Friday, August 30, 2013

Lulu's thoughts on paper!


For all you Leslie Van Houten fans out there, I have found a one-of-a-kind item on the weird, morbid website murderauction.com.

What I am talking about is a hand-written journal written by Leslie Van Houten when she was in Sybil Brand jail awaiting trial for the LaBianca murders. Here are a few excerpts:

First, there was the carny, Bobby (Beausoleil), wearing a tight striped T-shirt with no sleeves and tight, worn jeans withheavy boots. His face was that of a pretty-boy, yet there was ruggedness. His arms were firm and muscular. He captured my heart at once. The next was a young gypsy woman who carried herself proud and showed in her face that life was an exciting, unplanned game. Her hair was jet-black, long, wavy and wild. It hung about her neck and shoulders as if to say,"Come touch me". Her clothing was a loose muslin tapestry, pants with large tulips and leaves flowing in patterns. They hung loose around her hips and underneath was a tight black leotard which showed off her thin waist and firm, round bosom. Around her head she wore a shawl that matched her pants and put an air of innocence upon her. To me, she seemed so perfect. I wanted to be friendly, but my own negative thoughts of myself prevented too much friendship. Later, as I began to see I also was beautiful, as everyone is, we became closer than close. The third one had frizzy blonde hair that reached to the middle of her back. Her face had a devilish grin on it, almost searching for some mischief. Freckles popped out on her nose and gave her the look of a little girl who was always into something. She wore a short red dress gathered at the top. It was patterned in small white roses and had long sleeves. A tiny tear was in the dress that one suspected was there from her tomboying around. She wore button-up boots that put her in the time of the twenties. Her body was long and lean with tiny little breasts. These two appeared complete opposites yet were the best of friends. To see these people, I first was quite jealous. After all, they were so free and here I was completely miserable. My first idea was to escape from them and that's just what I thought I did. I hurried into my car and drove all the way to Big Sur. My heart was sick, I wanted so much to be free and pretty like they were. I didn't even enjoy Big Sur. I found out you can't escape yourself. On the way home, I kept hoping they had gone. However, I returned, and they were still there. It was almost as though fate had planned it.

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Our magic carpet was a white pick-up with the insignia," Randy Starr and His Stuntmen", with a horse's head on the side. That's just what we were, a wonderful stunt show, bringing fun wherever we ventured. Gypsy and I rode in the back with the cargo. She didn't seem to mind that Bobby wasn't giving her heaps of attention and was moving in on new territory. She would look into my eyes, I would look into hers. Our hands would meet and give gentle little squeezes as if already knowing we were to become each other and experience much together.

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My first sight of the family was at night, up in the creek a ways at the Spahn Ranch. Everyone was living in a tent and a green school bus that had been pulled up off the road. Every member looked so colorful, they all were smiling at me, and when I approached the fire, made room for me to sit. It was a strange feeling to see them all sharing their food and listening to each other tell secrets about themselves most people would have been ashamed to ever reveal ... the hang-ups they had, things they'd done, and incidents that used to upset them. As one would tell of a situation, others would listen, then giggle, because each of us had the same ones. It seemed that by doing this, the Family became so much closer. Instead of hiding from one another, we were learning to "show off" for one another. Charlie came to the campfire with a guitar. Everyone sang some beautiful songs. The words seemed to leave a peaceful satisfaction and your mind would be at rest. All the voices sounded in pleasant harmony together, each person choosing his own part to add to the basic tune. As a result of this, the tune became a flowing cycle of continuous free thought. When the music ended, Charlie, Bobby and myself left the others and went to the pick-up. My heart yearned to stay with the Family but Bobby wished to leave … Charlie gave me and Bobby a warm hug before we left. His touch was gentle. The love put forth in that hug I can still recall.

