HOOLIGAN: A MORMON BOYHOOD, by Douglas Thayer, Zarahemla, 186 pages, $14.95, softcover
One of the late Eugene England's most important legacies was his introduction of the personal essay into Mormon literature, and since then, a number of Mormon authors have proved to be very good at it.
One of them is Doug Thayer, Brigham Young University English professor, and the author of two LDS novels and two collections of short stories. Thayer grew up in Provo and remains there today. Who better to use his innate creative talent to write about what it's like to grow up Mormon?
Thayer's book, "Hooligan: A Mormon Boyhood," is a gem. It's not only a well-written description of his own childhood in Provo but also an excellent reminder for other Mormons about various aspects of the culture they may have forgotten.
Thayer is detailed because he has an excellent memory. He tells us what he was doing and what was happening around him during the Great Depression, when he was 5 years old. He remembers the scary diseases of the day, i.e., polio, diphtheria, scarlet fever, mumps, whooping cough and rheumatic fever.
When someone died, it was said that person was "taken."
I grew up in the Salt Lake Valley, but reading Thayer reminded me of many things I'd forgotten — even though he is several years older. The coal stove in the living room; irrigating the gardens and orchards; the fear of falling into ditches; picking cherries, pears and apples from the orchard; the LDS ward house as the center of cultural activity; hardly any traffic; shopping at Kress's and Woolworth's, the five-and-dime stores; riding bikes from 10 to 30 miles around. (In my case, I learned to ride a bike before I had one, by regularly borrowing a girl's bike from Vilate Nelson across the street.)
Thayer took a long time to get interested in girls, and he loved Scouting. (I loved girls and hated Scouting.)
Then there was Life magazine's black-and-white pictures; President Franklin Roosevelt's soothing fireside chats; Movietone Newsreels in the theaters; hiking in the mountains; surrounding mountains giving a feeling of isolation and protection; Mormon boys being taught not to swear — but it was OK to say "moron," "birdbrain," "jerk," "chicken," "dimwit," "boob," "sissy," "ninny," "crybaby" and" freak."
After Thayer was baptized, he remembers eight or 10 heavy hands resting on his head when he was confirmed a member of the LDS Church and told to "be faithful and true, keep all the commandments, go on a mission, get married in the temple, multiply and replenish the earth, and inherit the glory and kingdoms prepared for the righteous who endure to the end."
Boys always played such games as tag, pop the whip and marbles, while girls played jacks, hopscotch and jump the rope. Fist fights in school were common. Some bigger boy, like Tub Larsen, would either beat you up or threaten to beat you up.
In the sixth grade, Thayer learned to dance — foxtrot, waltz, two-step and the Virginia reel.
In vacant lots, boys dug underground tunnels, built forts, constructed cardboard towns, lit fires to roast potatoes, played games and fought wars.
If your mother wanted you, she yelled your name out the front or back door.
Yes, those were the days.
E-mail: dennis@desnews.com