Peoples Temple in the Arts

art page splashA number of musicians, writers, dramatists, and filmmakers have completed – or are still working on – many creative projects which consider the people of Peoples Temple and the events in Jonestown. The articles below describe those projects, introduce the creative forces behind them, and consider how they perceive their own work.

  1. Arts and popular culture notes
  2. The Art of Peoples Temple
    1. Peoples Temple Art Exhibit Opens at SDSU, by Robert Ray
    2. A Review of the Art of Jonestown, by Edward Cromarty
  3. Books and writing projects
    1. Children of Paradise Published
      1. Poetic Faith: A Review of Children of Paradise: A Novel, by Annie Dawid
      2. Children of Paradise: A Book Review, by Matt Fulmer
    2. New Book Goes Beyond Façade of “Official Version”, by Will Savive
      1. Savive Book a Compelling and Controversial Read, by Mark Gallaga
    3. A Boyish God: A Review, by Laura Johnston Kohl
    4. Before White Night: A Book Review, by Matt Fulmer
    5. No Changing Lanes: The Reissue of The Strongest Poison, by Matthew Thomas Farrell
    6. Jonestown Manuscript Sees Partial Publication, by Annie Dawid
    7. Real History vs. Popular History: A Fresh Look at Jim Jones, by Jeff Guinn
    8. No More White Saviors: Jonestown and Peoples Temple in the Black Feminist Imagination, by Sikivu Hutchinson
    9. Novella to arise from Peoples Temple Research, by Tayla Boote
    10. Update on And Then They Were Gone, by Judy Bebelaar and Ron Cabral
    11. Jonestown Survivor Becomes an Audio Book, by Laura Johnston Kohl
  4. Performing arts
    1. Heaven Down Here: Peoples Temple chamber opera, by Andrew Jamieson
    2. Words Fail: Reflections on Writing Jonestown: A Multimedia Chamber Opera, by Evan Williams
  5. Film & documentary
    1. Jonestown as Sacrament
      1. The Sacrament: Art Imitates Life, Part 665, by Matthew Thomas Farrell
      2. Horror or Horrible: A Review of The Sacrament, by Katherine Hill
    2. Travel Documentary of Three Guianas Includes Jonestown, by David Whalen
    3. The Shattered Glass of Jonestown, by Melissa Thrasher
    4. Jonestown for Gen-Y: Reconstructing the Narrative, by Christian Hartsock
    5. Beautiful Revolutionary: A TV Drama, by Laura Elizabeth Woollett