by Dan Rather
Thanks to our Facebook profile, we came to the attention of Kathy Pories, an editor at Algonquin Books. She reached out, and this book idea was born. Kathy doesn’t only deserve credit for the inception of this project; she has served as the book’s incomparable editor. With high standards and a clarity of perspective, she has prompted and polished these essays into their final form. Betsy Gleick, the editorial director at Algonquin, has been an enthusiastic and encouraging supporter of this project since the beginning. Her confidence that this was a book worth writing, and that its messages were urgent and timely, sustained us. And I know that publishing a book takes a broad and diverse team working behind the scenes, so a big thank-you to everyone at Algonquin who made this happen.
I couldn’t do what I do without the invaluable help of Alex Van Amson, who keeps me informed, on track, and on time, as best she can. I also am grateful for Felicity Thompson’s detailed fact-checking on this book.
And, as always and forever, my appreciation and love to fighting heart Jean Grace Goebel Rather, my wife, lifelong supporter, and major contributor to this book.
Finally, I would like to give a tip of the Stetson to all of you. I believe deeply that this nation will thrive, not only because of its institutions but also because of its people. One of the great joys of these recent years on social media has been to read your many thoughtful comments. Seeing my fellow citizens and people from other countries eloquently and passionately sharing their hopes, fears, and dreams for the future of the United States and its place in the world fills me with optimism. My greatest desire for this book is that it encourage conversation and debate about what it means to be an American today, and more broadly over the course of this nation’s history. If we stand firm in our better values, do not shy away from challenging injustice, and can talk to one another rather than past one another, I am confident we can find the common ground that unites us.
With a storied career that has spanned more than six decades, Dan Rather has earned his place as one of the world’s best-known journalists. He has interviewed every president since Eisenhower and, over that time, personally covered almost every important dateline in the United States and around the world. Rather joined CBS News in 1962. He quickly rose through the ranks, and in 1981 he assumed the position of anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News—a post he held for twenty-four years. His reporting across the network helped turn 60 Minutes into an institution, launched 48 Hours as an innovative news magazine program, and shaped countless specials and documentaries. Upon leaving CBS, Rather returned to the in-depth reporting he always loved, creating the Emmy Award-winning Dan Rather Reports on HDNet. Now, building upon that foundation, he is president and CEO of News and Guts, an independent production company he founded that specializes in high-quality nonfiction content across a range of traditional and digital distribution channels.
Elliot Kirschner is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and documentary filmmaker. After a career at CBS, producing for the Evening News, Sunday Morning, and 60 Minutes II, Kirschner joined his longtime collaborator Dan Rather as the senior producer for Dan Rather Reports. He now develops film, television, digital, and social media projects. An honors graduate of Harvard College, Kirschner lives with his family in San Francisco, where he is building an innovative venture in science communication.
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Published by
ALGONQUIN BOOKS OF CHAPEL HILL
Post Office Box 2225
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515-2225
a division of
WORKMAN PUBLISHING
225 Varick Street
New York, New York 10014
© 2017 by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner.
All rights reserved.
ISBN 9781616207847 (ebook)
