Guyana Punch Drunk

Terrific piece by Robert Marshall on Salon about how very disturbing Carlos Casteneda became after the success of The Teachings of Don Juan: fabricating stories about himself, hiding from journalists who might catch him in his drugs-and-ancient-wisdom hoax, cultivating diehard followers, devising a pseudo-religion/corporation.

L. Ron Hubbard, anyone? David Koresh? How about the Rev. Jim Jones?

If the comparisons seem extreme, consider: According to Mr. Marshall, some of Castaneda's closest female followers, his "witches," disappeared soon after his death. Possible suicides.

At their heart, I've often found something decidedly creepy in the novels of Bruce Wagner -- and I don't mean their portrayal of Hollywood as shallow, cold-hearted and self-obsessed. What a surprise that turns out to be. No, it's the cruelty: His books share the same will-to-power his worst characters evidence. You're either in or out, hip or square.

So to learn how close Mr. Wagner was to Castaneda's inner circle is ... not really all that surprising.