Kruse has a knack for infusing even his more newsy stories with a non-official, folksy voice. He often achieves a friendly yet authoritative tone.

In this piece, his tone is a mix of muted drama, compassion and detachment. It’s an appropriate one for profiling a recovering crack addict who helps junkies now herself. Kruse reveals background with efficiency and moves handily from present to past and back again. He provides good detail and writes with clean sentences, which are a component of his effective voice. With that voice, Kruse is a good guide as he leads readers through the story.

Read “Habit that could have killed,” by Michael Kruse

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