The Spanish-language Mormon literature newsletter El Pregonero de Deseret has now hit the cyberstands. Issue 3 of the quarterly publication is a bit longer than the previous two and now looks more like a magazine than a newsletter. Seriously. It has some gorgeous two-page spreads and wonderful use of white space.
In terms of content, it includes the following:
- An editorial piece that highlights several official, Spanish-language Church publications that back in the day would publish poetry. The implication is that Mormon authors have been writing in Spanish for at least 80 years. The twist seems to be that once the Church stopped publishing them, there was no real outlet for distinctively Mormon literature in Spanish.
- Three poems. One is a previously unpublished poem by Ruben Ransud, of Uruguay. Additionally, there is a 1963 poem by Mariluz de Flores, of Mexico, and a 1937 poem by Consuelo Gómez, also of Mexico. This is a bit of archeology, as all three authors are deceased.
- A review of Estampas del Libro de Mormón, a collection of short, first-person narratives from the point of view of Book of Mormon characters written by yours truly. (In case you want to know: the review is positive.) In addition, this issue of El Pregonero de Deseret has republished one of the narratives found in Estampas del Libro de Mormón.
- An author spotlight of Cristalina Roca, an Argentine author and illustrator with a long list of publications. The books are mostly for children, but she has lately published some books for older audiences.
- A reproduction of what is believed to be the very first Mormon text written originally in Spanish. The text was published in 1879 anonymously in a short-lived, unofficial Mormon publication called La Voz del Desierto. Strikingly, this was published in Mexico before the Church was organized in that country.
- In addition to all of this, this issue contains a call for contributions to be considered in the Around the World in Mormon Lit Short Story Contest. (Which, in a different format and in several languages, can also be found here)
So there’s plenty there for those who might be interested in the international scene or in Spanish-language Mormon literature. Make sure to check it out!
