[Fwd: Populism, Southern Fried with a Newmanite, Fulaniite, PJB Glaze]

Katha Pollitt kpollitt at thenation.com
Sat Nov 20 17:38:18 PST 1999


Michael Pugliese wrote:
>
> Received this in reply: ( y'all can insert the > in the right
> place, reformated from HTML to plain text)
> >Dear Michael,
>
> >Thanks for your note and your concern. I've personally >known and have very
> >worked closely with Dr. Fulani and Fred Newman since the >early 1990s in
> >both the electoral arena and in the theatre (with Newman) >and can assure
> >you (for whatever it's worth to you) that the stuff they put >out on them
> >are complete distortions -- which include many outright lies >-- of who
> they
> >are and what they do. Far from being the monsters and >psycho-weirdos that
> >the media paints them out to be, they're actually extremelly >decent,
> smart,
> >hard-working, and generous people.
>with this whole
> >Reform Party effort.
> >Regards,
>
> >Omar
> >(212) 870-2597
> >osa2 at columbia.edu

Well, I knew a bunch of neo-sullivanians back in the mid-70s. They were completely mad-- had broken with their parents and changed to unlisted phone numbers so their parents couldn't call them, had constant group therapy sessions and meetings to root out their desires to have their own clothes (you were supposed to share everything, efven socks and underpants) and lovers (you were supposed to have a new partner every night). If I'm not mistaken, Fred newman was their guru. The Village voice ran a good expose a couple of years ago, centering on an awful custody battle, whether one parent left the group and the one who stayed denied access to the child--even though the child was being raised by other people, so it wouldn't be damaged by its own parents.

My own experience with the Newmanites reinforced my belief that they were some kind of cult. They sent me free tickets for their drama group. the Fourth Wall Repertory Company, when I was lit ed of the Nation. So I went. it was ghastly -- not just because it was like watching a high school play (when your own kid is not performing) but because the whole idea behind it was that everything is Mom's fault, you must break with her, parents are the root of all evil etc. After the performance they called me INCESSANTLY to get me involved in their activities.

Katha



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