Latest news with #JanelleBrown
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Former tech reporter explores the promises and perils of the internet era in the novel ‘What Kind of Paradise'
Janelle Brown laughs as she recounts her initial reaction upon getting her first email address as a student at UC Berkeley in the mid-1990s. 'I went into the basement of the engineering building where you could get on the internet, and I downloaded a Beastie Boys video,' the bestselling author told the Chronicle by phone from her home in Los Angeles. 'It took 45 minutes, but it was amazing. I could hardly believe it was possible. The world was definitely changing.' More Information What Kind of Paradise By Janelle Brown (Random House; 368 pages; $30) 'What Kind of Paradise' — An Evening with Author Janelle Brown: 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 6. Free. A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Ave., Oakland. Meet Janelle Brown: 3 p.m. Saturday, June 7. Atherton Library, 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, Atherton. Free. Registration required at Inspired in part by her post-college years as a tech reporter at Wired and Salon, Brown's sixth novel, 'What Kind of Paradise,' is set in 1996 San Francisco and rural Montana. Released on Tuesday, June 3, the book deftly captures both the giddy enthusiasm of that period when the internet's possibilities felt boundless, as well as the unforeseen dangers and downsides that were ushered in with the digital revolution. 'It was a heady time when a bunch of kids in San Francisco saw everything through this optimistic, utopian prism, and, on the other hand, the Unabomber was dominating the news,' reflected Brown, referring to Ted Kaczynski, an anti-technology domestic terrorist who shunned modern life and murdered three people and injured 23 with homemade letter bombs from 1978 until his capture by the FBI in April 1996. 'What Kind of Paradise' imagines if a Kaczynski-esque figure were also a father, raising a child to fear and abhor technological change. The book features a teenager named Jane whose iconoclast dad has steeped her in his radically anti-technology views. After discovering a photo that sheds light on their mysterious past, Jane escapes from their cabin in the Montana woods to San Francisco where the dot-com era is ushering in transformational cultural change. Brown, who grew up in Atherton, discussed writing a coming-of-age story that explores tech's promises and perils, and 'how we ever escape the belief systems we were born into.' Q: This question runs through your novel about whether technology is a positive force for good, or one that is bound to doom us. Have you been wrestling with these issues for a while? A: Yes, it's a subject that has been increasingly weighing on me. When I worked at Salon and Wired in San Francisco in the 1990s, I was a total booster. I drank the Kool-Aid. I believed so strongly, as we all did back then, that technology was going to make our world better. As the decades have progressed, and I've seen technology's ugly underbelly, I've been grappling with my own sense of culpability. What if, at the beginning, we had been more open-eyed about the potential downsides? Could we have steered the world in a better direction where we had more accountability and oversight, instead of having a reflexive stance that any government oversight of technology is bad? Q: Sounds like hindsight has helped you see your techno utopianism differently. A: Definitely. I spent time going through the Wired archives (to research the novel), and it kind of broke my heart. When I look back on our rah-rah boosterism, I see we were wrong about so much — especially now that I see the world through my kids' eyes, who are 15 and 13. I've been incredibly concerned about the downsides of AI, the depersonalization of living on screens and how technology has enabled extremism. Algorithms amplify the most radical and outrageous points of view, and fringe ideas become part of the mainstream in an alarming way no one anticipated. Q: What inspired you to explore these ideas through a father-daughter relationship in which the dad is a lot like the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski? A: I had been wanting to write about technology from the point of view of someone coming into San Francisco in the '90s with naivete to this whole new world opening up. Then, about four years ago, I listened to an interesting podcast on the Kaczynski story. I vividly remember living through it and being at Wired when he was captured. Everyone's reaction was, 'Yes, they caught him!' As I listened to his story, I thought how prescient he was in some ways, in terms of how he saw the future and tried to warn us. Of course, his writings were also incredibly disturbing, sexist, anti-liberal. I realized these are two sides of the same coin, two very different views of the same future. Q: You've written great descriptions of mid-'90s San Francisco, with its juice bars and 20-somethings out in South Park. What did you most want to convey about that period? A: