Kelly Jeanette Baker (born August 1980) is an American writer.

Early life and education

Baker was born in August 1980 in Marianna, Florida. She earned an Associate of Arts from Chipola College. Baker completed a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies at Florida State University (FSU). She earned a Master of Arts in American Religious History from FSU. Her 2003 master's thesis was titled Henry Ossawa Tanner: Race, Religion, and Visual Mysticism. Her advisor was John Corrigan.^[1] She completed her Doctorate of Philosophy in American religious history at FSU in 2008.^[2]

Career

As a graduate student, Baker began writing for a public audience as a contributing editor^[3] at the nascent Religion in American History blog.^[4][5] From 2007 to 2009, she was a lecturer at University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College where she taught religious studies and humanities. From 2010 to 2013, Baker was a lecturer of religious studies and an affiliated faculty member of American and global studies at University of Tennessee. She began her career as a freelance writer in 2013.^[2] In 2016, Baker started as the editor of Women in Higher Education.^[5][2]

Baker is a commentator on higher education, sexism, and religion and its intersections to race, class, gender, and violence.^[5]

Personal life

Baker resides in Marianna, Florida with her husband and three cats,^[1] As of 2019^[update].^[6]

Selected works

Books

• Baker, Kelly J. (2017). Gospel According to the Klan: The KKK's Appeal to Protestant America, 1915-1930. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 9780700624478.^[7]
• Baker, Kelly J. (2017). Grace Period: A Memoir in Pieces. Blue Crow Publishing, LLC. ISBN 9781947834040.^[8]
• Baker, Kelly J. (2018). Sexism Ed: Essays on Gender and Labor in Academia. Raven Books. ISBN 9781947834224.^[9]
• Fruscione, Joseph; Baker, Kelly J. (2018). Succeeding Outside the Academy: Career Paths Beyond the Humanities, Social Sciences, and STEM. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 9780700626885.
• Baker, Kelly J. (2020). The Zombies Are Coming: The Realities of the Zombie Apocalypse in American Culture (Revised and Expanded ed.). Blue Crow Books. ISBN 978-1947834491.
• Baker, Kelly J. (2020). Final Girl: And Other Essays on Grief, Trauma, and Mental Illness. Blue Crow Books. ISBN 9781947834514.