Jane Burek

Jane Burek was born in Galveston, Texas. One of three daughters, her father was a theoretical physicist and her mother was an elementary school teacher. As a teen growing up in various college towns Burek was convinced that somewhere on earth people living a less conventional life were having far more fun. In college she was the opinion page editor for the school newspaper during the same time that cohort Dave Eggers was a copy editor. Burek earned a B.A. in 19th Century British History and a M.A. in Special Education. A lifelong reporter, Burek has worked for The Chicago Tribune, Realtor magazine and The Register Guard newspaper in Oregon. For a year in Chicago she was the editor-in-chief of the short-lived glossy Image & Sound magazine. After spending $20K and two years making Freaky Circus Guy Burek promised her husband that she would never make another documentary about: the circus, sideshow or a madman ever again. So far she has kept her word.