#FridayReads, Jan. 18–“God Save the Mark,” Donald E. Westlake and “Going Clear,” Lawrence Wright
#FridayReads, Jan. 18–God Save the Mark, a wise-cracking mystery novel by the peerless Donald E. Westlake, featuring a naive young man who inherits a fortune from an uncle he never even knew of, and then tries to keep his hands on it, and away from the lurking no-goodniks who want to fleece him of his windfall. Westlake’s dialogue is street-wise, funny, and real.
Also, just starting to read Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & the Prison of Belief,Lawrence Wright’s careful dissection and, as the flap copy reads, “deep penetration” of a modern cult. One case Wright reports on is that of Kyle Brennan, a 20-year old whose tragic suicide may have been preceded by his father’s acquiescence to a Scientologist bigwig’s instruction to withhold from the young man medicine prescribed for him by a psychiatrist. The NY Times has already released a review of the book that will appear in this coming Sunday’s Book Review, by Michael Kinsley, who calls it “essential reading.” Should make for revelatory reading this weekend.
Dear Mr. Turner,
Thank you for writing about Lawrence Wright’s new book on Scientology. It is now in its second printing and will have the status of a classic. It is the one book everyone should read on Scientology.
I particularly appreciate your mention of Kyle Brennan. His death is the Scientology scandal no one is yet talking about.
Kyle died under very suspicous circimstances six years ago this coming February 16.
Wright refers to Kyle’s death as a suicide. It is more accurate to describe it as “an apparent suicide” as the Tampa Bay Times puts it.
Kyle’s fingerprints were found nowhere at the scene of his death including on the weapon purported to have killed him. The Clearwater Police failed to process a Gun Shot Residue test that could determine whether or not he was the one who pulled the trigger on the weapon that killed him.
In addition, there was no suicide note.
This is a violent death that took place in the heart of the Scientology Mecca of Clearwater whose truth is as yet not fully known.
Though one can quibble about
Wright’s use of words, he deserves high praise for the way he contextualizes Kyle’s death in Chapter Nine, which has a full account of Scientology’s War on Psychiatry, suspicious deaths in Scientology, and the accountability Tom Cruise and Davd Miscavige have avoided for them.
Kyle’s mother Victoria Britton will speak out for the first time publicly on the God Discussion radio show on Friday, February 15 – the eve of the sixth anniversary of Kyle’s death.
For background on Kyle’s susupicious death and his heroism in resisting Scientology’s eight-month-long attack on him for being in the care of a psychiatrist please consult the articles at Jusice For Kyle Brennan.
A comprehensive account is contained in the article “The death of Kyle Brennan as a 20-year-old Enemy of the Church of Scientology.”
Thanks again, and I hope you will post a review of Wright’s book once you have finished reading it.
Dear Justin, thanks for writing about Going Clear and Kyle Brennan’s death. I will continue reading Wright’s book and posting about it and Kyle Brennan as opportunities arise.