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We asked where the others were and he replied, "In a bus that broke down in some prune field." Off we went searching again and, at last, after cruising many prune fields, we found the bus. When I passed through the front door of the bus I entered an Arabian tent with one long bed covered with satin sheets and tapestries hanging from the roof. Bobby and Paul left with some money and when they came back, they had boxes and boxes of zoo-zoos. All the girls were dressed so special, in patchwork dresses, shorts that showed off their pretty tanned legs, crazy hats and loose satin pants. Everyone was glad to see me again and I was really happy to see them. Everyone looked so familiar, as though Ihad always been with them and always would be. I decided I was going to stay and return to the ranch with the others and whatever Bobby did was his business. Naturally, I was really hoping He'd come but the next day, Bobby left. I was a little nervous, for now, I was left alone with the Family and I knew I had changes to go through. The girls did everything together ... We would cook together, sew together, sing together and play together. While we would do these things, we would become different people. Perhaps, one day we were short-order cooks in a small cafe or we were maidens cleaning the Royal Palace. Our only limitation was our imagination.

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The whole effect of the living room was that of an Arabian tent. The sitar, tabura and tablas also added to the setting. Outside this "tent" was a completely different world. There were two bedrooms, one was set down further than the rest of the house, it was nothing but one big mattress. We would jump into the room and roll around and do tumbling. This is where most of us slept ... I say most of us because generally there would be someone who didn't want to sleep with everybody, mainly due to the fact that they were new to the Family. Actually it's lots of fun to sleep with lots of people and make love in large numbers, too. For these new people, the other bedroom was made into a "shy room". It had one bed and a large window that you could see the mountains and creek from. There is a group of trees outside the window that I used to sit and marvel at ... so beautiful, real and proud. Pastel curtains and lots of lace were around the window. The main function of this room was to hold our clothes. We seemed to have gathered clothes from every era in every size. There were patchwork farm dresses, Prince's shirts and satin pants, full length gowns, court jester's shirts, meditation robes, baggy jeans, T-shirts, cowboy shirts, "straight" clothes for the "straight world", hats, tights, scarves and oodles of other goodies. You could go into that room and trip for a long time on who or what you wanted to be that day.

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After a week or two, the bus returned to the ranch in running order. The inside had been tattered and torn, so it was time to fix it over. We built a platform about two feet high under which we could put supplies. Then we placed about four King-sized mattresses on the platform. We laid a beautiful Ivory-cream colored carpet with big pink roses worked into the corners on the front floor. A gold tapestry was draped on the roof and a black tapestry with red roses on the sides. The bed area had red satin curtains that opened and closed as a divider when it was necessary, and the back door was covered with a light blue-green silk that had black fringe dangling over it. The bed was made with black and purple satin sheets and covered with a patchwork guilt we had been sewing on by hand. Everything we ever do is done by hand and with all the love we've got. The fingers on our hands are nimble enough to create the most delicate works of the imagination. Wiggle your fingers and relax the stiffness, then watch them perform beautiful dances before your eyes.

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The freer you let yourself become, and do what you want, your mere existence becomes a crazy, fun game in which nothing matters. When there are no plans, everything runs perfectly and you find yourself in the craziest situations... on a mountain, with ten people holding a jeep from falling over a cliff ... making a rock road in the middle of the vast desert starting nowhere, stopping nowhere ... eating a banana split big enough for twenty people ... living in a house that looks like an Arabian tent ... driving a three wheeled Harley through the middle of town in the pouring rain ... sleeping in an underground shelter ... having an orgy with lots of naked bodies loaded on acid ... being a midwife to a beautiful new life ... welding dune buggies that are mobile beds ... being a go-go dancer, a biker and a ranch cook all at once ...

and, believe me, those are just a few.





46 comments:

Unknown said...

They were allowed to have pencils or pens in prison? Seems like someone could stab themselves or poke their eyes out or stab a guard. What are zoo-zoos? Always wondered what CM used to carve his forehead with.

Matt said...

zoo-zoos = candy.

AustinAnn74 said...

She wasn't in prison then. She was in the county jail, and they were allowed to have pencil & paper. Also, Manson, I thought carved his x, while the girls burned their x's in their foreheads with heated bobbypins. They were allowed to smoke back then in jail, so they probably heated it with a cig. Gross, and way you look at it!

JC said...

She writes surprisingly well.
I also imagine that Bobby, Gypsy, and Kitty were indeed a very good-looking crew.

Sun King said...

Wonder where Bobby was living at the time and if he had roommates?

What struck me as odd was Leslie saying the bus broke down in a prune field and went looking for it? I lived in CA for several decades and can't say I've seen a prune field much less MANY as Leslie stated.

Seems like all fun and games at that early stage.

hippichick40 said...

That was fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

Matt said...

