The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

With appearances on both This American Life and The Moth - Elna Baker's clearly in my wheelhouse. After reading this, I think I prefer her spoken word. Pulled together into a full-blown “memoir” it suffers under it's own weight. Her anecdotes get mired in the persistent narrative of striving to be pretty. It's like she's writing for Mormon Cosmo. There are some great stories here, perfect little bits that are truly fun but she's more of good in small doses sort of treat.