It was such an exciting time. San Francisco was the birthplace of the whole modern internet era, and it was all done by young people. We were barely out of college, hardly qualified to do what we were doing, but we got to define this whole new era. People forget, because the tech world isn't like this anymore, but it was funky, artsy. There were a lot of weirdos who were in bands and making weird art, and everyone was a bit of a misfit. It wasn't until IPOs and tech bros blew in and everyone realized that they could make a lot of money that it really changed. And San Francisco changed. It felt less vibrant to me. Q: Did you enjoy developing Jane's character? She's self-reliant and incredibly well-read after a childhood spent studying philosophy in the woods with her dad, but she's also in some ways a normal teenager. A: Yeah, I love teenagers. I'm fascinated with coming-of-age stories and that moment in time when you're still unformed clay and life's forces are starting to press you into shape. As much as I had ideas about technology to explore, at the heart of every book I write is a relationship story. I love writing about thorny family relationships, legacy and what we take from the people who raise us and how we break free of them. In this case, her father isn't mentally well, but he's convincing, charismatic and smart — and he's her whole world.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sister Wives ' Christine Brown "Disgusted" by Kody Brown Relationship
Originally appeared on E! Online Christine Brown is looking back on her marriage to Kody Brown in shame. During the Sister Wives season 19 tell-all on May 25, Christine—who became the first of the patriarch's three exes to leave their plural marriage in 2021—reflected on her 25-year relationship with Kody, father of their kids Aspyn, 30, Mykelti, 28, Paedon, 26, Gwendlyn, 23, Ysabel, 21, and Truely, 15. "You realize I loved Kody, like, four years ago?" Christine told husband as they were packing to leave for filming. "So much of my life was so focused on him, and it makes me disgusted with myself." She then shared a key difference she noticed when comparing her and David's union to her past relationship with the father of 18, who remains married to Robyn Brown following his 2022 breakups from first wife Meri Brown and fellow ex Janelle Brown. "You're always here. You're always a constant. And I always know when you're here," Christine noted of David. "I never knew when Kody would be around. He kept us always in suspense. But not really." Christine also noted an apparent aspect about her past relationship with Kody that she finds "weird and embarrassing." "My life was just wrapped up in what Kody needed and what he wanted and what the family needed and wanted," she told host Sukanya Krishnan. "He didn't just do whatever we were doing."We had to change what we were doing to accommodate him. And that's not OK. That's not fair. That's making it so our lives are focused on him." She added, "And that's frustrating to me. And it's embarrassing that I lived it." More from E! Online Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson Dead at 79 After Alzheimer's Diagnosis Bindi Irwin Shares Update on Healing Journey 2 Weeks After Emergency Surgery Rosie O'Donnell Reveals Weight Loss Transformation After Using Mounjaro She added, referencing his time spent with fourth wife Robyn, "Well, I knew where he was at. That's our biggest fight." Christine further addressed "weird and embarrassing' aspects of her and Kody's marriage during a one-on-one conversation with host Sukanya Krishnan. "My life was just wrapped up in what Kody needed and what he wanted and what the family needed and wanted," the 53-year-old shared. "He didn't just do whatever we were doing. We had to change what we were doing to accommodate him. And that's not OK. That's not fair. That's making it so our lives are focused on him." "And that's frustrating to me,' Christine continued. 'And it's embarrassing that I lived it." The former couple's conflicts were apparent to their daughter Gwendlyn, who recently noted she saw the signs that the relationship between her parents—who were never legally married—wasn't working. "I felt like they should have divorced for a while," she told Teen Vogue in an interview published May 14. 'I remember one time as a kid, I saw them arguing, and my first thought was, 'I hope they get a divorce.' What kid thinks that, right?" As for Kody, he is done with polygamy. "I don't want to be flippant with my answer, because we were devoted to this, but I'm not interested in plural marriage anymore," Kody told Robyn on an April episode of Sister Wives. "I don't want to pursue another woman because I don't want that headache—the questions, the struggles, the wonder about trust." The four-part Sister Wives season 19 tell-all special begins May 25 at 10 p.m. on TLC. Look back at the love lives of the Sister Wives BrownMykelti BrownAspyn Brown For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sister Wives' Kody Brown asked cemetery 'permission' to dig late son Garrison's grave