Sun King said...
I lived in CA for several decades and can't say I've seen a prune field much less MANY as Leslie stated.


I ain't got no fancy diplomas er nuthin but wouldn't it be a PLUMB field?

Suze said...

I think what she meant to say was "pruning field", as in pruned trees?

DebS said...

Prunes, historically are big business in California. Lots and lots of prune orchards. These days they are called dried plums, though.

http://www.californiadriedplums.org/about-prunes-and-dried-plums/history

And who says Californian's are full of shit? :)

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Patty is Dead said...

In Little Paul's book, the bus breaks down for a while on a farm near San Jose. There are a bunch of drunken field hands who keep knocking on the door asking for the girls to come out. This might be what she is talking about. Patty thinks she knows about where...but she will have to consult with Deb.

JC, Patty was thinking the same thing about Lulu's writing. Interesting to think her memoir, if published, would be on the bottom of the bin at Thrift Town had it not been for her infamy. Is this why so many aspiring artists display bad behavior? There doesn't seem to be any other way to get attention in an age of information overload.

Patty is Dead said...

@Sara, we are not going to delete you, we are just going to ignore you.

Doc Sierra said...

Sara Ross said...

Give credit where credit is due. You didn't find this link-someone on the Truth on Tate/Labianca forums did but you want others to think you "have found a one-of-a-kind item". Shame on you. I'm sure my comment will be deleted. I mean you wouldn't want others to know where you really get your info, right?
-------------------------------
Who pharted?

DebS said...

"Sara Ross said...
Give credit where credit is due. You didn't find this link-someone on the Truth on Tate/Labianca forums did but you want others to think you "have found a one-of-a-kind item". Shame on you. I'm sure my comment will be deleted. I mean you wouldn't want others to know where you really get your info, right?

August 30, 2013 at 4:08 PM"

Sara, LBS3 posted the same thing at their site.

http://www.lsb3.com/search/label/Murderauction.com

Did you give them shit, too? And how do you know where the author of this post got the info? None of what was quoted was posted at Cats that I could see. Please provide a link to that if you can and we will add credit to the post.

Fact is not everybody reads all the blogs and forums and so may not be aware that things are posted in duplicate places.

I had to really search for where this info was posted at Cats. turns out it's in a thread titled "eBay Items related to Manson/TLB", not exactly something you'd put in a search field to see if a post was made about Murder Auction. com.

Matt said...

Don't bother Deb, you can cure ignorant but you can't fix stupid.

Matt said...

But glad to see you read us Sara. That speaks volumes.

Suze said...

Sara, try posting something positive here. I bet Cats bans you just like the rest of us. Stupid Bitch.

AustinAnn74 said...

Hey Sara, you buttock stain, I have ALWAYS given the other blogs, forums, and websites credit, if I saw something on their sites, not that an of us need to explain ourselves to you. How dare you presume I stole this item from Truth on TLB. I found it on murderauction.com, so whats the problem? Don't come on here, trying to start shit with us. We are a peaceful group who do not engage trollers!

Doc Sierra said...

AustinAnn74 said...

Hey Sara, you buttock stain
-----------------------------------
Like all buttock stains Sara can be Shouted out.....

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Suze,
How can you ask someone to write something positive, then turn around and call them a stupid bitch?! Hmmm...sounds to me like you're the stupid bitch and you look like trailer trash!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Doc Sierra said...

Hey Sara, take a long walk on a short pier.....

AustinAnn74 said...

Hey Sarah Ross, or whoever you are:

http://www.murderauction.com/LESLIE-VAN-HOUTEN--HER-PERSONAL-HANDWRITTEN-JOURNAL-OF-HER-SPAHN-RANCH-DAYS--52-PAGES-OF-PRO-MANSON-TEXT-WRITTEN-DURING-HER-MURDER-TRIAL,name,226882,auction_id,auction_details

AustinAnn74 said...

I DID find it! I was browsing around murderauction.com, and came upon an item that was up for auction, and I decided to post it on our blog, so low & behold, I found it for the blog, and posted.... I didn't say that other people hadn't seen it before me! I didn't even know other Manson/TLB sites had posted it before. WTF? Are you that dumb, that you would take that to literally mean I FOUND IT on my own, and nobody else has seen this before? What about the guy selling it? Don't ya think HE has SEEN it before? Don't you think he FOUND IT? Sarah, are you stupid, or something? Also, who the f*ck has time to be going around to every damn site looking for stuff that has been posted already. This isn't a fucking contest, you dimwit, it is a blog, where people post stuff that seems of interested to them, regardless if it has been on other sites. You mean, major newspapers, and websites cannot report the same stories, because so & so HAD IT FIRST? What are you, in second grade?

