Laura,

the challenge of keeping an autobiographical essay down to eight hundred words does not excuse irresponsible journalism. on a regular basis, more for myself than for audience, I keep a nonfiction online journal, I have some consciousness of those challenges, by the way.

your column does come across like an ad.

I lost sympathy with you when you showed awareness of the nature of Landmark and, still, knowing that, chose to have your column not reflect the fact.

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Soggydog
An awakening is a potentially life changing experience; mine have not come at summer camp or est, but in solitude, silence, choral singing and being present at bookends of others' lives.

That's my experience, too. As a hospice volunteer who's due to have a new niece or nephew in April, I love your phrase "bookends of others' lives."

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Acid Reindeer
On a regular basis, more for myself than for audience, I keep a nonfiction online journal, I have some consciousness of those challenges, by the way.

I hope I didn't sound insulting when I pointed out the need for essays to be focused. That's not how I meant it.

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Acid Reindeer
I lost sympathy with you when you showed awareness of the nature of Landmark and, still, knowing that, chose to have your column not reflect the fact.

Overall, the Landmark Forum was, for me, a fun and positive experience. My opinion piece was reflective of that. Having said that, I did mention to my editor on Friday that it probably would have been useful if I'd let people know somewhere in the essay (briefly) that I'd read up on the forum, knew about its controversial nature, and decided to go, anyway. I had a quick-turn-around deadline and was in a hurry. It happens. But because I thought this worth mention, I tacked a note to that effect to the end of the next column.

I would be grateful if someone would take it upon himself or herself to apologize to my publisher for the encouragement she got from members of this forum to call into question the mental health of one of her employees. That wasn't great for me.

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Soggydog
I wonder how Laura's letter was perceived by "outsiders" and her regular readers? Laura, can you offer me any examples of responses you've received so far that might help with this question?

I'll get back to you on this. I'm not sure I got any feedback except from people on this forum, but I'll do some research. A friend of mine who likes neurotic humor -- the one I asked to save me if I got "cultified" -- read it before publication and said it was "hilarious."

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Laura Marble

Overall, the Landmark Forum was, for me, a fun and positive experience. My opinion piece was reflective of that. Having said that, I did mention to my editor on Friday that it probably would have been useful if I'd let people know somewhere in the essay (briefly) that I'd read up on the forum, knew about its controversial nature, and decided to go, anyway.

Hi Laura,

You've used the same word that Landmark, the corporation and its spokesmen, use when referring to thirty-five years of trouble, bad PR, bad behavior, derision, criminal accusations, journalistic exposure, complaints by governments, agencies, and individual victims, and a shit-load of information that has come from insiders, ex-employees, and former followers. They like to dismiss this all with the bland and imprecise term, "controversy." The fact that you've picked up this bit of instant diminution, as though you were brushing off a fly, is indicative, to me anyway, that you might have also picked up other nasty viral bits. What do you think the ~possiblity~ of that might be? How familiar are you with the "viral" nature of this beast?


Ellen

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Laura Marble
I would be grateful if someone would take it upon himself or herself to apologize to my publisher for the encouragement she got from members of this forum to call into question the mental health of one of her employees. That wasn't great for me.

Laura, if we live by the sword, we die by the sword. As you have figured out, this forum is about exposing the real dangers of Landmark and other cultish organisations. No doubt you comprehended the humour of my last post.

Personally, I made no contact with your employer, but it does seem appropriate to advise your reading public and those who pay your wage of your shortcomings as a writer. Additionally, it would be prudent and sensitive of you to take into consideration the sincere comments by many here who have been directly and indirectly affected by cults and destructive organisations.

We are all accountable for our public admissions. So, when you say that you attended a Landmark forum with prior knowledge of its shortcomings, I ask: how much research did you really do?

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Laura Marble

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Acid Reindeer
On a regular basis, more for myself than for audience, I keep a nonfiction online journal, I have some consciousness of those challenges, by the way.

I hope I didn't sound insulting when I pointed out the need for essays to be focused. That's not how I meant it.

don't worry, I didn't take it that way.

I actually signed up with a username just to comment on this, because I find it interesting.

My reaction to the column - not being someone who is passionately interested in bringing down Landmark Forum but who does think it is suspect - was this:

I thought the column sounded sincere. Frankly, it creeped me out and I was surprised that the editor published it. If it was satire, it was unsuccessful satire, since it sounded so sincere.

But more than anything, it was incredibly self-indulgent. It was all about the columnist and how funny she maybe was or wasn't (but ultimately, pointing out that the readers have told her she's funny)...and regardless of Landmark Forum, I thought it was a conceited piece of crap masquerading as humility.

Then, the author comes on board here and spews more of her ego by noting how "intelligent and witty" she was trying to be, and how her anti-cult friend thought it was "hilarious" and how she is so experienced at writing columns and thus is exempt from mentioning all the problems with Landmark because it's only 800 words.

With all the ego flying around, I find an incredible disconnect in how she's presenting herself.

And the biggest clue someone has bought into Landmark is the plastic smile on their faces. The hollowness of their proclamations. The intellect creating a mask to cover up true emotions.

My feeling? She's either been sucked into the cult of Landmark, or is simply full of hubris in general. Either way, she's got an ego problem.

My 2 cents.

These comments by Laura Marble are coming right out of the Landmark salespitch.
"I know its a controversy, but go and find out for yourself".
That is the trick, to get the people into the "tent" so they can work their LGAT persuasion on people. Landmark just wants to get people to come, so they can get their teeth into them.

As far as the column, you it made it sound like someone you knew talked you into going, not that you did your "research".
The column also read as a type of Ad to try to get people to consider going, almost like one of those Landmark Letters to someone in your life. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what it was.

Also, there is nothing "fun" about what Landmark is doing to people's minds. The fact that Laura does not mention anything about the deep persuasion going on at the Landmark Forum, is highly suspect.

So to be honest, this doesn't add up. It could be the criticism has caused some backtracking and spin-control.
But that is what happens with Landmark, the workplace advertising for Landmark causes people to lose their jobs, and the personal advertising causes them to lose their friends.

Lets see if Laura writes an article about the techniques of group and social persuasion being used by Landmark.

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elena

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Laura Marble

Overall, the Landmark Forum was, for me, a fun and positive experience. My opinion piece was reflective of that. Having said that, I did mention to my editor on Friday that it probably would have been useful if I'd let people know somewhere in the essay (briefly) that I'd read up on the forum, knew about its controversial nature, and decided to go, anyway.

Hi Laura,

You've used the same word that Landmark, the corporation and its spokesmen, use when referring to thirty-five years of trouble, bad PR, bad behavior, derision, criminal accusations, journalistic exposure, complaints by governments, agencies, and individual victims, and a shit-load of information that has come from insiders, ex-employees, and former followers. They like to dismiss this all with the bland and imprecise term, "controversy." The fact that you've picked up this bit of instant diminution, as though you were brushing off a fly, is indicative, to me anyway, that you might have also picked up other nasty viral bits. What do you think the ~possiblity~ of that might be? How familiar are you with the "viral" nature of this beast?


Ellen