Archived Site: Jonestown Survivor

Information Concerning this Archived Site

Source: https://jonestownsurvivor.com (Inactive)

This is the archive of a large website of articles and blogs published in conjunction with the book, Jonestown Survivor: An Insider’s Look. The book and all the material in this archive were written by Laura Johnston Kohl, a member of Peoples Temple who survived the tragedy in Jonestown by being in Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown on 18 November 1978.

Following the twentieth anniversary of the Jonestown tragedy, Ms. Johnston Kohl became a prolific writer and active public speaker, work she continued to do until shortly before her death on 19 November 2019. She also made herself available to family members of those who perished in Guyana and scholars who try to understand the calamity of the ending. Finally, she was a generous contributor of articles and remembrances for the Alternative Considerations site, all of which may be found here.

In the interest of preserving the information from her site for future generations of Jonestown scholars and researchers, the managers of this site obtained permission from Laura’s husband Ron Kohl to archive her work in its entirety. Both the archive and the book itself are published with his permission.

BOOKS and Recommended Resources

My book:  JONESTOWN SURVIVOR: An Insider’s Look, available in print, eBook, Kindle,

     audio formats

My website:  www.jonestownsurvivor.com

My facebook page: Jonestown Survivor An Insider’s Look

 

Best collection of writings: the jonestown report, published by the Jonestown Institute

Photos: www.flickr.com Peoples Temple Photogallery, divided into albums

Best site: http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/ at the Alternative Considerations of Jonestown &

     Peoples Temple

Best documentary: JONESTOWN: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (Stanley Nelson,

     American Experience)

Best Theater Production: The Peoples Temple (Leigh Fondakowski)

Other books by Peoples Temple survivors:

Slavery of Faith, Leslie Wagner-Wilson

Jonestown Lullaby: Poems and Pictures, by Teri Buford O'Shea

Seductive Poison, Deborah Layton

The Onliest One Alive: Surviving Jonestown, Guyana, by Catherine H. Thrash and

     Marian Kleinsasser Towne

 

Books, that I recommend, by wonderful family members and friends:

Understanding Jonestown and Peoples Temple, by Dr. Rebecca Moore

Peoples Temple and Black Religion in America, by Dr. Rebecca Moore

A Lavender Look at the Temple: A Gay Perspective of the Peoples Temple, by

     Michael Bellefountaine (posthumously) and Dora Bellefountaine

Dear People: Remembering Jonestown, edited by Denise Stephenson of California

     Historical Society

Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones, by Tim Reiterman

A New Look at Jonestown: Dimensions from a Guyanese Perspective by

     Eusi Kwayana

The Road to Jonestown, by Jeff Guinn

Here are the upcoming publications and productions I know about, that seem likely to happen (out of the 20+ "in the works").

1.  A  trip of 15 survivors going back to Jonestown in the Spring – firm plans will be released later this month

2.  A biographical video about Stephan Jones

3.  I mini series about the life of Jim Jones and Peoples Temple – likely 9 or more segments

4.  a program about women in PT

5.  a Program about activists joining PT

6. At least three books are in the works by survivors

7. A number of books are in the works by researchers, media folks, etc.

8. A re-enactment made along the lines of "The Raven" by the airstrip survivor and newspaper man Tim Reiterman – with      Martin Scorsese as the newly contracted Director

DVD/MOVIE

JONESTOWN: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, published through American Experience for PBS, directed by Stanley Nelson and Nolan Walker.

LOCATION

California Historical Society, 678 Mission Avenue, San Francisco.  CHS has an extensive collection of Peoples Temple artifacts, original documents, and photos.  Call ahead and speak to the archivists to set up an appointment.

PHOTOGRAPHS

There are over 1,400 photos posted on flickr.com/peoples temple photo gallery.  The photos are best accessed by viewing sets.

THEATER

The Peoples Temple, written and directed by Leigh Fondakowski.  This play has appeared at the Berkeley Repertory, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the American Theater Company in Chicago, and the Perseverance Theater in Juno, Alaska.  It is also performed by local community theaters and was recently presented at Napa Valley College in California.

WEBSITE

https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/ – this website publishes the annual Jonestown Report and is a rich source of all kinds of information.  There is a Speakers’ Bureau listed on the site also.

www.synanon.org – this website posts information and wonderful photos from Synanon, where Laura lived for ten years, met her husband, and became a mother to Raul.

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