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Meeting Manson An Uneasy Journey into an All-American Nightmare
Once upon a time Rolling Stone contributing editor Erik Hedegaard became the last mainstream media journalist to interview Charles Manson in the flesh.
But the story he wrote for RS in 2013 didn’t begin to capture the strange and lingering effect Manson would have on his life.
Now, in this Audible Original, you’ll hear about the making of that story, including audio of the phone calls Hedegaard received from Manson on a regular basis, interviews he conducted with Los Angeles District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi, as well as conversations he had with Manson Family members including Bobby Beausoleil, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, and then-Manson-girlfriend Afton Elaine Burton. Hedegaard revisits Manson’s forgotten career as a musician, Rolling Stone’s own history in mythologizing Manson "as the most dangerous man alive", and the various theories as to why so many "lost girls" found themselves in Charlie’s web and committed such brutal acts of violence.
But what makes Meeting Manson a remarkably different listen is the pain and vulnerability that Hedegaard reveals after Manson touches him on the arm. Hedegaard bravely explores how he felt both pleased and haunted by the touch of a mass murderer—and how it even changed his life. For a time.
Fifty years after one of the most senseless crimes in history, hear one of America’s best storytellers share a Manson narrative unlike any you’ve ever heard before.
But the story he wrote for RS in 2013 didn’t begin to capture the strange and lingering effect Manson would have on his life.
Now, in this Audible Original, you’ll hear about the making of that story, including audio of the phone calls Hedegaard received from Manson on a regular basis, interviews he conducted with Los Angeles District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi, as well as conversations he had with Manson Family members including Bobby Beausoleil, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, and then-Manson-girlfriend Afton Elaine Burton. Hedegaard revisits Manson’s forgotten career as a musician, Rolling Stone’s own history in mythologizing Manson "as the most dangerous man alive", and the various theories as to why so many "lost girls" found themselves in Charlie’s web and committed such brutal acts of violence.
But what makes Meeting Manson a remarkably different listen is the pain and vulnerability that Hedegaard reveals after Manson touches him on the arm. Hedegaard bravely explores how he felt both pleased and haunted by the touch of a mass murderer—and how it even changed his life. For a time.
Fifty years after one of the most senseless crimes in history, hear one of America’s best storytellers share a Manson narrative unlike any you’ve ever heard before.
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Published August 31, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 17, 2020
I am not a big reader of Rolling Stone and I am embarrassed to admit I have never read any Erik Hedegaard, but after Meeting Manson I'm going to be on the hunt for his other work.
This is, without doubt, the most convincing work I have ever read (heard) about Charles Manson.
The key to that is Hedegaard's willingness to let us in on his own abuse, and his fearlessness when it comes to his personal feelings for Charles Manson. The former isn't the same abuse Charlie suffered -- Erik's not from the same social class as Charlie and what he suffered was more physical than mental -- but they were both abused by their mothers, and Hedegaard's abuse puts him squarely in the position of "there but for the grace of god go I." But Hedegaard adds to his parallel with Manson by revealing the latter: that in his first face to face meeting with Manson, the tiny, strange, Hippie Svengali soothed him in ways he'd never been soothed, couldn't be soothed, and that Charlie could literally, physically touch him in ways that no one else had ever been able.
Hedegaard's vulnerability is powerful, and it lends serious credibility to his investigations. He talks to Manson; he talks to the followers of Manson he can still access (from Squeeky to Bobby) and Manson's prosecutor and myth maker, Vincent Bugliosi; he delivers a fair assessment of Manson's musical talent (and, echoing Neil Young, he comes down positively); and he lets us into his personal phone calls with Manson, where we get to hear angry Mason, philosophical Manson, sad Manson, pathetic Manson, funny Manson, and even cool Manson. And he does it all with a striking neutrality when it comes to the "Manson Murders." Hedegaard presents all the theories. He lets us know what theory all the players support. He pokes holes in every version. And he leaves it all up to us, even while we know that somewhere in all of those possibilities there is the version Hedegaard believes in himself -- but he never goes so far as to share his choice.
That is true journalism.
I will leave you with this thought: true crime is at its best when the writer is emotionally invested, and Meeting Manson should take its place with The Stranger Beside Me and I'll Be Gone in the Dark as a must read (/listen) for anyone interested in the genre.
This is, without doubt, the most convincing work I have ever read (heard) about Charles Manson.
The key to that is Hedegaard's willingness to let us in on his own abuse, and his fearlessness when it comes to his personal feelings for Charles Manson. The former isn't the same abuse Charlie suffered -- Erik's not from the same social class as Charlie and what he suffered was more physical than mental -- but they were both abused by their mothers, and Hedegaard's abuse puts him squarely in the position of "there but for the grace of god go I." But Hedegaard adds to his parallel with Manson by revealing the latter: that in his first face to face meeting with Manson, the tiny, strange, Hippie Svengali soothed him in ways he'd never been soothed, couldn't be soothed, and that Charlie could literally, physically touch him in ways that no one else had ever been able.