Patty is Dead said...

Ignore the troll please.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
lman28 said...

Bobby, Gypsy, and would the third person be Gail? Never heard her described before.

Max Frost said...

What happened to the no fighting policy here?

Matt said...

Sara, you deserve the hostility, and you still haven't apologized to AustinAnn. If you had so much as read the first sentence of her post you would have seen that she cited her source.

"I digress"??? Lame.

Matt said...

Max Frost said...

What happened to the no fighting policy here?


Max, please check page 64 of the Eviliz manual which states that in special situations the no fight policy may be superseded by the policy banning wanton douchebaggery. :)

Suze said...

What makes you so certain that that's my real pic, Sara? Seriously, with each stroke of the keypad your shortage of grey matter becomes increasingly more obvious.

If you were to display your real likeness my guess would be old, fat and a chain-smoker.

AustinAnn74 said...

So she says that this has taken away from the whole point of the blog. I gotta get out of here for a while. I am going swimming down at the springs. I can't take it anymore. I must throw myself in the cold water, and enjoy myself without the use of a computer! Adios amigos!!
Have a great Labor Day weekend people!

Patty is Dead said...

you go, girl. xxx

orwhut said...

Suze,
I'd always hoped that was your real pic.

Suze said...

Thanks orwhut, it might be :)

I just have no tolerance for someone who pops into the comments of this fine blog only once, hurls an accusation at AA without thinking first, then doesn't have enough moral backbone to apologize... whether or not she's an old, fat chain smoker.

Patty is Dead said...

Patty resembles that comment Suze...LOL. Old and fat: check. Chain smoker: up until about six weeks ago, check. No more kissin the Marlboro Man for Patty! WOOT

orwhut said...

Double WOOT,for Patty!!

LH said...

Who gives a shit who posted it first? Main reason I seldom post, don't wanna get into it with anyone. Nonetheless, this is fascinating stuff!

AustinAnn74 said...

Apparently you didn't get to read what Sara Ross posted about me. She deleted her comments, so just to fill you in, she insinuated that I stole something from another blog. You are right, LH, who gives a shit where I found it. It was interesting to me, so I wanted to post. Thank you, and goodnight.

LH said...

How badly does everyone want to read ALL of this? I assume the person who bought it will not share the entire contents. Unfortunately...

AustinAnn74 said...

I would love to read the entire journal, but $5,500 is a lot clams to dish out on a journal. It is unique though, because it was written when LVH was still highly into the Manson mindset. Im surprised her very words from this journal haven't been purchased by her old friend John Waters, and given back to her. Last time I checked, he could easily afford buying this journal.

Patty is Dead said...

Patty's money is on Channels...he has all the good stuff.

LH said...

All of the non-combative "TLBers" should over pooled our $$$ together. I wouldn't even care who got to keep it, I would just love to read it!

V.A. Services said...

Hi, all...

Stopped lurkin for a min to ask: Anyone else notice?: On the original "murderauction" page...there are some photos of someone I presume to be the seller in various Manson-related places. One of them is of him with Sandra Good...I could have sworn someone here identifed the person in this photo as Nick Bougas...Reading his descrip it does indeed state he directed "Death Scenes"...so yeah, same guy.

Ok...my questions: Does anyone have the source for the oft-repeated story that Nick has a recording of Little Paul repudiating his testimony at the TLB trial? If he does...think there's any chance that will end up auctioned off too?

Just curious about what everyone thinks about the "Holy Grail" of Manson memoribilia...Does it exist? And does this Bougas fellow actually have it?

Ok...Thanks...done rambling (sorry to be long winded...and OT :-\)...back to lurking :P

fiona1933 said...

It sounds brilliant. I would have loved that when I was a teenager. Even well into my twenties.

Now of course, got to have a few more creature comforts. Hot and cold and a flush toilet at the least. And A/C. And a personal bed. And a fridge. And a telly.