Episode 73 — Elna Baker

Summary: Elna Baker is the guest. She's the author of memoir THE NEW YORK REGIONAL MORMON SINGLES HALLOWEEN DANCE, now available from Penguin. She's also an accomplished performer, having appeared at The Moth, on This American Life, WTF, Studio 360, Radiolab, BBC Radio 4, at the Upright Citizens Brigade, The PIT, The Magnet, and at many other comedy clubs throughout New York City. Coming up tomorrow, May 28th, Elna will be appearing at The Nervous Breakdown Literary Experience in Brooklyn, at Public Assembly over in Williamsburg, alongside Edgar Oliver, Lenore Zion, and Chad Faries. Showtime is 7 p.m. Five bucks at the door. Co-sponsored by Emergency Press. Topics of conversation include: Mormonism, apostasy, the garment, confusion, seminary, rebellion, vodka, anger, Catholicism, internationalism, polygamy, soldiers, Moroni, Joseph Smith, sacrament, churning butter, sex, repression, hell, fear, guilt, caffeine, sexy clothes, Brigham Young, New York City, lesbians, swearing, prudes, ego, pressure, virginity, sex binges, rationality, identity, the unraveling, epiphanies, Utah, Prop 8, gays, conscience, memoir, self-consciousness, mistakes, experimentation, regrets, perspective, change, and adaptability. Monologue topics: Tennessee, Dollywood, chili dogs, sunshine, fried food, conflict, dynamite, and spats. This episode of Other People is brought to you by the UCLA Extension Writers' Program, the largest open-enrollment creative writing and screenwriting program in the nation. For more info, please visit www.uclaextension.edu/writers.