Hedegaard's vulnerability is powerful, and it lends serious credibility to his investigations. He talks to Manson; he talks to the followers of Manson he can still access (from Squeeky to Bobby) and Manson's prosecutor and myth maker, Vincent Bugliosi; he delivers a fair assessment of Manson's musical talent (and, echoing Neil Young, he comes down positively); and he lets us into his personal phone calls with Manson, where we get to hear angry Mason, philosophical Manson, sad Manson, pathetic Manson, funny Manson, and even cool Manson. And he does it all with a striking neutrality when it comes to the "Manson Murders." Hedegaard presents all the theories. He lets us know what theory all the players support. He pokes holes in every version. And he leaves it all up to us, even while we know that somewhere in all of those possibilities there is the version Hedegaard believes in himself -- but he never goes so far as to share his choice.
That is true journalism.
I will leave you with this thought: true crime is at its best when the writer is emotionally invested, and Meeting Manson should take its place with The Stranger Beside Me and I'll Be Gone in the Dark as a must read (/listen) for anyone interested in the genre.
January 6, 2022
"Once upon a time Rolling Stone contributing editor Erik Hedegaard became the last mainstream media journalist to interview Charles Manson in the flesh.
But the story he wrote for RS in 2013 didn’t begin to capture the strange and lingering effect Manson would have on his life.
Now, in this Audible Original, you’ll hear about the making of that story, including audio of the phone calls Hedegaard received from Manson on a regular basis, interviews he conducted with Los Angeles District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi, as well as conversations he had with Manson Family members including Bobby Beausoleil, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, and then-Manson-girlfriend Afton Elaine Burton. Hedegaard revisits Manson’s forgotten career as a musician, Rolling Stone’s own history in mythologizing Manson "as the most dangerous man alive", and the various theories as to why so many "lost girls" found themselves in Charlie’s web and committed such brutal acts of violence.
But what makes Meeting Manson a remarkably different listen is the pain and vulnerability that Hedegaard reveals after Manson touches him on the arm. Hedegaard bravely explores how he felt both pleased and haunted by the touch of a mass murderer—and how it even changed his life. For a time.
Fifty years after one of the most senseless crimes in history, hear one of America’s best storytellers share a Manson narrative unlike any you’ve ever heard before."
But the story he wrote for RS in 2013 didn’t begin to capture the strange and lingering effect Manson would have on his life.
Now, in this Audible Original, you’ll hear about the making of that story, including audio of the phone calls Hedegaard received from Manson on a regular basis, interviews he conducted with Los Angeles District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi, as well as conversations he had with Manson Family members including Bobby Beausoleil, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, and then-Manson-girlfriend Afton Elaine Burton. Hedegaard revisits Manson’s forgotten career as a musician, Rolling Stone’s own history in mythologizing Manson "as the most dangerous man alive", and the various theories as to why so many "lost girls" found themselves in Charlie’s web and committed such brutal acts of violence.
But what makes Meeting Manson a remarkably different listen is the pain and vulnerability that Hedegaard reveals after Manson touches him on the arm. Hedegaard bravely explores how he felt both pleased and haunted by the touch of a mass murderer—and how it even changed his life. For a time.
Fifty years after one of the most senseless crimes in history, hear one of America’s best storytellers share a Manson narrative unlike any you’ve ever heard before."
September 7, 2020
I'm not sure what I thought I would get out of this, but I found much of it off putting. I appreciate the author's insight in to the subject matter and felt bad about the childhood physical and mental abuse the author went through and described, but felt weird listening to Manson play him through these phone calls (they also met in person). The retelling of the Helter Skelter murders and interviews with the cast of characters was review to me and didn't add anything in my opinion. Manson even admitted at the end of this that he was hoping the author, a Rolling Stone writer, would be able to portray him in a positive enough light to get him paroled (spoiler alert: it didn't work). Blech. Manson contradicted himself left and right about his roles in the criminal behavior of his "group". He came across as a conniving sociopath, which he was. And I didn't need to hear about his sex life in prison (spoiler alert: he's alone) or any of his opinions about ANYTHING. I'm guessing he felt irrelevant and was trying to remain relevant. A person unfamiliar with the Manson saga might get something out of this as you get a lot of Manson's background and the murders, hear from some of his cohorts firsthand, and get a feel of Manson's mind through the phone conversations.
