Levi S. Peterson

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Levi Savage Peterson (born 1933) is a Mormon biographer, essayist and fictionist whose best-known works include a seminal biography of Juanita Brooks,[1] his own autobiography, and his novel , "standard for the contemporary Mormon novel."[2] He was born and reared in the Mormon community of Snowflake, Arizona and is an emeritus professor of English at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.[3] He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Denmark.[3] He edited Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought from 2004 to 2008.

Peterson's work as a writer centers in "the possibility of wrong behavior"; his works "variously examine the tension between Sainthood as fact and Sainthood as aspiration, between belief and doubt, and between expected blessings and the traumas of reality."[4] Similarly, he taught his writing students to "Write from the other side of your inhibitions."[5] In an essay entitled "In Defense of a Mormon Erotica," Peterson stated that "prudery reinforces pornography" by hiding sexual feelings.[6]: 124  He encouraged Mormon authors to include sexual content and obscenities in an appropriate portion in their work, writing, "there is a vitality in sexual imagery and obscenities."[6]: 124, 127 

Peterson has been the recipient of several AML Awards: Short Fiction (1978) for "The Confessions of Augustine", Short Fiction (1982–1983) for "The Canyons of Grace", Special Award for Short Story Anthology (1982–1983) for Greening Wheat: Fifteen Mormon Short Stories, Novel (1986) for The Backslider, Special Recognition in Biography (1988) for Juanita Brooks: Mormon Woman Historian, Honorary Lifetime Membership (1988), Smith-Pettit Foundation Award for Outstanding Contribution to Mormon Letters (2009), and Short Fiction (2016) for "Kid Kirby". Additionally, his work has been a finalist in the short fiction category twice: 2014 ("Jesus Enough") and 2019 ("Bode and Iris").

Partial bibliography[]

  • Peterson, Levi S. (1982), The Canyons of Grace, Signature Books, ISBN 0-941214-26-5, OCLC 8306271
  • Peterson, Levi S., ed. (1983), Greening Wheat: Fifteen Mormon Short Stories, Orion Books, ISBN 0941214125, OCLC 10118168
  • —— (1986), The Backslider, Signature Books, ISBN 0941214451, OCLC 14378627
  • —— (1988), Juanita Brooks: Mormon Woman Historian, Utah Centennial Series, University of Utah Press, ISBN 978-1-60781-151-0, OCLC 18106573
  • —— (1990), Night Soil: New Stories, Signature Books, ISBN 1560850035, OCLC 21873653
  • —— (1995), Aspen Marooney, Signature Books, ISBN 1560850787, OCLC 33166649
  • —— (2006), A Rascal by Nature, A Christian by Yearning: A Mormon Autobiography, University of Utah Press, ISBN 978-0-87480-851-3, OCLC 62766043

References[]

  1. ^ 1933-, Peterson, Levi S. (2011). Juanita Brooks : the life story of a courageous historian of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Card, Royden. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. ISBN 9781607811510. OCLC 730412375.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ People of Paradox by Terryl L. Givens, page 313 (2007) ISBN 0-19-516711-2
  3. ^ a b "Levi S. Peterson | Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database | HBLL". mormonarts.lib.byu.edu. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  4. ^ "1983 AML Award: Editing & Publishing Honorable Mention". Association for Mormon Letters. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  5. ^ Karamesines, Patricia (16 February 2007). "The Bright Side of the Dark Side". A Motley Vision. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b Peterson, Levi S. (Winter 1987). "In Defense of Mormon Erotica". Dialogue. 20 (4).

External links[]


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