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 active, and I write about experiences as they come up in a local, bilingual monthly newspaper.
But now, deadlines approach! I have five articles that I want to write for the jonestown report, published by The Jonestown Institute. I have a four-hour OSHER class to prepare for at the University of Utah. It is listed as: People's Temple and Jonestown in the 1970s (OSHER 922) – See more https://continue.utah.edu/osher/class/osher_922_peoples_temple_and_jonestown_in_the_1970s#sthash.zRox9KG5.dpuf. I have a Communal Studies Association Conference scholarly paper to prepare on “Jonestown – Was it a ‘Millennial’ Intentional Community?” My OSHER class and the CSA Conference presentation will be in October, in Salt Lake City. And, in the meantime, I will continue to teach classes in the local schools, write my monthly newspaper article on timely subjects, support local refugees, and schedule more Book Talks around the country.
One of the biggest challenges I have is to find a venue for a 2019 Communal Studies Conference here in the Bay Area. I pitched it to the other Board members of the CSA – now I have to put it together into a cohesive plan.
My life is full and rich. I am surrounded by my friends from Peoples Temple, Synanon, Quakers, fellow activists, fellow teachers, and an awesome family. I am a very lucky person.