"Drawing on extensive interviews with Sayles's family, friends, fellow artists, and collaborators (even the heads of the kind of mega-studios the director refuses to work with), John Sayles: An Unauthorized Biography of the Pioneering Indie Filmmaker examines the methods, motivations, and screen magic that have made Sayles the director most responsible for putting American independent film on the map." "Here's more of what you'll find inside: how Sayles learned to do films "on my own nickel" by watching his mentor Roger Corman, the King of the B-movie, do his without losing a dime; cast and crew members' recollections of their experiences on Sayles's sets - usually populated by enthusiastic newcomers, eager to work with the maverick moviemaking idol for little or no pay; the importance of lifetime companion and producer Maggie Renzi in financing and producing his movies; and how, despite offering salaries at the minimum Hollywood scale, Sayles attracts some of the industry's best talent, including collaborators like cinematographer Haskell Wexler and actor James Earl Jones."--BOOK JACKET.