Sister Wives star Kody Brown revealed he asked to dig his late son's grave in this week's episode, which aired on Sunday. The TLC reality star, 56, opened up about how he wanted to honor his son Garrison Brown by digging his grave himself in preparation of the funeral in Wyoming. 'It means something to me. I don't know why,' Kody said as he recalled the meaningful and heartbreaking event. 'It's something deeply emotional.' In a sit-down confessional, he recalled how the Brown family made preparations for Garrison's funeral. In the emotional episode, Kody talked about how he and his ex-wife Janelle Brown prepared for their son's funeral following his sudden death from suicide at the age of 25 in March 2024. 'Here's the thing. I talked to the sexton of the cemetery, and he's the one that would normally dig the graves,' Kody explained while a scene of him arriving at the grave site was playing. 'I just asked him [for] permission if I could dig it,' he said. For the task, Kody's brother Scott and brother-in-law Tim also helped him. Kody explained that both of them were a part of 'the men group who nurtured' Garrison 'into maturity.' Kody also explained that though he did not bring the urn that his son's remains are in — adding that his son-in-law Mitch 'is making something different and I don't know what it looks like yet.' The father-of-18 continued: 'For the act of effort in this, because we're not digging a grave big enough for a coffin, I'm going to make it a little bit bigger than certainly that I need for this urn.' 'I want the experience of doing some real effort here,' he added. 'Just trying to honor my son as best I can. I don't even know if it's honor. It's mourning.' Garrison's grave was placed beside their other dearly departed family members. In the emotional episode, Kody talked about how he and his ex-wife Janelle Brown prepared for their son's funeral following his sudden death from suicide at the age of 25 in March 2024 He rests beside his Grandma Cheryl, Kody explained as he added that she 'probably nurtured Garrison as much as any of us.' Kody and his ex-wife Janelle were estranged at the time of Garrison's death, but the pair put their differences aside to lay their beloved son to rest peacefully. Garrison was their fourth child out of six. They welcomed four sons and two daughters together and have since become grandparents to three too. Kody and Janelle were previously married from 1993, and she joined him in creating a big family through polygamy. In 2022, they separated and filed to end their plural marriage — though they were not legally married through their many years together. The show also gave fans an inside look at the private funeral service the Brown family held for their late family member in Wyoming. He was laid to rest at the Penrose Cemetary in Wyoming, where the family considers to be their home base. In the episode, Janelle also spoke about her heartbreak as she mourned their son. She admitted she was 'just kind of numb' and didn't 'really have many feelings.' 'It's just one of those things that you just wonder, how did we get here? It's just nothing but sad and heartbreaking,' Meri Brown said separately. Kody also noted that 'there's going to be some awkwardness still' while many of their family remain estranged from each other. Later, Mitch Thompson, the husband of Christine Brown's daughter Aspyn Thompson, put his carpentry and carving skills to build an urn resembling a Viking ship to honor Garrison's interest in Norse culture. Many of Garrison's loved ones shared touching words as they laid him to rest. Kody also revealed to the cameras that some family members even brought 'special tokens' with special 'meaning' to be laid with Garrison. 'He's finally here. He's finally at rest,' Janelle said to the cameras at the end of their service. 'It's finished. This part of the journey is finished.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Where Was Late ‘Sister Wives' Star Garrison Laid to Rest? Why the Family Chose Wyoming
Sister Wives stars Kody Brown and Janelle Brown's late son, Garrison, is brought to his final resting place on the May 18, 2025, episode. In Touch breaks down why the family chose Wyoming for their beloved child in the wake of his tragic death at 25 years old. 'Kody actually grew up in Wyoming. My mother was married to Kody's father. The Browns have deep roots in Wyoming,' Janelle said while discussing why they decided on a quiet spot in the state, which holds a special place in their hearts. 'Both Kody's dad and my mom are buried there and I want to bury Garrison next to my mom.' 'He was very much shaped by his experiences, you know, going for the summer, working there on the ranch,' Janelle further explained. Garrison's sister Madison Brush (née Brown) also shared her thoughts on the location and noted, 'Wyoming is probably the closest place we have to roots. It's home. We used to go every summer and it was just like, you went to the ranch to learn how to work.' Janelle added, 'You know, Kody would say, 'I just want to take him home. And I'm like 'OK, I get that. Like, I get that.'' ' "You can look out and you see the mountains surround this big basin," she shared of the cemetery. "The wind is usually blowing. It's just a beautiful view. It's a Wyoming view." The episode 25 breakdown reveals that Janelle and her loved ones gathered in Wyoming to honor Garrison and lay him to rest in the family plot next to his grandparents. 