Elna Baker
Encyclopedia
Elna Baker is a writer and performer of humorous stories. Her stories have been featured on radio programs such as This American Life
, The Moth
, BBC Radio 4 and Studio 360
. In October 2009, Penguin Books
published her book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance (ISBN 0525951350), which chronicles her experience as a young, single Mormon
living in New York City
.
and raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS Church). After age nine she lived in Madrid
and London
. Her father runs a titanium
factory in Russia
, where her parents now reside.
Baker attended The American School in London
and the Tisch School of the Arts
at New York University
where she was mentored by playwright Elizabeth Swados
. She currently lives in New York City
, and has left the church since the publication of her book.
. George Dawes Green
said "As she juggles it all before us—her doubt and her deep faith and her lust and longing and fierce discipline—she’s a dazzlement, a living breathing paradox…".
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, The Moth
The Moth
The Moth is a non-profit group based in New York City dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. It was founded in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, who wanted to recreate the feeling of sultry summer evenings in his native Georgia, when moths were attracted to the light on the...
, BBC Radio 4 and Studio 360
Studio 360
Studio 360 is an American weekly public radio program about media, the arts and culture hosted by novelist Kurt Andersen and produced by PRI Public Radio International and WNYC in New York City. The program's stated goal is to "Get inside the creative mind" and uses arts and culture as a lens to...
. In October 2009, Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
published her book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance (ISBN 0525951350), which chronicles her experience as a young, single Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
living in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Biography
Baker was born in Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
and raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS Church). After age nine she lived in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Her father runs a titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
factory in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, where her parents now reside.
Baker attended The American School in London
The American School in London
The American School in London is an international, independent K-12 school in St John's Wood, London, England for students aged between 4 and 18 years. Established in 1951 by Princeton graduate Stephen Eckard, it is the oldest American school in the city and the only non-profit American school in...
and the Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
where she was mentored by playwright Elizabeth Swados
Elizabeth Swados
Elizabeth Swados is an American writer, composer, musician, and theatre director. While some of her subject matter is humorous, such as her satirical look at Ronald Reagan, Rap Master Ronnie, and Doonesbury - both collaborations with Garry Trudeau - much of her work deals with dark issues such as...
. She currently lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and has left the church since the publication of her book.
Writing
Baker's writings and humor often relate to her experiences in New York City and coming of age as a Mormon, struggling between her personal desires and religious abstinenceAbstinence
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
. George Dawes Green
George Dawes Green
George Dawes Green is an American novelist and the founder of the storytelling organization The Moth. Green published his first novel, The Caveman's Valentine, in 1994, and it was adapted into a film starring Samuel L. Jackson. He quickly followed that success with The Juror, also adapted into a...
said "As she juggles it all before us—her doubt and her deep faith and her lust and longing and fierce discipline—she’s a dazzlement, a living breathing paradox…".
External links
- "Yes, I'm a 27-year-old Virgin" (MSN Relationships)
- Interview "On Humiliation and the Art of Smart Storytelling" (Flavor Wire)
- "Interview with Elna Baker" (By Common ConsentBy Common ConsentBy Common Consent or “BCC” is a group weblog featuring commentary and discussion especially of contemporary Mormon culture, thought and current events. Since its foundation in 2004, BCC has been one of the leading group blogs in the Mormon Bloggernacle, and has been a mainstay on the Mormon...
weblog) - Series of interviews and reviews and commentaries on Elna Baker at A Motley VisionA Motley VisionA Motley Vision is an online multi-author blog featuring criticism of the Mormon arts, LDS literature and film in particular. It was launched by William Morris on June 2, 2004...
- Mormon Arts Wikia featuring Elna Baker