Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology

[YankeeFan]

Lawrence Wright in the New Yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright?currentPage=all

 

[Double Down]

Lawrence Wright is an unbelievable journalist. I wonder if that Miscavige guy is full or uncontrollable rage right now.

The level of reporting that story required makes my head spin.

 

[geddymurphy]

Fantastic work.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Took me the bulk of my afternoon to read this -- time well spent. It printed out at 50 pages but was riveting from start to finish. To anyone who hasn't read the three-part St. Pete Times series referenced throughout the article, that is also spectacular work.

Those are some freaks there. And I'm convinced that if Haggis hadn't gone public, he might have died in some kind of "accident" already.

 

[JayFarrar]

Well that's a National Magazine Award winner.

Fantastic work and as previously noted, the amount and level of reporting is amazing.

I wonder how many of the magazine's lawyers read it before publication?

 

[hondo]

I hate Haggis. All that sheep stomach and stuff.

 

[Small Town Guy]

It was in the mail today so will be settling in to read it tonight. I saw that it was 25,000 words long. The tidbits I've seen, sounds epic.

 

[Alma]

What do you say to this? What can you say?

 

[Alma]

Well that's a National Magazine Award winner.

Fantastic work and as previously noted, the amount and level of reporting is amazing.

I wonder how many of the magazine's lawyers read it before publication?

Won't matter. The New Yorker will still probably get sued.

 

[YankeeFan]

Well that's a National Magazine Award winner.

Fantastic work and as previously noted, the amount and level of reporting is amazing.

I wonder how many of the magazine's lawyers read it before publication?

Well, they at least tried to check their facts...


@gabrielsherman Gabriel Sherman

Larry Wright tells the New Yorker podcast that the magazine sent 971 factchecking questions to the Church which caused "a major stir."

 

[slappy4428]

I saw that it was 25,000 words long.

That's a grocery list for Wright Thompson.

 

[Double Down]

Love the part where they catch the Church lying about Hubbard's medical records, and show him in a photo wearing medals that hadn't even been created yet. Somewhere, some Hollywood actor or producer is reading this tonight and having some serious doubts about his/her life, right?

 

[Small Town Guy]

My wife will occasionally tell people she's a Scientologist, just to see their reactions. Especially when evangelicals are pestering her about whether she's saved or Catholics grill her for thinking it's okay for people to use condoms. Most people just stop talking and often change the subject.

 

[slappy4428]

Love the part where they catch the Church lying about Hubbard's medical records, and show him in a photo wearing medals that hadn't even been created yet. Somewhere, some Hollywood actor or producer is reading this tonight and having some serious doubts about his/her life, right?

Probably not.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Love the part where they catch the Church lying about Hubbard's medical records, and show him in a photo wearing medals that hadn't even been created yet. Somewhere, some Hollywood actor or producer is reading this tonight and having some serious doubts about his/her life, right?

Probably not.

Yeah. If they're buying the part about their bodies being the reconstituted remains of a civilization that lost an intergalactic war 75 million years ago, a little clerical mixup in a photo is going to be an easy sell.

 

[BYH]

I just started reading it, but I loved this line: "And, given that some well-known Scientologist actors were rumored to be closeted homosexuals..." Big giant screaming WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOM AND JOHN line there.

 

[TheShou]

Wonder how Larry dealt with Scientology's thugs harassing him night and day while he was working on this piece.

You know they were.

 

[Small Town Guy]

Wonder how Larry dealt with Scientology's thugs harassing him night and day while he was working on this piece.

You know they were.

I think he said his experiences with swimming parents helped him deal with Scientologists.

 

[TheShou]

Wonder how Larry dealt with Scientology's thugs harassing him night and day while he was working on this piece.

You know they were.

I think he said his experiences with swimming parents helped him deal with Scientologists.

Tell me, sports writer, what are your crimes?

 

[YankeeFan]

@gabrielsherman

Larry Wright tells Terry Gross on Fresh Air that to his knowledge the NYer has never committed as much factchecking resources to one story



@NewYorker The New Yorker

Lawrence Wright talks about his piece on Scientology on @nprfreshair: http://n.pr/fPy9rl