The Dark Side of Frank Lloyd Wright, Part Two: Mass Murder, Cults, and the FBI
Summary
Hosts Ben Bolin and Noel Brown detail the dark history of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin estate, beginning with the 1914 massacre by Julian Carlton. They cover Wright’s subsequent marriages, the cult-like atmosphere of the Taliesin Fellowship, and his pacifist views. The episode concludes with the FBI’s decades-long surveillance of Wright under J. Edgar Hoover, who suspected him of sedition and draft obstruction during WWII.
Topics discussed
Intro and podcast network promotions
Julian Carlton arrives at Taliesin as chef and handyman
Carlton's paranoia and plan for revenge
The Taliesin massacre and Carlton's suicide attempt
Wright rebuilds Taliesin 2 and personal life updates
Taliesin 2 fire and Wright's marriages
Taliesin 3 construction and financial struggles
The Taliesin Fellowship and cult-like dynamics
Mid-roll ads and network promotions
FBI investigation into Wright's anti-war views
Draft dodging allegations and Wright's death
Outro, credits, and final promotions
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