My ex-agent got me into the Talk fold in Fall '99. I had just earned the trust of those closest to the late Phil Hartman and was promised all sorts of inside stuff (which I wanted to put into a bio, which never happened -- different story, that) and this got Talk interested. I dealt with some pretentious editor there, honestly cannot remember his name (down the memory hole), who wanted all the dirt on Hartman's death. I said I was interested in dealing with the dark side of celebrity, but didn't want to go necro-porn, especially since Hartman's kids are still alive (plus I promised his close friends that I wouldn't go this route). This did not please the Talk editor who essentially wanted me to climb on Hartman's corpse and hump the bullet holes. He always prefaced sentences with, "We at Talk expect . . .", "Talk desires . . .", as if the fucking rag had a pulse. And he promised decent money. But I wouldn't do what he desired, so that was that.
Good riddance Talk.
DP