Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation Virginia Heffernan: Edge, Jeffrey Epstein, & the Intellectual Dark Web
Aug 10, 2022
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Cold Call That Led To A Big Advance
- Virginia Heffernan cold-called John Brockman when she wanted a bigger advance and exposure for a book project.
- Brockman signed her and secured a six-figure deal but the advance barely covered years of work.
Six-Figure Advance, Modest Outcome
- Heffernan received about a $100,000 advance split over years and paid Brockman a 20% fee.
- The payout felt modest relative to time invested and Brockman's promises of a huge auction.
Edge's 'Third Culture' Origin
- Edge formed as a reaction to humanities-era literary critics and sought a 'third culture' merging science and art.
- The group positioned scientists and technologists as the new cultural authorities over traditional humanistic wisdom.