Articles

The $40 Lawyer

This is a real story, structurally speaking: The main character’s problem is clear from the outset, and we are engaged by the central question of whether he will succeed. Secondary…

Talk About Renting a Hole in the Wall

The amused view on this piece’s topic makes it an entertaining read—while taking inventory of the consequences of high urban rents. It also acknowledges that not all crises are washed…

Soldier’s Final Journey

Lake does a nice job portraying this fallen soldier’s life in authentic terms. He shows some change in the young man’s character before he dies, which makes the piece more…

Murder, Race, Justice: The State v. Darryl Hunt

This series rather exhaustively looks back over nearly 20 years of history surrounding the prosecution and incarceration of Darryl Hunt, a black man accused of raping and murdering a white…

For Ailing Twins’ Parents, Hope Vies With Anguish

This piece is beautifully, closely reported: We admired the scene, for example, in which baby Nick’s heart rate calms as his father caresses and talks to him. This is wonderful,…

It’s Crowbars and Hydraulics vs. One Stubborn Old Bank Vault

This is deadline narrative, written in a refreshing, just-right, lighthearted tone. The tone is supported by the structure: Perry sets up a question, writes up close to the punch line,…

The Red Sox’s Bloodiest Day

Moehringer writes about a man who, many feel, has been wronged. We like the opening paragraphs of the piece, in which Moehringer is crafty with us readers, leading us in…

Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now

This is a story about a high school girl, Michelle Dowdy, who auditioned for "Hairspray" on a whim and got a part as the understudy to the lead. When DeGregory’s…

Destruction Teams Tackling Bird Flu

This journal about traveling with bird-destruction teams in Turkey is honest, informative and full of voice.This is an intimate sharing of a difficult journey. The author uses first person not…

Three Hours in the Dark

We appreciated the good writing in this piece, the evocative detail garnered through interview. It’s a wonderful example of how narrative techniques can flesh out a story that’s been reported,…