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Our Fascination with Cults: Exploring the Myths and Realities of Belief
Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema
This panel discussion brings together authors who have confronted the seductive pull of cults, or have been born into them the belief systems that reshaped their lives. Together, they explore what draws people into systems of control and what it takes to break free, how their lives were shaped by the powerful pull of belonging, belief, and conditioning.
They discuss what happens when people are swept into powerful narratives, why are people susceptible to charismatic leaders, and what dangers arise when belief replaces questioning. In an era of influencer culture, misinformation, and fractured divides, their insights reveal how limiting beliefs can entrap us and how writing becomes a tool for transformation. 

*If you love a good cult book and are fascinated by cults this is a great panel to attend.


Speakers
avatar for Parvati Shallow

Parvati Shallow

Parvati Shallow is a mother, a National Bestselling author, the winner and five-time competitor of the hit TV series Survivor, and the breakout star of Peacock's The Traitors. In her acclaimed 2025 memoir, Nice Girls Don't Win: How I Burned It All Down to Claim My Power, she explores themes of radical self-acceptance, resilience, and healing from trauma. Parvati holds advanced certifications in yoga, meditation, and breathwork, and is a passionate student of various healing and therapeutic modalities, including structural integration, Somatic Experiencing... Read More →
avatar for Priya Hutner

Priya Hutner

  Priya Hutner, author, teacher, and co-founder of the Tahoe Literary Festival and Truckee Literary Crawl. A journalist and writer, her work has been featured in the Tahoe Guide, Moonshine Ink, Muse Magazine, Monday Night Poetry Anthology and several other publications. Priya is... Read More →
avatar for Melissa Duge Spiers

Melissa Duge Spiers

Melissa Duge Spiers is an award-winning essayist, screenwriter, and advocate for topics of religious and narcissistic abuse, utilizing her online platforms (TikTok and Instagram, known as “The Glory Whole”). Her memoir Holy Disobedience: Sex, Sin, and Secrets in the Biggest C... Read More →
avatar for Sands Hall

Sands Hall

Sands Hall—author, professor, theatre artist, singer-songwriter—is the author of the award-winning memoir, Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology (Counterpoint Press); Blackstone Audio produced the audio book, read by the author. Other publications include prize-winning essays... Read More →
Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema 475 N Lake Blvd
  Panel Discussion, Great for Booklovers

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