![]() Kay was baptized in the tabernacle in front of Temple Square. Kay said her life with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “revolved around Mormonism” as she devoted endless time to teaching and serving in her church. I have inherited a glorious heritage of commitment to writing.” Church life “He made a desk using an old door sitting on cinder blocks and set his Royal manual typewriter on top,” Kay said. Since her father couldn’t find any room in the family’s small home for writing, he carved out a place in the crawl space under the house. ![]() I also saw my father’s dedication to writing his book about the Book of Mormon and writing family history.” “When I was in third grade, my father sat me down and helped me with my first poem,” she said. Kay shared how her parents stressed education and that her first poem was written with the help of her father, who she said had the most significant influence on her decision to become a writer. Kay said the book’s aquatic-themed title comes by way of suggestion from a stranger who heard her tale of how a devout girl who lived in Salt Lake City and attended Brigham Young University swam away from her religion as a “transcendent mermaid.” A glorious heritage The German legend describes Lorelei as a beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine River in despair over a faithless lover and was transformed into a siren who lures fishermen to destruction.Ī bronze statue of Lorelei sits atop a rock formation on a narrow strip of land in the river in the Rhine Valley. Kay said her father, a soldier in Italy during World War II, named his firstborn "Lorelei" after he heard the story of the German mermaid of the River Rhine. There can be no question about my claims about the doctrines espoused by the Mormon Church. “That way, no one can say I misunderstood, my family misinterpreted doctrine, or my bishop didn’t explain things correctly,” Kay explained. ![]() So I moved them all to the back under the title of the appendix, Kay said. But the text looked too scholarly, not friendly enough. Her friend suggested footnotes, which she tried at one point. “When I shared my memoir with a good friend who had been an active Mormon, he said, ‘No one is going to believe the doctrines you share about the Mormon Church-unless you give them proof.’" Their critique also applauded Kay for including an appendix, which is unusual for a memoir. “Since this is a book about my life and 50 years inside the Mormon Church, I take extra pride in recognizing a job well done.”Ī Winning Writers’ critique said of the book, “This educational and inspiring memoir would be a great pick for a women’s book club-although the men in leadership are the ones who need Lorelei’s prophetic word!” Published by Dog Ear Publishing, the book previously garnered an Award of Literary Excellence from the publisher.Īfter discovering she'd won, she felt like someone handed her a glass of cool water after a long marathon. Kay told the Daily Press that her 246-page memoir, which includes her transition out of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was published nearly seven years ago and was a “marathon” labor of love that took almost a decade to complete. The award included $1,000, a free marketing consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, and the publication of an excerpt of From Mormon to Mermaid. Kay’s top prize was in the creative nonfiction and memoir category, one of Winning Writers' most competitive, with 368 entries received, according to writers President Adam Cohen. “I am thrilled almost beyond belief with this award, which is the fourth, but the most prestigious, award my memoir has earned,” said Kay, who penned “From Mormon to Mermaid: One Woman’s Voyage from Oppression to Freedom.” ![]() Hesperia author Lorelei Kay’s “Mermaid book” garnered first place in the Winning Writers' eighth annual North Street Book Competition.
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