Jon Atack asked if I would write down something about the name “Jonnie Goodbugger” that Omar Garrison came up with for L. Ron Hubbard. Atack spelled it Johnny Goodbugger, but I believe it should be Jonnie, after Jonnie Goodboy Tyler. In October 1980, right after Garrison signed his contract to write the LRH biography, I gave him a copy of Hubbard’s manuscript for Man the Endangered Species, which was published in 1982 as Battlefield Earth. The hero in the book is the humanoid stone age … [Read more...] about Goodbugger
Archives for November 2016
Speaking up about Fair Game
The day after emailing my comments and corrigenda (below) to HarperCollins and Steve Cannane, I emailed him again because I had just received the paper edition he had sent me: Dear Steve: Fair Game has arrived. Thanks very much. Further to my fact correction of the book, please also see this recent correction of Jon Atack/Tony Ortega’s fact errors relevant to areas you discuss in Fair Game: http://gerryarmstrong.ca/archives/1832 Regards, Gerry Cannane emailed me and said he is on … [Read more...] about Speaking up about Fair Game
Journalists and Me; Tony Ortega, May 2013
On May 29, 2013, Tony Ortega published a review of Marty Rathbun’s book Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior.[1. http://tonyortega.org/2013/05/29/marty-rathbun-builds-his-warrior-legend-in-new-memoir/comment-page-1/ ]Ortega had by then left The Village Voice and started his own blog dedicated to Scientology news and history. From 1982 to 2004, Rathbun had been, according to his own sworn statements, David Miscavige’s second in command and directed Scientology’s “extensive, ongoing security, … [Read more...] about Journalists and Me; Tony Ortega, May 2013
Journalists and Me; Tony Ortega, Village Voice, July 2012
On July 28, 2012, Tony Ortega published an article in The Village Voice about John Brousseau, whom I had known in the Sea Org. Brousseau apparently mentioned me in an interview with Ortega, who added an aside about the L. Ron Hubbard biography project. Knowing Hubbard's track record for veracity, however, Brousseau still has fond memories of his time with the man. “The dude was a regular guy. I've read everything about his life. He made mistakes, I get it. He definitely embellished things. … [Read more...] about Journalists and Me; Tony Ortega, Village Voice, July 2012