From Bryan Curtis, editor-at-large of the sports website The Ringer, The Scrapbook learned of an unusual passage in the acknowledgments section of William Vollmann’s 2009 book Imperial. In addition to the litany of people who were helpful came this: “The San Diego County Water Authority was rudely unhelpful,” Vollman writes. “I would particularly like to single out the following two unpleasant individuals: John Liarakos, the so-called public affairs officer, who never returned a single phone call, and Dana Friehauf or Fridhof—she never verified the spelling of her name—who required that I put questions to her in writing, then never answered a single one in spite of many requests.”
Reporters everywhere will know the feeling. Evasive, nasty, or otherwise unhelpful public servants are their ever-present companions.
We were also put in mind of a little gift book by Sandra Boynton titled Chocolate: The Consuming Passion. Her acknowledgments section reads as follows: “There are many people without whom this book would have been impossible. There are many others without whom it would have been a hell of a lot easier.”
