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Garbage People: The Trip to Helter-Skelter and Beyond With Charlie Manson and the Family
Book by Gilmore, John, Kenner, Ron
Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
5 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
About the author
John Gilmore
80 books38 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
John Gilmore was born in the Charity Ward of the Los Angeles County General Hospital and was raised in Hollywood. His mother had been a studio contract-player for MGM while his step-grandfather worked as head carpenter for RKO Pictures. Gilmore's parents separated when he was six months old and he was subsequently raised by his grandmother. Gilmore's father became a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer, and also wrote and acted on radio shows, a police public service (the shows featured promising movie starlets as well as established performers like Bonita Granville, Ann Rutherford, the "jungle girl" Aquanetta, Joan Davis, Hillary Brooke, Ann Jeffreys, Brenda Marshall and other players young John Gilmore became acquainted with. As a child actor, he appeared in a Gene Autry movie and bit parts at Republic Studios. He worked in LAPD safety films and did stints on radio. Eventually he appeared in commercial films. Actors Ida Lupino and John Hodiak were mentors to Gilmore, who worked in numerous television shows and feature films at Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Universal International studios. During the 1950s, through John Hodiak, Gilmore sustained an acquaintanceship with Marilyn Monroe in Hollywood, then in New York, where Gilmore was involved with the Actors Studio, transcribing the lectures of Lee Strasberg into book form. Gilmore performed on stage and in live TV, wrote poetry and screenplays, directed two experimental plays, one by Jean Genet. He wrote and directed a low-budget film entitled "Expressions", later changed to "Blues for Benny." The film did not get general release but was shown independently. Gilmore eventually settled into a writing career; journalist, true crime writer and novelist. He served as head of the writing program at Antioch University and has taught and lectured at length.
John Gilmore was born in the Charity Ward of the Los Angeles County General Hospital and was raised in Hollywood. His mother had been a studio contract-player for MGM while his step-grandfather worked as head carpenter for RKO Pictures. Gilmore's parents separated when he was six months old and he was subsequently raised by his grandmother. Gilmore's father became a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer, and also wrote and acted on radio shows, a police public service (the shows featured promising movie starlets as well as established performers like Bonita Granville, Ann Rutherford, the "jungle girl" Aquanetta, Joan Davis, Hillary Brooke, Ann Jeffreys, Brenda Marshall and other players young John Gilmore became acquainted with. As a child actor, he appeared in a Gene Autry movie and bit parts at Republic Studios. He worked in LAPD safety films and did stints on radio. Eventually he appeared in commercial films. Actors Ida Lupino and John Hodiak were mentors to Gilmore, who worked in numerous television shows and feature films at Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Universal International studios. During the 1950s, through John Hodiak, Gilmore sustained an acquaintanceship with Marilyn Monroe in Hollywood, then in New York, where Gilmore was involved with the Actors Studio, transcribing the lectures of Lee Strasberg into book form. Gilmore performed on stage and in live TV, wrote poetry and screenplays, directed two experimental plays, one by Jean Genet. He wrote and directed a low-budget film entitled "Expressions", later changed to "Blues for Benny." The film did not get general release but was shown independently. Gilmore eventually settled into a writing career; journalist, true crime writer and novelist. He served as head of the writing program at Antioch University and has taught and lectured at length.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 4, 2023
I’ve read most books written about Charlie and the Family. This is a good one that gives more directly-quoted detail than others of its caliber.
I had just read John Gilmore’s book, Severed, about Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, which is one of THE best true crime/biographies I’ve read to date, so when I saw he had also written Garbage People, I HAD to read it, as well.
It amazes me how Gilmore was able to obtain such in-depth quotes from so many people connected to both cases for his books. Really incredible. Although… I will say that, for Garbage People, trying to read pages of direct quotes from people who have taken WAY too many LSD trips was a bit difficult, BUT… it gives the reader a really good idea of the state of minds that were being dealt with at the time. Yikes.
I will also say that I THOUGHT I had read all of the details Susan Atkins had given about the murders, especially in reference to Sharron Tate’s murder. Either I had blocked some of the more horrific parts out, or Gilmore was able to obtain the full version, but I had to put the book down at that point because it was so unbelievably shocking. If it were read on a podcast today, it would get a big trigger warning.
I also found out SEVERAL other things about some of the other key and peripheral members of the Family that I didn’t know, which I won’t say to avoid “spoilers”. I hate to use that word in this case because we are talking about innocent people’s and their friends’ and families’ lives, but there you are.
