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KQED's Forum

Forum From the Archives: Jonathan Hirsch on Losing His Father to 'A Cult and Dementia'

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In his popular podcast “Dear Franklin Jones,” radio producer Jonathan Hirsch  tried to make sense of a childhood dominated by his parents’ spiritual guru.  In a new memoir he more deeply explores his relationship with his father and the complexity  of providing care for a parent who didn’t take care of him.  We talk to him about his audio memoir, “The Mind is Burning: Losing My Father to a Cult and Dementia.” Guests: Jonathan Hirsch, podcast producer; author of the audiobook memoir, "The Mind Is Burning: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Support for Forum comes from Rancho La Puerta, a wellness resort on 4,000 acres in the mountains of Baja, California, just 45 minutes from San Diego.

0:09.4

Family owned and operated since 1940, Rancho La Pueerta offers adult summer camp-like vacations for anyone who enjoys hiking, mindfulness, and fitness classes.

0:19.8

Special rates and offers are available for summer stays and

0:23.3

first-time guests. Learn more at Rancho LePuerta.com. Support for Forum comes from Broadway

0:29.4

SF, presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story. From three-time Tony-winning composer

0:36.8

Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank, a new story. From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and

0:39.9

Lucille Frank, a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused

0:46.6

of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice,

0:53.6

and devotion.

0:55.2

The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orpheum Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.

1:03.4

Tickets on sale now at Broadway, sF.com.

1:08.3

From KQED.

1:09.8

Music From KQED. From KQED.

1:27.3

From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal with a special holiday edition of forum from our archives.

1:32.5

The Bay Area was awash with spiritual seekers during the 60s and 70s,

1:37.6

but the gurus didn't just disappear when the age of Aquarius became the Reagan era.

1:45.3

Our guest this morning, Jonathan Hirsch, knows this well because he grew up in what many would call a cult here in San Francisco and Marin.

1:50.2

His parents felt their allegiance was to their guru and their son suffered because of it.

1:55.2

Then just as his own family and life were blooming, his estranged father was diagnosed with dementia and Hirsch was faced with a stark set of choices.

1:59.3

That's all coming up next, right after this news.

2:13.0

Welcome to Forum.

2:14.4

I'm Alexis Madrigal.

...

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