Nuel Emmons, "Manson in His Own Words" (1986).

Considering my fascination with the dark side of the human psyche, one might suppose that I had studied the case of Charlie Manson. Until this past week I hadn't. Sure, I was familiar with the basic facts of his crimes. But there was always so much sensationalism surrounding "the Manson Family" that I was simply discouraged from reading about him. For all intents and purposes I considered him a piker when it came to being "evil". Indeed there has never been any conclusive evidence that he killed anyone with his own hands. From all accounts Manson gave the orders to have people murdered, but it was his followers that committed the deeds. Why was it then, that so many people looked up to him as some kind of counterculture hero? I always suspected that it had something to do with the way the media mythologized him. It turns out that my intuition was most likely correct.

Certainly I've been aware of Vincent Bugliosi's true crime classic pulp- Helter Skelter (1974). He was the D.A. who prosecuted Manson, and his book became the accepted authority on the Tate-Labianca murders. He painted Manson as a messianic figure of true evil, and claimed that he ruled over his "family" of 25-35 young men and women with absolute power. Manson's motive was said to be to provoke a race war, wherein black people would prove triumphant against the white race. After that, the Manson Family was to come out of their desert hiding place and seize power over all creation. All this was said to be inspired by the Beatles- and this contention was the source of Bugliosi's title. In the wake of the trial and the release of Helter Skelter, Manson was branded "the most dangerous man alive". And the only reason that he was alive was that he and his followers had their death sentences commuted when the state of California outlawed the death penalty.

Well then... was all of this true? They made a movie out of Bugliosi's account... so many assumed that it was beyond reproach. I'd probabably accept the story unquestioned had I not found a copy of Nuel Emmons Manson in His Own Words: The Shocking Confessions of the Most Dangerous Man Alive (1986). When I saw it on the racks of the discount bookstore I was shocked. I didn't even know that such a book existed. I decided to plunge in, and I finished it in about 48 hours. It's a fascinating and well-written work. Emmons originally met Manson in the late 50's as they were incarcerated together at both Terminal Island and McNeil Island . In 1979, Emmons once again initiated contact with his fellow inmate, and convinced him to participate in setting the record straight. Over many visits spanning a period of years, Emmons took down Manson's story of his childhood, his many prison sentences, the formation of the "family" (which Manson refers to as the "circle"), and the infamous crimes.

Before Charlie Manson went through his final trial, he had spent over half of his life behind bars. In Manson in His Own Words, the man himself is quoted describing himself as follows- "I ain't never been anything but a half-assed thief who didn't know how to steal without getting caught." He was abandoned as a child, and spent his early years being shipped around from relatives to strangers. He had a terrible awakening to the worst life had to offer when he was placed in a home for juvenile delinquents. In and out of jail for years, he spent time as a hustler, a fugitive, a burglar, a pimp and an amateur musician. He fathered two children and was abandoned by several women. During the late 60's he established himself in California during the height of the flower-power era.

It was during this time he began to assemble a group of wayward young adults- mostly women who he slept with. He bought a van, and then a school bus, and traveled around with his companions... taking drugs, playing music and having lots of sex. When his little community got too large for the road, he established a home at the Spahn Movie Ranch (near Los Angeles). He spent time with a large cast of characters including bikers, heads, freaks, celebrities and drifters. Eventually he formed contacts with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and some other L.A. entertainment contacts. He worked on his music with the goal of breaking into stardom. There's some reason to believe that success was in his grasp. He was even recorded by music industry insiders.

Eventually things began to turn bad for the "family". Running out of funds, they turned to selling drugs in order to raise money. This fateful decison initiated a chain of events that resulted in paranoia, dissent, and increasing violence. As things turned from bad to worse, Manson tried to reassert his hold over the flock. But his promising music career took a nosedive, and things became progressively desperate. It was during this time that the murders occurred. Manson's retelling of that time comes off as straightforward and reasonably honest. He makes no excuses for the crimes, but points out that members of his "family" offered their ideas and acted on their own volition as well as his instructions. While he says he felt responsibility for the well-being of his "kids", he vehemently denies having any supernatural control over them. The weight of leadership corrupted him, and things got out of hand. Even while in prison, people increasingly looked toward him for guidance. To this day fanatical supplicants offer to do his bidding from afar.

Manson in His Own Words is almost entirely convincing. The raving madman that he portrays for the perpetuation of the myth that the media has created is wholly absent from this book. He is self-deprecating, and demonstrates ample insight into his life and circumstances. A lot of his commentary on his interactions with society make sense. This book seems to explain much of the mystery behind the Manson phenomena. It reads as if Emmons got the true story. But the puzzle remains. Manson himself has denied authorship of Manson in His Own Words. What does that mean? Perhaps he has something to gain by keeping the mythical Manson alive and free? I guess it's up to the reader to decide.