"The archbishop’s wedding made headlines around the world," Manseau e-mailed us, "but it struck me that no one had really attempted to tell his story in a personal, engaging way. So I gave it a shot." It’s a … Read more
As part of his 12-step program, William Beebe apologizes to Liz Seccuro for the harm he caused her. He and others expect Seccuro to forgive and move on. Not surprisingly, this is not something she can do. This excellent piece … Read more
This series was written and reported by Kevin Van Valkenburg and Lem Satterfield. It follows a cast of characters through a football season, focusing on one central game. It explores the ways that football provides opportunities for the best players … Read more
This is an effective and persuasive coming-of-age tale. It’s persuasive in part because it’s not entirely a story of triumph. Shawn McDonald struggles and rails against losses along with his team—but in the end he grows and learns and emerges … Read more
This narrative follows the efforts of one woman to help her son, a 10-year-old with progeria, a disease that causes rapid aging and early death. The mother is also a doctor; she’s a compelling character, and her quest to find … Read more
This elegiac piece is at once memoir and a tribute to both DeSilva’s own father and his generation. It poses a mystery, draws readers in with it and resolves it, with grace and elegance. We admired the structural clarity of … Read more
This story about the construction of Boston’s new Institute of Contemporary Art building is a good example of involving readers in an overarching narrative, covering a lot of ground in relatively short space. It’s the kind of topic a paper … Read more
Getlen wants us readers to consider—and really, to be persuaded—that competitive eating is just as much a sport as football. We weren’t convinced, but Getlen makes an interesting case. He drew us into a strange world—in which eating 50 hotdogs … Read more
This story received the AAAS best science writing award in 2006 for newspapers and appears in Best Science Writing 2007, edited by Gina Kolata. It’s a fine example of both matching hard science and human narrative and using strong writing … Read more
This is one of those stories that makes us believe all over again in journalism, in its power to bring truth to light. Pasternak’s use of narrative in certain chapters of the piece makes suffering real. These scenes and characters … Read more