If you are intrigued by Manson, the Family, how all of this happened, and the pure phycology behind all of it but have never read anything about any of it, I wouldn’t recommend this to be your first book. I would begin with Helter Skelter (although, it’s full of bias, untruths, purely fictional bits, and was made quickly to make money off the coattails of the case because no one was doing much fact checking back then, and Bugliosi knew it and knew he could create a sensational book) and work my way through the books in the order in which they were published. They get more factual and detailed as the years went by.
SIDE NOTE
*I’ve been fascinated by Manson, the Family, and what all transpired since I can remember. My parents were married on August 9, 1969, so I’ve always connected their wedding anniversary to the beginning of the Tate/LaBianca murders. They probably wouldn’t appreciate that, but I’ve just always thought it was unfortunate and kind of interesting that they fell on the same day. Also, I still have my dad’s first edition copy of Helter Skelter.
Growing up in the the 70’s when a LOT of bad things were happening as a result of wars and political happenings, including the breaking off of some people into cults, I’ve always been intrigued by how cult leaders and political leaders like Hitler can hypnotize and sway others so successfully. It’s both terrible baffling AND bizarrely simple when you begin to strip away the layers of the individuals; both the leaders and the followers.
I had just read John Gilmore’s book, Severed, about Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, which is one of THE best true crime/biographies I’ve read to date, so when I saw he had also written Garbage People, I HAD to read it, as well.
It amazes me how Gilmore was able to obtain such in-depth quotes from so many people connected to both cases for his books. Really incredible. Although… I will say that, for Garbage People, trying to read pages of direct quotes from people who have taken WAY too many LSD trips was a bit difficult, BUT… it gives the reader a really good idea of the state of minds that were being dealt with at the time. Yikes.
I will also say that I THOUGHT I had read all of the details Susan Atkins had given about the murders, especially in reference to Sharron Tate’s murder. Either I had blocked some of the more horrific parts out, or Gilmore was able to obtain the full version, but I had to put the book down at that point because it was so unbelievably shocking. If it were read on a podcast today, it would get a big trigger warning.
I also found out SEVERAL other things about some of the other key and peripheral members of the Family that I didn’t know, which I won’t say to avoid “spoilers”. I hate to use that word in this case because we are talking about innocent people’s and their friends’ and families’ lives, but there you are.
If you are intrigued by Manson, the Family, how all of this happened, and the pure phycology behind all of it but have never read anything about any of it, I wouldn’t recommend this to be your first book. I would begin with Helter Skelter (although, it’s full of bias, untruths, purely fictional bits, and was made quickly to make money off the coattails of the case because no one was doing much fact checking back then, and Bugliosi knew it and knew he could create a sensational book) and work my way through the books in the order in which they were published. They get more factual and detailed as the years went by.
SIDE NOTE
*I’ve been fascinated by Manson, the Family, and what all transpired since I can remember. My parents were married on August 9, 1969, so I’ve always connected their wedding anniversary to the beginning of the Tate/LaBianca murders. They probably wouldn’t appreciate that, but I’ve just always thought it was unfortunate and kind of interesting that they fell on the same day. Also, I still have my dad’s first edition copy of Helter Skelter.
Growing up in the the 70’s when a LOT of bad things were happening as a result of wars and political happenings, including the breaking off of some people into cults, I’ve always been intrigued by how cult leaders and political leaders like Hitler can hypnotize and sway others so successfully. It’s both terrible baffling AND bizarrely simple when you begin to strip away the layers of the individuals; both the leaders and the followers.
January 27, 2021
Notable for being the place, in those pre-internet times, where I first saw the morgue photos. Terrible. Now they’re in my head forever.
December 1, 2008
I have a copy of the original book, published years ago.
It's tough to read (as it doesn't flow well) but interesting if you are a Manson/Helter Skelter fanatic as I am. Written from a sympathetic point of view, it elicits several new details from the Manson Family.
It's tough to read (as it doesn't flow well) but interesting if you are a Manson/Helter Skelter fanatic as I am. Written from a sympathetic point of view, it elicits several new details from the Manson Family.
September 18, 2007
The best book by far on Manson and "The Family" -- unlike "Helter Skelter," it's not sanctimonious, unlike Ed Sanders' "The Family," it doesn't go for the creep out factor.
June 29, 2012
Gilmore is a great author and this book offers more insight on the Family. Not the same info from Helter Skelter, which I liked.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews