Julia Scheeres

“This here is: JESUS LAND”

— Julia Scheeres

My parents subscribed to both Time and Newsweek and in 1978, I remember the covers of both that December were of the…

— Julia Scheeres

I didn't fit into the Christian college my parents sent me to. I felt tarnished by tragedy, between my brother's death and…

— Julia Scheeres

Escuela Caribe preyed upon parents' fears of secular culture to recruit students. Parents could send their kids to a place where they'd…

— Julia Scheeres

Jonestown was supposed to be a great socialist experiment, a place where all the evil "isms" would be eradicated: racism, sexism, elitism.…

— Julia Scheeres

Jim Jones used highly-edited videos and photos of Jonestown, showing what a supposed Eden it was. People were interviewed smiling and working…

— Julia Scheeres

I only wish my brother David had survived to experience Berkeley as well. No one would flinch here if we were to…

— Julia Scheeres

“Seems we can never just be brother and sister like in other families. Our whole lives, people have felt an urge to…

— Julia Scheeres

That's why I think it's important to revisit the story of Jonestown. I hope readers come away with a greater compassion for…

— Julia Scheeres

In my view, the problem with many conservative Christian parents is that they won't allow their children to have a different worldview…

— Julia Scheeres

I was working on a satirical novel about a charismatic preacher who takes over a small Indiana town. Then I remembered Jim…

— Julia Scheeres

Jim Jones wanted his people to believe the establishment was trying to kill him because whites were threatened by his message of…

— Julia Scheeres

“As we paint each other's nails Cinnamon Vixen, I consider telling her how bad things are at home. After she and Dan…

— Julia Scheeres

“One of the most popular genital surgeries is labia minora reduction. When a similar procedure is performed on healthy girls in some…

— Julia Scheeres

There were several parallels between Jonestown and Escuela Caribe. Both places used isolation to control a large group of people and censored…

— Julia Scheeres

“It was 1970, and America was scarred by racial violence. Civil rights leaders had been gunned down in the streets, and communities…

— Julia Scheeres

As kids, my brother David and I longed for acceptance. We were desperate to belong. We would have been thrilled to see…

— Julia Scheeres

I spent so much time at Escuela Caribe denying my true emotions and avoiding conflict that I became unsure of what my…

— Julia Scheeres

What better way to control your kid than by sending her to a compound on an island in the middle of the…

— Julia Scheeres

“So much for the famous 'Hoosier hospitality.' When we moved to our new house, no one stopped by with strawberry rhubarb pie…

— Julia Scheeres

Before I went to Escuela Caribe, my parents showed me the school's brochures featuring smiling kids at the beach or on horseback.…

— Julia Scheeres

“It's just after three o'clock when we hit County Road 50. The temperature has swelled past ninety and the sun scorches our…

— Julia Scheeres

Life may not be fair, but when you have someone to believe in, life can be managed, and sometimes, even miraculous.

— Julia Scheeres

“The first time it happened, I laid there marveling at the beauty of it, wondering why God would forbid such bliss when…

— Julia Scheeres

“Neither of us uttered a word about what happened. We never do. But I can't smudge it from my mind. The farm…

— Julia Scheeres