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Originally Posted by Levin
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Well, I think this column means the cultural elite has finally embraced him. Now he is a god everywhere except the state of his upbringing and collegiate education. He had Mormon friends, went to M.I.A., some sacrament meetings, but in the end felt like a fish out of water in Salt Lake valley, a feeling some of us from Utah can relate to. Still, the formative experience left its mark. He wrote volumes about Utah and the Mormons. And despite his estrangement from the culture he always applied his formidable genius and artistry to treat LDS culture with dignity and admiration. Ironically, he's virtually unrecognized in Utah though Utah could have claimed him as a son like Mississippi does Faulkner. We all know
why Utah disowned him, because if you're an artist and don't use your artistry to contribute to the myth, if you don't propagandize the de facto theocracy, you're an enemy. Well, Utah has forfeited Wallace Stegner, and it's a damn shame.
Thanks for the link. That was a beautiful tribute.