Joanna Brooks
Joanna Brooks (born September 29, 1971)[1] is an American author and professor of English and comparative literature at San Diego State University.[2] Brooks is currently the Associate Vice President of Faculty Advancement and professor of English and Comparative Literature.[3] She is a frequent media commentator on faith in American life, particularly in relation to her own Mormonism.[4][5][6] Politico named her one of 2011's "50 politicos to watch" for her Twitter feed @askmormongirl.[7]
Joanna Brooks | |
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Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | September 29, 1971
Occupation | Author, professor, scholar |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Brigham Young University (B.A.) University of California, Los Angeles (PhD) |
Subject | Religious studies Transatlantic literature African American literature |
Website | |
joannabrooks |
Mormonism
Brooks writes extensively about Mormonism and Mormon feminism and is often quoted in the media related to issues regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Huffington Post writes, "Brooks specializes in explaining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to non-Mormons, and in presenting a different way to be Mormon to those steeped in its orthodoxy."[8] She wrote a question-and-answer blog from 2010-14[9] called "Ask Mormon Girl" with the tagline "unorthodox answers from an imperfect source". She also wrote as a senior correspondent for Religion Dispatches from 2011–14, frequently addressing Mormon issues.[10][11] In early 2012, she self-published a memoir called The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith, which was later picked up by Simon & Schuster and published by them in August 2012.[12] Brooks was noted as one of "13 Religious Women to Watch in 2012".[13]
Brooks sits on the Board of Directors for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.[14] Brooks is described as a feminist and liberal Mormon, in contrast to the predominantly conservative culture of Mormonism.[15] In 2017 Brooks was among and ten co-authors publishing "Shoulder to the Wheel: Resources to Help Latter-day Saints Face Racism ..."[16][17]
Personal life
Brooks is married to David Kamper and has two daughters. She holds a degree from Brigham Young University and a PhD from UCLA. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[2]
Works
- "Face Zion Forward": First Writers of the Black Atlantic, 1785-1798 (Editor, with John Saillant). Northeastern, 2002. ISBN 978-1-55553-539-1
- American Lazarus: Religion and the Rise of African-American and Native American Literatures (Author). Oxford, 2003. ISBN 978-0-19-533291-9. Winner of the Modern Language Association William Sanders Scarborough Award.
- The Collected Writings of Samson Occom, Mohegan: Literature and Leadership in Eighteenth-Century America (Editor). Oxford, 2006. ISBN 978-0-19-517083-2
- Transatlantic Feminisms in the Age of Revolutions (Editor, with Lisa L. Moore and Caroline Wigginton). Oxford, 2012. ISBN 978-0-19-974349-0
- The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith (Author). Free Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1-451-69968-5. Winner of the Association for Mormon Letters memoir award.
- Why We Left: Untold Stories and Songs of America's First Immigrants (Author). Minnesota, 2013. ISBN 978-0-8166-8125-9
- Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings (Co-Editor). Oxford, 2015. ISBN 978-0-19-024803-1
- Saving Alex: When I Was Fifteen I Told My Mormon Parents I Was Gay, and That's When My Nightmare Began. (By Alex Cooper, with Brooks). HarperOne, 2016. ISBN 9780062374608
References
- Joanna Brooks; Rachel Hunt Steenblik; Hannah Wheelwright, eds. (2016). Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings. Oxford University Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-19-024803-1. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- Ravitz, Jessica (2012-02-05). "Crossing the plains and kicking up dirt, a new Mormon pioneer". CNN. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- Lauren Markoe (July 18, 2018). "Joanna Brooks returns to previous position following unexpected removal last year". Daily Aztec. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- Lauren Markoe (February 1, 2012). "10 minutes with ... Joanna Brooks". Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- Susan Leem. "Joanna Brooks on the Need for Politicians to Find Their Moral Bearings". On Being. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- Guy Raz (December 2, 2011). "'Ask Mormon Girl' Discusses Mitt Romney's Candidacy". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- "50 politicos to watch: Top tweeters". Politico.com. 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- Markoe, Lauren (2012-02-01). "Joanna Brooks Discusses Mormonism, American Politics". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- Joanna Brooks (April 21, 2015). "Welcome to the world of Ask Mormon Girl". Ask Mormon Girl. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- Daniel Burke (July 13, 2012). "Mormon church lashes back at magazine over portrayal of prophet and profits". Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- Joanna Brooks. "Media". joannabrooks.org. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- "The Book of Mormon Girl: A Memoir of an American Faith". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
- Woodiwiss, Catherine; Farnellon, Emily (2012-03-07). "13 Religious Women to Watch in 2012". Center for American Progress. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
- "Staff and Boards". dialoguejournal.com. Dialogue Foundation. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- Randy Dotinga (August 19, 2011). "The Liberal, Feminist, Gay-Friendly Mormon". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- "Commentary: Putting our shoulders to the wheel to end racism and white supremacy in Mormonism". Salt Lake Tribune. August 17, 2017.
- Danielle Dubrasky, Aimee Evans Hickman, Rebecca de Schweinitz, Joanna Brooks, Emily Clyde Curtis, Cynthia Bailey Lee, Benjamin Park, Emily Jensen, Miguel Barker-Valdez, & Rachel Mabey-Whipple. "Resources - Shoulder to the Wheel". shouldertothewheel.org.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)