i know why john hughes left hollywood

In the 80's — as a teenager — I began and maintained a correspondence with the film director, John Hughes, after I sent him a fan letter in response to seeing The Breakfast Club. It was, quite honestly, one of the most significant experiences of my childhood and — in many ways — my life because of the support John gave me as a writer and as a person. He instilled in me the confidence to see life in terms of opportunities and not obstacles.

More than a decade later, when I was working at a nonprofit organization in Durham NC, I sent him a note to catch him up on what I was doing with my life. Late one night, while I was on the phone interviewing a job candidate who I knew, within minutes of starting the call, did not have a chance in hell of getting the job. The phone rang in the next room, I heard a scream and my boss, Tony, came running into my office to tell me that John Hughes was on the phone.

I hung up on the job candidate and took the call.

But, I'm not going to tell you what we talked about.

You know why? Because recently there has been a flurry of articles and blog posts about John Hughes and his disappearance from Hollywood. He's being compared to Howard Hughes or J.D. Salinger and everyone wants to know what caused him to walk away from it all.

John told me that night why he left and if he's not talking, neither am I.

(Is this what they mean by a "tease"?)