23. "The Last Days of the Late, Great State of California" by Curt Gentry (co-author of "Helter Skelter")

In The Last Days of the Late, Great State of California, Curt Gentry (co-author of Helter Skelter) mentions Krishna Venta on pages 9, 249-250, 252, 254, and 260-262.

Granted, everything he presents appears to be a retread of what Beam presents in Cults of America.

That being said, what I find interesting about Venta's presence in Last Days is that, despite these numerous entries which prove Gentry was aware of Venta, and despite the proximity of the Fountain and the Spahn Ranch and Manson's presence at the Fountain, Gentry did not devote so much as a single sentence to either in Helter Skelter.

I would love to ask Gentry if that was by commission or omission.

The cover of this book makes me think of a passage from the 1976 song “Desperadoes Under the Eaves” by Warren Zevon:

"And if California slides into the ocean
Like the mystics and statistics say it will
I predict this motel will be standing until I pay my bill"