Andrea Pitzer is the author of three books of narrative nonfiction that explore untold histories. She was the editor of Nieman Storyboard from 2009-2012,
The first Notable Narrative for September takes a police procedural as its template. The article begins with the loss of a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter in March 2009 off … Read more
Excerpts from a September 2009 interview with Peter Griffin, deputy editor of Esquire, about an August story on a helicopter crash off the coast of Newfoundland: Can you talk a little about your role in Chris Jones’ “The … Read more
We talked with photojournalist Ed Kashi about visual storytelling, advocacy journalism, and his photo series on Trans Amadi Slaughter, an abattoir on the Niger Delta.
Q: At the Digest, we’ve talked about whether a series of photos needs to work the same way as a print story: a character, a conflict, rising tension, climax, resolution. Do you think a photo montage or a slide show functions by the same rules? Or does it have a different narrative structure?
A: I think it can go both ways. The beauty or the exciting aspect of multimedia is that we can try new things. It seems like some proponents are saying there’s only one way to tell a narrative: the beginning, the middle, transformation, and the end. There’s nothing wrong with classic modes of storytelling. They’re effective, and they’ll continue to be effective. There’s a reason they work.
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Excerpts from an August 2009 interview with Michael J. Mooney, reporter for Florida’s New Times, whose stories won a slot in the Best American Crime Reporting and Best American Sports Writing anthologies for 2009: When did you first get interested … Read more
In our second Notable Narrative for August, North Korean defectors ride a train 2,000 miles across China in an effort to make their way to South Korea. National Geographic’s Tom O’Neill accompanies them and then explores what escape means … Read more
The first Notable Narrative for August recounts the history of Vernetta Cockerham, a woman whose estranged husband killed one of her children and very nearly ended her life, too. The story, from O, The Oprah Magazine, opens with a … Read more
Excerpts from a July 2009 interview with Steve Luxenberg on his memoir, which traces the discovery that his mother had an institutionalized sister whose existence she kept secret from her children for more than half a century: How long did you spend … Read more
Excerpts from a July 2009 interview with Tom Friend on his story “The Disposable Superstar”: How long did you take on the Chauncey Billups story? I spent a week in Denver and I interviewed Chauncey and his parents. I … Read more
After playing for six teams in five years, NBA star Chauncey Billups had a reputation as a prodigy who didn’t pan out. “The Disposable Superstar,” our latest Notable Narrative, is the story of how a gifted player set out to reinvent himself. Read more
From a March 2009 email interview with Thomas Curwen: Q: How did you first meet Edwin Shneidman, and what made him interesting to you? A: I met Edwin Shneidman in 1999 when I was working on a story about … Read more
