Russ baker bio

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He was 93.LegacyNeil Postman, in the preface to Conscientious Objections, described Baker as "like some fourth century citizen of Rome who is amused and intrigued by the Empire's collapse but who still cares enough to mock the stupidities that are hastening its end. Six collections of short pieces, including some of the “Observer” columns, were published between 1964 and 1983.

The column was syndicated nationally, earning him a wide readership. During his long career as an essayist, journalist, and biographer, he was a regular contributor to national periodicals such as The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, The Saturday Evening Post, and McCalls. In 1979, he received the award for his newspaper columns, and in 1983, he was honored for "Growing Up." The memoir paid homage to his mother, whose unwavering support and encouragement propelled him to overcome his childhood indolence.

Biography of Russell Baker

Russell Wayne Baker (August 14, 1925 – January 21, 2019) was an American journalist, narrator, writer of Pulitzer Prize-winning satirical commentary and self-critical prose, and author of Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Growing Up (1983). In 1979, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary for his “Observer” column.

"That was a great experience," Baker said in a 1994 interview with the Hartford Courant. He is, in my opinion, a precious national resource, and as long as he does not get his own television show, America will remain stronger than Russia." (1991, xii)Awards and honors1978 – George Polk Award for Commentary1979 – Pulitzer Prize Winner in Commentary1983 – Pulitzer Prize Winner in Biography1993 – Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement1998 – George Polk Award for Career AchievementsBaltimore City College Hall of Fame ReferencesExternal linksBaker author page from New York Review BooksBaker article archive from New York Review BooksAppearances on C-SPAN


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Russ Baker is an award-winning investigative reporter with a track record for making sense of complex and little understood matters-and explaining it to elites and ordinary people alike, using entertaining, accessible writing to inform and involve.

Over the course of more than two decades in journalism, Baker has broken scores of major stories.

Bush’s and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns; the efficacy of various proposed solutions to the failed war on drugs; the poor-quality televised news program for teens (with lots of advertising) that has quietly seeped into many of America’s public schools; an early exploration of deceptive practices by the credit card industry; a study of ecosystem destruction in Irian Jaya, one of the world’s last substantial rain forests.

Baker has written for The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Nation, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Village Voice and Esquire and dozens of other major domestic and foreign publications.

Throughout his career, Baker authored or edited over a dozen books, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir "Growing Up."

Pulitzer Prize Recognition

Baker was recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. He was a columnist for The New York Times from 1962 to 1998, and hosted the PBS show Masterpiece Theatre from 1992 to 2004.

I can't bear to look at myself. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the book vividly depicted the challenges and triumphs of his formative years.

"School vs. The couple had four children, Allen, Kasia, Michael, and Phyllis.Baker died at his home in Leesburg, Virginia, on January 21, 2019, after complications following a fall.

In 1986, Baker returned to Virginia and settled in Leesburg.

Baker produced a variety of other writing while he worked for the Times. They had three children. The Forbes Media Guide Five Hundred, 1994 stated: "Baker, thanks to his singular gift of treating serious, even tragic events and trends with gentle humor, has become an American institution."BackgroundBorn in Loudoun County, Virginia, Baker was the son of Benjamin Rex Baker and Lucy Elizabeth (née Robinson).

russ baker bio

He has also served as a contributing editor to the Columbia Journalism Review. Citing Socrates, Baker believed teachers should not force knowledge upon pupils but instead guide them in discovering their own potential.

Legacy and Influence

Critic Neil Postman praised Baker as a "fourth-century Roman" whose wit and social commentary provided valuable insights into the decline of American society.

In 1954, he returned to the United States and became the Washington, D.C., bureau chief for the New York Times. Education" Essay

  • Legacy and Influence
  • Russell Baker: Pulitzer Prize-Winning American Author

    Early Life and Education

    Russell Baker was born into a family of three children in Morrisonville, Virginia.

    He argued that the primary aim of conventional education was to please examiners rather than nurture students' innate abilities.