Fresh Air, Jon Krakauer, Richard Turley, and Chiwetel Ejiofor

By: Terry Gross

Narrated by: Terry Gross

Length: 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

Writer Jon Krakauer talks about his new book about Mormon Fundamentalism, Mormon practitioner Richard Turley and Nigerian-born actor Chiwetel Ejiofor on this edition of Fresh Air. Jon Krakauer is the author of the book Into Thin Air about the disastrous Mt Everest Climb in 1996 in which eight climbers were killed. His new book Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith is about Mormon fundamentalism and the story of the two Lafferty brothers who murdered a woman and her infant daughter because - they insist - they had received a revelation from God to do so. Krakauer reports there are some 40,000 Mormon fundamentalists in the American West, Canada and Mexico. They practice polygamy and answer to "prophets" who control their lives. The Mormon Church does not recognize fundamentalists as part of their faith. Richard Turley is managing director of the Family and Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in the new Stephen Frears's film Dirty Pretty Things. Ejiofor plays an immigrant former doctor who now must make his living in London as a cab driver and hotel clerk. Ejiofor graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He won the Outstanding Newcomer award in the London Evening Standard Awards 2000. He recently completed a sell-out run at London's National Theatre as Christopher in Blue/Orange. (Broadcast Date: July 30, 2003)

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