Articles

Goldilocks interviews: Too little, too much and just right

Goldilocks interviews: Too little, too much and just right

By Jacqui BanaszynskiMy fandom of American TV police/crime procedurals goes back to sharing Agatha Christie mysteries with my mother, then watching “Perry Mason” on a not-very-sharp black-and-white TV. I loved…
When journalism is emptied of journalism

When journalism is emptied of journalism

A career newspaperman warns of the dangers that come with viewing journalism and other creative work as "content"
Lessons on what not always to do in interviews

Lessons on what not always to do in interviews

By Jacqui BanaszynskiLast week brought the sad news of the deaths of more fine journalists I’ve been graced to know. One was Jim Caple, who was one of those sports…
"Now is the winter ..."

“Now is the winter …”

—Name that source: Subversive literature in a raunchy, slapstick comedy
Chasing the emotional escape of Dungeons & Dragons on death row

Chasing the emotional escape of Dungeons & Dragons on death row

Author and one-time prisoner Keri Blakinger worked through nicknames, bureaucracies and emotional truths to write about gaming on death row
Pick some winners while you sip that latte

Pick some winners while you sip that latte

By Jacqui BanaszynskiIt’s that season again — and I don’t mean the season of the pumpkin spice latte, which I consider a bad idea on several levels. I mean the…
Embedded war reporting with courage and common sense

Embedded war reporting with courage and common sense

"Your eyes and ears and nose should be wide open the whole time." ~ Luke Mogelson of The New Yorker on reporting from the front lines
For the love of the (story) game

For the love of the (story) game

The editor reflects on what she learned about reporting and writing narrative from reading and covering sports
How to write boring wonk

How to write boring wonk

By Jacqui BanaszynskiA message popped up on my Facebook message box that captured, in short form, a not-infrequent lament I hear from reporters who long to stretch into deeper, more…
Four girls, 60 years, 11 students, 2,800 miles and a new awareness of history

Four girls, 60 years, 11 students, 2,800 miles and a new awareness of history

A journalist-turned-teacher takes students on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail to explore the nation's challenges through a journalistic lens