Behind the Pages: Chasing Bigfoot

When our Longleaf team selected the stories for the fall 2008 issue of Longleaf Style, Bigfoot was not on the list. As a matter of fact, my story Chasing Bigfoot was a last minute addition.

While searching online for something in Talladega, Alabama, I saw a mention about a Bigfoot sighting. I had to know more, so I began an online search for the Southern Bigfoot.

The more I read about some of the researchers, the more I was intrigued. So, at a Longleaf Style editorial meeting I mentioned that I would like to write something about Bigfoot. Of course the room went silent. "Sure, go ahead and write about Bigfoot," they said. Perhaps because I'm known to joke around, they started to laugh. They were joking. I was serious.

So, that is the Behind the Pages reason I came to write about Bigfoot.

I know more than I ever imagined about the Southern folklore, the sightings, the hoaxes, the people in the Bigfoot community and the differences in the Yeti and Bigfoot. It is seriously something I never thought I would have so much knowledge about.

I've been asked a lot about some of the people in the story and I can tell you that they were the nicest people and I didn't have one ounce of reservation about their mental status. They believe in Bigfoot and I didn't want to write a story that made fun of them...this is very easy and the normal route writers tend to take.

In regard to the "Bigfoot Press Conference", of the people I talked to, most of which didn't make the story but helped me in research, most don't have much stock in Tom Biscardi and the claim from the Georgia guys on finding a Bigfoot body. (Update: Yes, in fact it was a hoax. Read the latest at the AJC: Bigfoot tricksters blame promoter.)

Also, the documentary Southern Fried Bigfoot is very well done. You can find out more information about it at www.southernfriedbigfoot.com