Dallas John Baker

Dallas John Baker (born Dallas John Angguish Baker on 19 February 1968) is an Australian writer and academic noted for poetry, short stories and travel writing whose work deals with themes of alienation, otherness and sexuality. He is also known as Dallas Angguish, the name he used as a performance poet beginning in the 1980s. He has been repeatedly compared to Truman Capote and to David Sedaris. Angguish, who is openly gay, has also written plays and screenplays some of which have been produced. He is known for a lyrical style that foregrounds feeling and the use of powerful descriptive passages. Due to his evocative short stories, he has been variously described as Truman Capote's literary heir and as reminiscent of Carson McCullers, the much lauded Southern Gothic writer. His prose poetry has appeared in the journals Text, Lodestar Quarterly, Retort Magazine and Polari journal. His short stories have appeared in the book anthologies "''Dumped''", "''Bend, Don't Shatter''","''Sensual Travels''" and others. His collection of memoir and travel writing "''Anywhere But Here''", released in February 2006, received very strong reviews. In particular Graeme Aitken of Australian gay magazine DNA wrote:

Dallas John Baker "was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and this collection of stories is a mix of travel tales, memoir and fiction. The first section of the book, set in America’s Deep South, confirm [his] talent. The stories are highly atmospheric, off-beat and absorbing. Some have gay content, but not all of them. Local readers will be interested in the final section of stories, set in Australia with locales ranging from Byron Bay to the Darling Downs. It’s refreshing to read new gay-themed Australian work that isn’t set in Melbourne or Sydney." The review also noted that Dallas John Baker "demonstrates an enviable flair for storytelling."

Baker published a second book of travel writing in 2011 titled 'America Divine: Travels in the Hidden South'. This book focuses on travel in the South of the US, particularly New Orleans. The book explores folk religion practices of the South including voodoo, Southern Hoodoo and snake-handling among other things. America Divine has been described as 'what you'd get if Victor Frankenstein made a new monster by splicing together body parts of David Sedaris, Truman Capote, Bruce Chatwin and just a bit of Djuna Barnes'. Another reviewer wrote that Angguish is 'an impressively skilled writer' and 'something of a strange genius'. The same reviewer later hailed Angguish as Truman Capote's literary heir. Provided by Wikipedia