Los Angeles Times

Browse Archives

By Date

Ana’s Story

By Notable Narratives April 4, 2009

One side of 24 year-old Ana Rodarte’s face balloons and sags with disfiguring neurofibromatosis. Can surgery help? Los Angeles Times reporter Thomas Curwen takes on a classic medical drama and covers all the bases, following Ana, her family, and her doctors … Read more

The Collar and the Gun

By Notable Narratives March 6, 2009

The life and death of an American Catholic in Africa provides the subject for this month’s Notable Narrative, “The Collar and the Gun.” The three-part serial draws out narrative details that make Kaiser’s missionary lifestyle come alive, from the brown … Read more

Viewing Life from the Roof

By Notable Narratives May 2, 2008

An anti-profile, Jeffrey Fleishman’s “Viewing Life from the Roof,” is a series of snapshots from the life of Alia Qotb, who lives on an anonymous rooftop in Cairo. In  language that floats between poetry and prose, Fleishman recounts vignettes from … Read more

Climbing a Ladder Made of Lipstick

By Notable Narratives April 4, 2008

In “Climbing a Ladder Made of Lipstick,” Los Angeles Times reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske looks at the day-to-day life of immigrant entrepreneurs who are transforming that quintessential American business, Mary Kay cosmetics. She follows Altagracia Valdez as the 60 year-old abuela … Read more

Attacked by a Grizzly

By Notable Narratives April 29, 2007

This story reconstructs the experience of Johan Otter, who was attacked by a grizzly while hiking in Glacier National Park with his daughter. The first section tells the story of the attack and of Otter’s rescue. The second installment chronicles … Read more

Growth on the Gridiron

By Notable Narratives March 15, 2007

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