October 25, 2020
This book was all helter skelter. It sort of covered the author's time covering Charles Manson while he was in prison, and it shared some of his recorded phone calls with Manson. But the phone calls were way too difficult to understand because of the bad audio quality. And then this book didn't seem to have any rhyme or rhythm to it. It jumped from here to there, no timeline, nothing. Definitely not recommended for people who aren't already well-acquainted with Manson's story.
September 18, 2020
Much like anything else concerning Manson, this was strangely fascinating and at times extremely creepy - not surprising, given that this contains numerous recordings of phone calls Manson made to the author. In addition to Manson's own voice, this short but quite intriguing bit of true crime offers a number of conflicting theories on the truth behind the murders and is based on interviews with a number of players involved in the case. Worth a listen if freaky killers are a topic you're interested in. (And let's face it: Who isn't?)
April 29, 2021
Iiiiick. Hearing Manson's phone conversations just left me feeling icky. But that's not why the 2 stars. The 2 stars because what even was this? What was the point? I've never heard of the author before and I just didn't see the point of this audiobook except for the author to say look at me I was "friends" with Manson. Maybe to show Manson's "side" of the story? Meh. Don't care. Doesn't matter if Bugliosi had it all right or not, Manson was still guilty guilty guilty.
May 9, 2021
Firstly, the narrator was excellent. The Authors story includes recordings of his conversations with Manson, over the telephone. It was interesting to hear Manson's voice. They even played a snippet of him playing the guitar and singing one of his songs. At the beginning we are told that the recordings of Manson were not of the highest quality(with reasonable explanation included) however, I was still able to pick up most of what he said, and just replayed the few other instances. I think it's important to note that the rest of the recording is of outstanding quality. I was impressed with the Authors willingness to share how he was personally effected by talking with Manson, and his insightfulness into other members of "The Family" He also spoke with Bulgleosie (Manson's prosecuting lawyer, in which we get to hear over the telephone, as well)Also included are a few telephone recordings of key characters in what happened in that summer of 1969) This isn't an INTERVIEW type of communication either, but rather has the feel of intimacy. The Author doesn't depend on the recordings to carry the experience, rather using them to set the stage. The author was allowed a personal visit with Manson, and had many calls that were not recorded, yet did a FABULOUS job of relating those experiences to us. So far, this is THE BEST of ANY, written or televised, narrative of Charles Manson I've ever experienced. There isn't any Groundbreaking new uncovered information, it isn't that type of book. Yet the other possible motives that have been mentioned over the years, and the Authors understanding of the feel of the country at that time, leads me to conclude it is more closely resembling the truth behind the actions of those people....as much sense as you can make out of senslessness anyway. I highly recommend this.
January 24, 2021
I’ve never been interested in Manson. He just seems like a lunatic. What has interested me about Manson is his acolytes – specifically, since I find nothing charismatic or mesmerizing about him, how is it that so many people were lulled into his thrall such that they were willing to commit murder on his behalf? I will say that Erik Hedegaard gives a flash of insight, specifically when he describes how he felt when Manson touched his arm. That being said, I still think Manson was just a pathetic psychopath. On the other hand, Hedegaard is a far superior writer to most who write in the true crime oeuvre. It really makes you think about how mediocre most true crime writers are when you read something that involves elevated prose. I’d definitely read more profiles written by Hedegaard, who is apparently a quite famous writer for Rolling Stone magazine.
March 26, 2021
This was upsetting for so many reasons. I go back and forth about what I think about Charles Manson, but mostly I find his case a tragedy. His first eight years of life must have been unimaginable -- drunken mother, absent father...from 8 years old forward, he was institutionalized for most of his childhood and adolescence - hopping from one brutally abusive institution to another until he finally landed in the justice system when he was 17 years old. He was in and out of prison, until 1971, when he was locked away forever for his part in the 1969 murders. 46 years later, he died in prison.
I can't make excuses for him. I won't. I'll just say this -- He was an animal. A sadistic, balls-to-the-wall psychopath - no question. He was an animal. But in his own words..."Of course I'm an animal. I grew up in a cage!"
He's right.
I can't make excuses for him. I won't. I'll just say this -- He was an animal. A sadistic, balls-to-the-wall psychopath - no question. He was an animal. But in his own words..."Of course I'm an animal. I grew up in a cage!"
He's right.
June 13, 2021
Summer 2021 (June);
NF Bingo Board - True Crime
Well, this was my first true crime thing ever and probably enough to completely convince me that my assumed-original take on the fact I wouldn't like reading true crime was proven true. This was short, but in-depth about Rolling Stones writer Erik Hedegaard's professional relationship with Manson as he was interacting with him, both hundreds of times on the phone, and rarely in person. It's very vulnerable, and there's a specific level of creepy to the fact there's so much of Manson's recorded phone conversation snippets.
This was a thing. I did that thing. I will likely not do it again except for challenges.
