I’m indebted to all the people who shared their most personal stories about life and death with me. It was a privilege to spend time with you and I hope you see much of your most hopeful selves in these pages. I’m grateful to the suicide specialists interviewed for this book and for the PBS film Facing Suicide. Our energetic corps of suicidologists put in yeoman’s service discussing ideas, reviewing chapters, and sharing the wisdom they’ve acquired saving lives over many years. I especially want to thank Dr. Eric Caine, who never failed to return my emails and calls and steer me back from errant paths onto which I’d wandered. And there’s no part of suicide studies and treatment that doesn’t have Dr. Caine’s imprint on it. Similarly, Dr. Dan Reidenberg of SAVE fielded my queries with boundless energy for the subject and refreshing bluntness about the state of suicide prevention and health care in the US. Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention tirelessly answered queries and recommended experts and those with lived experience for me to speak with. AFSP was a gracious and generous partner throughout the film process. Early on, Dr. Thomas Joiner did me a great favor by insisting I read a collection of over a hundred psychological autopsies before I’d gone very far into suicide research. It made me take a hard look at the road ahead, and I think that’s what he intended.
Michael Rosenfeld at Twin Cities Public Television was an exemplary executive producer of the film and a wonderful partner throughout the whole creative endeavor. He and the gifted crew at TPT embraced Facing Suicide with courage and grace from the start. Thanks to my agent, William Clark, for having the heart and vision to energetically promote a book on such a difficult, important subject. I’m grateful for the team at Avery Publishing and for editor Caroline Sutton’s expert hand at helping bring these words to the page. Finally, I want to thank my wife, Alison, who is always the first to read and trade ideas about anything I write.