Under Construction

Let’s rip off this band aid… stuff has happened.  I used to write about Jonestown and Peoples Temple from the perspective of an outside onlooker, a rubbernecker slowing down on the highway to get a peek at a car wreck. Passing judgment from over here in my silo. I called myself out on that lack of …

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 …

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 - …

Forty One Years

On the sad anniversary that's coming up on November 18, it's hard to know what I, of all people, can bring to the table in terms of wisdom or insight when so many are offering all at the same time. It's not that there's nothing left to say. On the contrary, there is a lot …

Finding Goodness

In a previous article that I wrote about Jonestown, I honed in on the "Anonymous Letter," the suicide note thought to have been penned by Richard Tropp during his final moments before taking the poison. I was exasperated with him for the poetic, peaceful images his words evoked. I felt that he was fooling himself. …

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 …

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 …

Anger, Blame, Empathy, and Understanding in the Wake of Extreme Violence

CW/TW: Discussion of suicide and violence I felt compelled to write this opinion piece after recently reading Understanding Jonestown and Peoples Temple by Rebecca Moore, who is the sister of two prominent Temple members, Carolyn Layton and Annie Moore. After reading this book, I think that, in my anger over the death of so many …