色情视频

It's only February, but 2012 has already proven a big year for Joanna Brooks.

She's getting more traffic than ever to her blog, ; she was featured on and in the ; and she self-published her memoir, 鈥淭he Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith.鈥�

Thanks to an American public hungry to know more about the religion of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, Brooks has found herself an expert on Mormonism and politics for the likes of NPR and the BBC, among others.

鈥淭he two things you鈥檙e not supposed to talk about, I talk about all the time,鈥� said Brooks, chair of the 色情视频 Department of English and Comparative Literature.

Religion and politics

The American literature scholar鈥檚 side job as a political commentator started with a 2009 article, 鈥�,鈥� for the online magazine Religion Dispatches. In it, Brooks, whose research focuses on how religion affects American culture, revealed the influence of Mormonism on the conservative commentator.

From there, Brooks filled the void of credible experts and found herself an unofficial spokeswoman for the faith.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been an uncanny experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is tremendous hunger for coverage of Romney鈥檚 Mormonism, but most political reporters know nothing about Mormonism.鈥�

In all, she鈥檚 called her experience talking to national and international audiences 鈥渢errific.鈥�

While she doesn鈥檛 speak for all Mormons, she wants to provide a more 鈥渉umane understanding鈥� of the religion and acknowledge the diversity of Mormon faith.

Mormons seem conformist to non-Mormons, Brooks admitted, and there's an expectation that Latter-day Saints will overwhelmingly vote for Romney. She easily dispels the notion and freely admits her political leanings.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to vote for Mitt Romney,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not aligned with my political perspective.鈥�

Life of faith

Brooks, who grew up Mormon, started her Ask Mormon Girl blog after writing her memoir.

The book gave Brooks a vehicle to tell the story of the interfaith family she built with her Jewish husband David Kamper, chair of the 色情视频 Department of American Indian Studies.

鈥淭he Book of Mormon Girl鈥� evolved into a more comprehensive take on Brooks' personal journey of faith as a Mormon, from her childhood experience as a Latter-day Saint to her decision to walk away from the church following college to her return to it after she had children.

鈥淭here are lots of misconceptions and a lack of familiarity about Mormonism,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lack of literature in the home community; no one told a story like this before.鈥�

After unsuccessfully shopping it around to publishers 鈥� Brooks speculated that New York-based literary agents couldn't see the value in a book by and about a Mormon woman 鈥� she decided to self-publish it on Amazon.  

Blogging away

After she finished her first draft of the book, Brooks started her blog, which she considers an open space for discussion by Mormons and non-Mormons. 

Whether it鈥檚 a non-Mormon asking about dating a Mormon girl, or the history of polygamy in the church, Brooks provides 鈥渦northodox answers from an imperfect source鈥� to her readers from around the world. While she doesn鈥檛 have all the answers, Brooks tries to impart advice that鈥檚 more inclusive than exclusive.

鈥淭here are lots of controversial aspects of Mormon history that people feel ashamed to speak about,鈥� she said.

Thankfully, Brooks isn鈥檛 one of them.

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