NF Bingo Board - True Crime
Well, this was my first true crime thing ever and probably enough to completely convince me that my assumed-original take on the fact I wouldn't like reading true crime was proven true. This was short, but in-depth about Rolling Stones writer Erik Hedegaard's professional relationship with Manson as he was interacting with him, both hundreds of times on the phone, and rarely in person. It's very vulnerable, and there's a specific level of creepy to the fact there's so much of Manson's recorded phone conversation snippets.
This was a thing. I did that thing. I will likely not do it again except for challenges.
April 15, 2024
I found this short audible book very interesting and fascinating to listen to.
I don’t know why it made me feel sad, I guess the reality of a long lost time hit me compared to the world we live in today.
The audio where Charles Manson speaks is indistinct - however this is pointed out in the beginning of the book.
I might listen to this book again therefore it would have been a 5 star review. Nevertheless I can’t give it 5 stars due to the audio with Manson as it’s quite difficult to hear what he is saying. It would be so awesome if the audio somehow could be cleared - that would definitely let me give it the last star for a 5-star review.
I don’t know why it made me feel sad, I guess the reality of a long lost time hit me compared to the world we live in today.
The audio where Charles Manson speaks is indistinct - however this is pointed out in the beginning of the book.
I might listen to this book again therefore it would have been a 5 star review. Nevertheless I can’t give it 5 stars due to the audio with Manson as it’s quite difficult to hear what he is saying. It would be so awesome if the audio somehow could be cleared - that would definitely let me give it the last star for a 5-star review.
October 2, 2020
This was included in my Audible membership as a free listen. Considering this, it was interesting, quick, and well worth my time. It really didn’t give a whole lot of additional insight into Manson, but was still thought provoking. I enjoyed listening to the recorded tapes of Manson even though sometimes they were hard to decipher. The opinions and experience of yet another writer/journalist is just something else to ponder and examine.
October 4, 2020
Having read Helter Skelter years ago this was ok. The narrator was fine.The audio clips of Charlie were a different touch. Nothing to write home about here.
Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've listened to multiple times. I'll update my review if I listen again.
Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've listened to multiple times. I'll update my review if I listen again.
October 27, 2020
An Uneasy journey into an all-American Nightmare. The title really captured my interest, but the book didn’t hold my interest for long. It’s more of a podcast type of book, with recorded phone calls from Manson in prison. I like to read scary/spooky books in October and it did hit that mark. Helter Skelter is the best account of this nightmare.
March 20, 2021
I think this was interesting to listen to. I don't think I've ever heard Manson's voice before. I was able to hear what Manson and the others were saying. The audio quality was not the best but I understood what they were saying and English is my second language.
I was surprised to hear Manson singing, he was actually pretty good.
I was surprised to hear Manson singing, he was actually pretty good.
August 28, 2021
I followed the story of Charlie and the murders as the details were revealed in the headlines and on TV news. It was interesting hearing the recordings from back then. Remember this was many years ago so don’t expect the recordings to sound perfect. I think that would have taken away the creep factor anyway.
September 8, 2020
Hearing Manson’s voice from the actual call recordings from prison was downright chilling. He is truly a genius madman, incapable of feeling remorse or thinking sliding a finger over a gun trigger with a man in front of it is violence.
September 14, 2020
An interesting book. The author seemed to waver between reverence and repugnance. I liked hearing the phone calls between Manson and Hedegaard. That was the most interesting part of the book for me.
March 18, 2025
Audible original audio.
On the disturbing side this! It shows Mansons magnetism that an educated author could get so drawn in by an elderly man.
The people back in the day couldn’t take such a measured approach as the author decided to latterly.
On the disturbing side this! It shows Mansons magnetism that an educated author could get so drawn in by an elderly man.
The people back in the day couldn’t take such a measured approach as the author decided to latterly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2020
Liked actually hearing Manson's own voice. Added to the experience. Was interesting to hear a few more details of Manson's life and times. I've listened to "Helter Skelter." Narrator did a good job.
September 28, 2020
Audible.
Very spooky.
Very spooky.
September 30, 2020
interesting to hear audio of Manson himself
October 6, 2020
3.5 stars. Creepy.
November 12, 2020
Hard to hear some of Manson's words and the whole thing seemed pointless.
December 20, 2020
Manson is terrifying and fascinating. The story is so tangled up in All the people connected that the facts get lost.
February 8, 2021
Glad Manson is gone.
March 1, 2021
It really seemed as though the author still idolized Manson. There was also very little details and research (presumably so people can have empathy for Manson). I don't.
August 6, 2021
5 stars for the author not the subject matter.
September 6, 2021
A frightening experience of one of America's most dangerous criminals.
September 29, 2021
The author seemed just as disturbed and troubled as Manson himself. A short pointless listen since the audio of Manson himself was hard to understand.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews