, not my post becoming the title of an excelsior thread)

abbott's book is teh awesome, i envy her crosshatching skills like crazy