From Academia to Infotainment: “Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre”

Infotainment and the Desire to Blame There have been some important works on the subject of Peoples Temple and Jonestown in fairly recent years; books and documentaries alike. It’s noticeable, however, that we still don’t want to see ambiguity, especially when it comes to responsibility and blame. We really don’t want to accept any diffusion …

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Congruent Mistakes

A Single Tree in a Forest I think that most of us who research Peoples Temple can’t help but make comparisons, noting the parallels between their 1970’s world and our 2020's world (Happy New Year, readers!). Often, it’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of losing too much of yourself in a charismatic leader - …

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Reflections and What I’ve Been Up To

Thought I’d give you all a small update on what I’ve been up to lately. As many of you know, I’ve been working on a book about Peoples Temple. In the midst of researching many writings, documents, audio, and the wealth of material that exists on the subject, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to …

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Q & A with Dr. Rebecca Moore

Over the past several months, I've corresponded with Dr. Rebecca Moore. In case you don't recall, she is the sister of Carolyn Layton and Annie Moore, who were prominent figures in Peoples Temple and in Jonestown (Check out the Jonestown category/tag to read previous posts on this topic). Dr. Moore is also the co-founder and …

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Where My Macabre Began: Charles Manson

At the age of approximately 15, my personal preoccupation with the true crime genre began, and it came about through my interests in music. At that time, I was discovering many of the "classics;" the likes of Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, and more. I was especially enamored with The Beatles; we're …

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Harbor Terrace, Part Four: Carl H. Drew

CW: DISCUSSION OF VIOLENCE *NOTE: STARRED NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED OUT OF RESPECT FOR THEIR PRIVACY. HAVEN’T READ PART THREE YET? READ IT HERE. "Surely many would find what we involved ourselves in, as objectionable." - Carl Drew Carl H. Drew grew up on a farm in New Hampshire. It's been very difficult to find much …

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Harbor Terrace, Part Three: Robin Marie Murphy

CW: Some discussion of violence, mentions of sexual violence Scroll to the bottom for a glossary of people in this story. *Note: Starred names have been changed out of respect for their privacy. Haven't read part two yet? Read it here. A Tough Girl Although 17 year old Robin Murphy would eventually serve as the …

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Harbor Terrace, Part Two: The Murder of Barbara Raposa

CW: Some discussion of violence Scroll to the bottom for a glossary of people in this story. *Note: Starred names have been changed out of respect for their privacy. Haven't read part one yet? Check it out here. Twenty year old Barbara Raposa's murder is typically discussed as a part of the same cluster as …

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Harbor Terrace, Part One: The Place I’ve Always Lived, and The Story I’ve Always Been Told

CW: Some Discussion of Graphic Violence Scroll to the bottom for a glossary of people in this story. *Note: Starred names have been changed out of respect for their privacy. Are you proud of your hometown? I have mixed feelings about mine. Certainly, there are many things about Fall River, Massachusetts that I'd consider positive …

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