Jon Atack escaped Scientology, but then he got himself into much deeper trouble

Not long after we started this website in 2012, we reached out to a person we had long admired who had written one of the greatest books about the history of Scientology. Jon Atack was one of those authors who had not only escaped Scientology to then write about it, but he had done so when exposing Scientology was a much riskier proposition.

His book, A Piece of Blue Sky came out in 1990, and he was also a key source for Russell Miller’s 1987 book, Bare-Faced Messiah, which, for our money, are the two best books ever written on the subject.

But in 2012, where was Jon Atack? It turned out he was taking something of a break from speaking out about Scientology after literally decades being harassed by the organization. We were stunned and grateful when, after we sent him some entreaties, he once again took up his quill and began writing for the Bunker.

He then took to YouTube, where he’s been putting out critical assessments of Scientology for years, and we’ve highlighted many of his videos here.

And then, in 2020, Jon began putting out a short series of very different videos.

They were about love poetry.

He and Pamela Davies wanted to tell the world about how they had managed to meet and fall in love during the pandemic, which had made meeting new people less than ideal.

In three videos, this adorable couple related how they managed to find each other and how they had each expressed themselves in verse. Truly, it’s an inspiration.

And we’re very disappointed that we were unable to be in attendance this weekend as the two tied the knot in Nottingham.

Karen de la Carriere made the trip, and she tells us the ceremony was as unique as these two intellectually inspiring people. She says that about 200 people came from seven different countries for the event, and that some of them included names we would know.

Karen said she spent a lot of time with Steve Hassan, for example. (And our thanks to Karen for sending over some photos.)

Karen also got to meet Bonnie Woods and her husband Richard. Bonnie went through a legendary fight with Scientology in the 1990s, and she talked about it recently with Jon in one of his recent videos.

Well, we’re very envious. And we only hope we get a chance to go over there and meet Pamela for ourselves.

Poets taking vows! Maybe the world’s not ending after all.

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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history

Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea

Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time

Past is Prologue: From this week in history at alt.religion.scientology

Random Howdy: Your daily dose of the Captain

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