Posts Tagged ‘Autobiography’
JONESTOWN SURVIVOR – What’s Going On?
JONESTOWN SURVIVOR- What’s Going On? This has been a busy summer for me. I’ve traveled to Washington, D.C. (my birthplace), New York (my husband’s birthplace), San Francisco, Oakland, Visalia, Tijuana, and all over southern California. I have presented at libraries, senior centers, street fairs, and conferences. I have had a number of interviews related to my life (Peoples Temple, Woodstock, Black Panthers, and/or Synanon) for documentaries, newspapers, blogtalk radio, and research projects. When I am not taking care of that, I am an activist. I do work on making the world a more sane place for all of us. I am politically ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR Answers High-Schooler’s Questions
Questions from Grace D, a high school Junior in an AP History class in Washington: 1. What was your relationship with other members like in the 1970's? And, I read you are still on contact with other members, what is your relationship like with them today? From the time I first passed through the doors of the Peoples Temple building in Redwood Valley, I found meaningful and delightful friendships with the diverse membership in Peoples Temple. People were genuinely thoughtful and caring. One of my favorite parts of the Temple then was the feeling of being in an “adopted family” with people ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR – Writes Some Tankas
I am an educator in my life, other than speaking and writing about Peoples Temple and being a Jonestown Survivor. In one of my recent classes, my good friend Mel Takahara came and presented a few form of poetry to my students. He introduced a Tanka. A Tanka is a 31-syllable, 5-line poem, with syllables 5-7-5-7-7. My students have had very tough lives with some of them homeless, some in and out of foster homes during their whole lives, and many other painful and difficult life experiences. They wrote amazing Tankas, which my friend will publish for them. Here ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR – A new book
I’LL BE WRITING ANOTHER BOOK For the past few years, since I “retired” from a career teaching middle school in California, I have thought about writing a second book. I do a lot of writing now. I create six or seven articles for the annual Jonestown Report, several monthly blogs on my website, www. Jonestownsurvivor.com, a monthly article in my local progressive bilingual newspaper Alianza North County, and, papers for conference/university presentations. Those writing pieces cover a wide range of topics, and they are fun and current. I see myself continuing those. But, there is still some “unfinished business” for me. I ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR: Where does Jonestown fit into the Historical Perspective of the Millennialist, Apocalyptic, and Utopian Intentional Communities?
JONESTOWN SURVIVOR PRESENTS: Where does Jonestown fit into the Historical Perspective of the Millennialist, Apocalyptic, and Utopian Intentional Communities? COMMUNAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION PRESENTATION - I sent in my Abstract for the scholarly paper I will present in Salt Lake City in October. Call for Papers 2016 Conference Theme: Anticipating the End Times: Millennialism, Apocalypticism, and Utopianism in Intentional Communities October 6–8, 2016 Salt Lake City, Utah.Deadline for Submission of Paper and Session Proposals: May 15, 2016 Where does Jonestown fit into the Historical Perspective of the Millennialist, Apocalyptic, and Utopian Intentional Communities? I will present a brief overview of these Intentional ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR Answers questions from College Student
A college student who is studying Peoples Temple sent me these questions. Here are my answers to him: Here is my BRIEF response to your questions – it took me a whole book to tell it. What was it like being part of Peoples Temple? What was Jonestown like? How did being a part of Peoples Temple change me as a person? Was being a part of something like Peoples Temple a good or bad thing? What was it like being part of Peoples Temple? I was delighted by the family feel with all races and ages and economic levels – a real melting pot. I had ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR Responds to High School Students’ Questions
JONESTOWN SURVIVOR Responds to questions from high school students preparing for a National History Championship. I always answer questions from students and curious people of all ages when they have taken the time to write to me about Peoples Temple. Here I have responded to ten questions: What compelled you to join the Peoples Temple? I was in high school and college in the 1960s. In high school in Maryland, I was part of an integrated group that helped integrate a huge local amusement park – I felt that our society had been divided far too long. I also watched many of my ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR Meets February 2016 with Travel Plans!
February is moving in! I will be teaching the next two weeks - finishing up a long-term subbing job in a 6th grade Language Arts and Social Studies class (which I LOVE!) and I will be heading to Washington State in two weeks. As a Jonestown Survivor: An Insider's Look author and public speaker, I will speak in classes and at a public setting at Puget Sound University in Tacoma, and then in the Friday Harbor library. And, I will meet up with my good friends living in Washington. GREAT! Let me know if you are in the area!
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR Describes Life in a Cult
JONESTOWN SURVIVOR was interviewed by Tami Urbanek - here is the link: http://www.spreaker.com/user/journeyfortruth/journey-for-truth-jonestown-cult-mass-su_1 Laura Johnston Kohl grew up in the 1960's, witnessed-from afar- the deaths of Martin Luther King and JFK, and spent time with the Black Panthers. She yearned to make a difference in a violent world and Jim Jones, leader of the Peoples Temple cult, was calling her. What was it like in the Peoples Temple and how did she survive the over 900 people mass suicide of 1978? Why did she join another cult after Jonestown? Listen to her story, why she was there, and the warning signs of ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR Radio/Internet Interview
I was interviewed by Tami Urbanek of Empowerment Through Healing Here are the links: Spreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/user/journeyfortruth/journey-for-truth-jonestown-cult-mass-su_1 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/tamiurbanek-radio/jonestown-cult-mass-suicide-survivor Please share! Tami Urbanek Empowerment Through Healing Making New Choices to Create a New Reality Universal Education Foundation, 501 (c) (3) Listen to Journey For Truth on demand on Spreaker.com
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