Russell (Wayne) Baker - Early years, Description, Notable quotations

Journalist, born in Loudoun Co, Virginia, USA. Starting as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun, he joined the New York Times in 1954. In 1962, based in Washington, DC, he launched his ‘Observer’ column, with its wide-ranging, generally humorous observations on politics and life. He won a 1979 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, and a 1983 Pulitzer Prize for his best-selling first volume of reminiscences, Growing Up.

Russell Wayne Baker (born August 14, 1925) is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning writer known for his satirical commentary and self-critical prose.

Early years

Baker was born in Morrisonville, Virginia.

Description

Neil Postman, in the preface to Conscientious Objections, describes 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. 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) He received his Pulitzer Prizes for the New York Times "Observer" column he wrote, and for his memoir entitled Growing Up.

Notable quotations

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Russell Baker "The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultimately defeat him." "I gave up on new poetry myself thirty years ago, when most of it began to read like coded messages passing between lonely aliens on a hostile world."