It’s a story of resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. Jamie Mustard, author of the new memoir “Child X,” joined us to share his harrowing story of being born into Scientology, growing up in “the movement”, his daring escape and his rise into self-possession.
Born into one of the most influential fringe movements in the 1970s–Scientology–Jamie was raised on a mythos of spaceships and made to believe that it was his life’s purpose to help save the world. He was determined to survive not only neglect but also the impossible physical and psychological gauntlet of extreme poverty and illiteracy. The book is a dark existential journey into a deepest hole of human existence and the road back. With wit and vulnerability, Mustard sheds light on one of the untold, but not uncommon, accounts of a powerful Black family that rose from the ashes of slavery to prominence and wealth, and how the counterculture of the 1960s and 70s caused that rise to crumble. This deeply personal true story gives a child’s-eye view of one of the most notorious American religious movements in history. Despite his family’s success, Jamie would be born a slave and then reborn an artist. Through extraordinary encounters with celebrity, icons, and historical figures, it also powerfully places Black American history in the larger context of world events.
Book Event for “Child X”Tuesday, July 29 at 7:00pmPowell’s City of Books, 1005 West Burnside, Portland
For more information, visit Jamie’s website.