The Call of the Weird (26 page)

Everything in this book is faithful to the way it was, except for a few elisions of time, for the sake of the narrative, and two names: Dave Roach and Art Eagle.

Though I wrote the book on my own, the TV shows that inspired it were made collaboratively. In the interest of economy, throughout the text I have referred to “my documentaries,” but the hard work was done by the many producers, directors, editors, and assistant producers that I’ve been lucky enough to have as my collaborators. Special thanks to Michael Moore, for giving me my break, David Mortimer, for giving me my own show, and to Kevin Sutcliffe, Ed Robbins, Geoffrey O’Connor, Kate Townsend, Will Yapp, Simon Boyce, Jim Margolis, Maria Silver, Karen Morton, Alicia Kerr, and Stuart Cabb, for making sure the show stayed on the air. In going back, I was helped enormously by Charlie Braxton, Luke Ford, Rob Balch, Rick Ross, and Ron Faulk. I was also helped, of course, by the many contributors whose stories are the subject of this book. Thanks also to Mike Oehler and Ken Kurson, for their hospitality, Majestik Magnificent, for helping me find a car, my editor Richard Milner, for his patience, Philippa Brewster, for her editorial notes, Scott
Galloway, for his advice, and Brett and Alison Clevenger, for finding my laptop computer by the side of the road in Idaho and returning it safely to me. Thanks most of all to Nancy. Without her valuable insights and her constant support and encouragement there would be no book. I owe her more than words can say.