JONESTOWN’S 35TH ANNIVERSARY and PUBLIC CURIOSITY
We are running towards the 35th anniversary of Jonestown. Thirty-five years ago this November, we lost 918 wonderful and dedicated people. A new interest in Peoples Temple and all things Jonestown is underway. Just within these past few weeks, I have been on the Ricki Lake show, and I will appear at Puget Sound University, California State University – San Marcos, Western Washington University and Fresno Pacific University. I will also speak to libraries, Quaker venues, and other communities. Today, I was contacted by a 17-year-old Irish student about an on-line interview. I ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR – Appearing on the Ricki Lake Show Mid-February, 2013
JONESTOWN SURVIVOR: An Insider's Look author will be taping an appearance on The Ricki Lake Show next Wednesday, February 6, 2013. Leslie Wilson, a good friend, a fellow survivor, and the author of SLAVERY OF FAITH will be on the show with me. The show will air two to three weeks after this taping. It should be very interesting!
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR and Author in Martin Luther King Parade
Yesterday, I had the joy of participating in the San Diego Martin Luther King Parade. The minute I walked into the staging area, I felt like I was at home, and that I was exactly where I needed to be at that moment. It just washed over me in a wave. I marched as a Quaker, with the San Diego Vets for Peace, behind their lovely dove. I felt the same when I watched the Inauguration speeches and parade today. I AM SO VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! We struggle in our democracy ...
» continue readingJonestown Survivor Wishes you a Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! We Kohls finished 2012 and started 2013 the way we like to live – in an exciting and fascinating way! We traveled to India, visiting the homeland of Raul’s birth parents – the Punjab. We incorporated every conceivable mode of transportation over the past two weeks. We flew to Istanbul and then on to Delhi. We traveled by foot, by pedi-cab, by “auto”-cab, by horse-and-carriage, by train, and by an arranged tour-guide/driver. Once we arrived in Delhi, we had time to travel all around the city to visit historical sites, and Sikh Temples. ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR at Escondido Public Library February 25, 2013
Monday, February 25, I will present a Book Talk about JONESTOWN SURVIVOR: An Insider's Look at the Escondido Public Library at 6 p.m. Please come! I will talk about my life - surviving several nearly impossible events - with pictures from Peoples Temple.
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR WRITES: The 34th Anniversary of Jonestown
The 34th Anniversary of Jonestown This past weekend, I flew up to the Bay Area for the 34th anniversary of Jonestown – November 18, 1978. This year, there was no big event or program planned. Some of us were in touch and planned to gather about three in the afternoon, and then move on to a dinner together. We also planned ahead to Monday to work in the California Historical Society in San Francisco, indentifying photos. CHS has the largest archive of Peoples Temple documents, photos and other memorabilia. I had been involved, notifying the survivors ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR – OUR 34TH ANNIVERSARY
Hi all, On Sunday and Monday, some of us gathered at Evergreen Cemetery, went to dinner nearby, and spent time again at California Historical Society on Monday. It was a small group, but wonderful. I added some photos here and have more. If you attended and want to share your photos - that would be great too. When I am with other survivors and family members, I feel like I am "at-home" - no pretenses, just deep friendship. I have a lot of friends but it is hard to describe the difference. I read somewhere once that ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR Shares Her Story
One Wonderful Part of being a JONESTOWN SURVIVOR For nearly the first twenty years after I survived the deaths in Jonestown, Guyana, I didn’t tell close friends or acquaintances about my decade in Peoples Temple. My fellow residents in the Synanon community knew, as they had seen me drag myself in the door after my very rocky first year home, trying to survive in San Francisco. I couldn’t talk about it without sobbing, and I didn’t want the inevitable questions, or possibly scorn, from those who found out. That was true for my first ten years in Synanon, ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR Looks at Women in Peoples Temple and Synanon
Peoples Temple and Synanon – Modern Communities: The Role of Women by Laura Johnston Kohl PRESENTATION OCTOBER 2012 AT ONEIDA COMMUNITY, COMMUNAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE During the two decades from 1970 until 1990, I was a resident of the two modern residential communities of Peoples Temple and Synanon, both of them controversial and unique. I am the only one from either community who experienced them both. In this paper, I will compare and contrast the leadership styles of both, including the role of women. I will share the thoughts from my fellow survivors of Jonestown, and fellow ex-members of Synanon. In conclusion, I ...
» continue readingJONESTOWN SURVIVOR: An Insider’s Look – on amazon
I have wonderful news! My book JONESTOWN SURVIVOR: An Insider's Look is in a great rank on amazon.com. About my printed paperback book, I get this message: This format of "Jonestown Survivor: An..." is currently ranked #116,056 out of over 8,000,000 books. What a wonderful day!
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