Greetings, subscribers. We’re celebrating Undertow’s 7th birthday this month. I started by giving away seven copies. That was fun! Within five days, all copies were scooped up by interested folks near and far.
Also, this month, on November 18th, is International Cult Awareness Day. For more information, visit the website about that day here.
Why November 18th?
Forty-five years ago, on November 18, 1978, more than 900 people died by suicide or murder under the influence of one of the most extreme cult leaders of our time, Jim Jones. He perpetrated that horrifying tragedy in Jonestown, Guyana.
At the time, I was a leader with my former husband for The Way International, what we believed was a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry. Thankfully, our leader, Victor Paul Wierwille, was not as outwardly extreme as Jim Jones. I was shocked by what happened to Jim Jones’ adoring followers, but was oblivious of this fact: many of us Way followers adored our leader and his teachings, as well. My book answers the question, “What harm could that possibly bring?”
A good description of a cult
This is from the above-mentioned website about November 18th:
“A group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control (e.g., isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, suspension of individuality or critical judgment, promotion of total dependency on the group and fear of leaving it…), designed to advance the goals of the group’s leaders, to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community.”
Also on that website, notice the bio of a cult exit counselor named Patrick Ryan. He wrote the following endorsement for Undertow, which appears in the front section of the book.
“This is a very personal and eye-opening exposé of the hidden world of life in a destructive group. It took great personal courage and strength for Charlene to break away and build a new life for herself and her daughter. A must read!” —Patrick Ryan, graduate of Maharishi International University, cult intervention specialist since 1984 at Intervention 101.com, and contributor to Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse, edited by Michael D. Langone, PhD
I’m further honored by support from the aforementioned author, Michael D. Langone, PhD, whose following comments appear on the back cover of Undertow:
“Charlene Edge writes with clarity and sensitivity. This memoir on her experiences in The Way International will help readers understand the subtleties and complexities of cultic groups.” —Michael D. Langone, PhD, recently retired Executive Director of the International Cultic Studies Association, retired editor of Cultic Studies Review and ICSA Today, and editor of Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse
How to get a copy of Undertow
Major booksellers sell paperback AND eBook copies of Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International.
List price: paperback ($24.95), eBook ($9.99).
You can also order Undertow at Indie bookstores and ask public libraries to order it. The book has an ISBN number and a Library of Congress control number.
The same is true for my second book: From the Porch to the Page: A Guidebook for the Writing Life. This features some of my poetry, a few short stories, and many essays about writing. It also includes an extensive chart showing Undertow’s long journey to publication.
Next blog post: Nov. 18. Returning to Earth Care articles by my friend, Peggy Sias Lantz
Thanks for reading!
Your writer on the wing,
Charlene
