Peoples Temple in the Arts 2016

Peoples Temple Band, Redwood Valley
Peoples Temple Band, Redwood Valley

A 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 Notes 2016
  2. Books and writing projects
    1. What’s In a Name?, by Jeff Guinn
    2. The Journey to Horrifyingly Wrong, by Sara Brody
    3. And Then They Were Gone Looks Toward 2017 Publication, by Jannie Dresser
    4. Blue Smoke and Mirrors: An Exploration of a Novelist’s Mind, by Arnold Ludwig
    5. Book Reviews
      1. Fictional Cults Lack Verisimilitude, by Annie Dawid
      2. Tim Stoen Publishes Marked For Death
        1. Review Essay: Tim Stoen, Peoples Temple, the Concerned Relatives, and Jonestown, by John R. Hall
        2. Marked for Death: A (jumping over the) Cliffs Notes review, by Matthew Thomas Farrell
      3. Eusi Kwayana Publishes A New Look at Jonestown
        1. New Book Offers First Guyanese Perspectives on Jonestown Tragedy: A Review, by Khaleel Mohammed
        2. Kwayana Book Captures Guyana – and Worldwide – Perspective, by Laura Johnston Kohl
      4. Eugene Mendonsa Publishes Jim Jones Is Alive
        1. Harlequin Romance Meets Stephen King Meets Jonestown, by Katherine Hill
        2. Jim Jones Is Alive: A Recapitulation, by Mark T. Gallaga
      5. Harmony: A Review, by Matthew Fulmer
  3. Film and Documentaries
    1. Black Women’s Film Confronts the Whitewashing of Jonestown, by Sikivu Hutchinson
    2. My Journey to Discover The Living Word of Peoples Temple

, by Richmond Arquette
    3. Temple Film to Focus on Stories of Vern Gosney and Larry Layton

, by Benjello Jacob
    4. Screenplay Moves Jonestown Story to Neighboring Suriname

, by Matthew Emma
    5. Guyanese Documentary Filmmaker Seeks Interviews, by Rotimi Paul
    6. A Filmmaker’s Odyssey into Jim Jones’ Heart of Darkness, by Christian Hartsock
    7. True Crime Series Offers Compelling Look at Jim Jones, by Juan Garcia
    8. Feature Film Still In Development, by Jeffery Keilholtz
    9. Horror Film Draws Upon “Cult” Tragedies: A Review of The Veil, by Fielding M. McGehee III
  4. Performing arts
    1. An Image That Thinks, by Mohammad Shojaei
    2. Jonestown: A Soundscape for Low Brass and Electronics, by Jacob Elkin
  5. Art
    1. The “Trouble in Jonestown” Painting, by Mary Lou Springstead
    2. Jonestown Art as Therapy for Emotional Abuse, by Beth Houghtaling
  6. Podcasts
    1. Historians’ Podcast Opens Temple Story to New Audience, by Ailsa Lung
    2. Transmissions From Jonestown: New Podcast to Feature Raw Audiotapes, by Shannon Howard