'Kody digs a grave for his son's ashes and the family says their goodbyes,' per the description. Janelle reflected on what felt like another regular day after moving from Flagstaff, Arizona, to North Carolina to be closer to Maddie, son-in-law Caleb Brush and their kids. 'I was traveling back to Flagstaff,' she said on the May 4 episode, noting she and Garrison had been 'texting all day long.' Janelle explained, 'And this was not unusual because he and I talked probably three times a day.' 'I knew he was struggling,' she said in hindsight. 'I always just picked up the phone and I always make it a point to just talk to him.' After going to sleep thinking everything was fine, she was awakened with a devastating call. 'Gabriel had found him,' Janelle said of Garrison, who died by suicide on March 5, 2024. 'He's like, 'Mom, he's gone.' I mean, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'He's dead. He killed himself.'' Janelle revealed that it was a shocking and unimaginable out of body experience. 'I don't remember the next few minutes,' the mom of six continued, 'but I got in the car and drove.' Garrison's official cause of death was determined as a suicide after an autopsy. 'It is with great sadness I confirm Mr. Robert Garrison Brown was located in his residence deceased, as a result of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,' a spokesperson for the Flagstaff Police Department told In Touch in a statement. The Coconino County, Arizona's coroner's office released the report, which was obtained by In Touch in May 2024, showing that a contributing factor to his death was ethanol intoxication, more commonly known as alcohol poisoning. Garrison's blood alcohol level was .370 percent at the time of his death. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donations in Honor of 'Sister Wives'' Garrison Brown Have Saved Multiple Cats, Animal Rescue Shares (Exclusive)
Sister Wives' Garrison Brown is being honored by the Arizona animal shelter where he adopted his beloved cats On Sunday, May 11's episode of Sister Wives, Janelle Brown stops by the High Country Humane Animal Shelter in Flagstaff to see the newly-dedicated cat adoption center, named for Garrison, her son Garrison died by suicide at age 25 on March 5, 2024Garrison Brown is being honored by the Arizona animal shelter where he adopted his beloved cats. PEOPLE has a sneak peek at Sunday, May 11's episode of Sister Wives, in which Janelle Brown and her youngest daughter, Savanah, stop by the High Country Humane Animal Shelter in Flagstaff. The rescue is where her late son, Garrison, who died in 2024, adopted all three of his beloved pet cats. In the clip, Janelle and Savanah visit the rescue to see its newly dedicated cat adoption center named for Garrison. The shelter designed the space as an area for potential adopters to meet and play with rescue cats. Janelle shares her reaction to seeing a plaque with her son's name and a photo of him smiling while holding his cats on the room's wall. "It's such a funny thing," Janelle says through tears, recalling the reactions to her son's death. "He was in nursing school, and his class called and said, 'Where can we donate?' And I said, 'I don't know, the humane society.'" After sharing that Garrison adopted his three cats — named Catthew, Patches, and Ms. Buttons — at the shelter, a representative for High Country Humane tells Janelle that the room will help adopters get to know their cats better before taking them home. "I hope the plaque shares how grateful we are for the donations since his passing," the representative tells Janelle. "$25,000 has been raised for High Country Humane for the cats, so the room naming was one way we thought we could honor Garrison." Garrison died by suicide at age 25 on March 5, 2024. His parents, Janelle, 54, and Kody, 55, confirmed the news via social media. The shelter first shared that it had named its cat adoption center after Garrison in an Instagram post soon after his death. In the post, the animal shelter said it had named a cat adoption room after Garrison in honor of his love and devotion to the felines sheltered there. "Today, we honor Robert Garrison Brown for his love and compassion towards cats and all animals by naming our Cat Adoption Room after him and the cats he loved and adopted from us," the organization said. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Garrison, your memory has touched so many lives already and will continue to do so here at High Country Humane for years to come. Thank you for sharing your passion for animals with us, we will remember you always," the statement continued. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or go to Read the original article on People
