Articles

Ballouville: Poverty With a View

This piece originally appeared in The Harford Courant. The nonfiction journal River Teeth published a reprint. It’s an intimate portrayal of individuals living in a pocket of poverty in wealthy…

Six Writing Tips for Crafting Scenes

As you map out the story, there are a lot of things for you to consider

Minor-league Life, Major-league Drive

Kruse drove with a minor league baseball player from New York State to Florida for Spring training. The player, Alex Trezza, lives his life around baseball, but his chances of…

Last Chance High

This is a six-part series about an alternative school for struggling kids in Essex County, N.J. The piece gets close to kids whom others might dismiss—just as the school does.…

Route to Independence

Mark Sheppard is an ordinary guy who took a job that he felt was his calling: He helps people—most of them with special needs—learn how to navigate their world by…

Desperately Seeking Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney’s 2004 campaign has denied Lyman a seat on Air Force Two, so he hopscotches around the country by commercial plane, trying to keep up.It’s a case in which…

Choosing Naia

This six-part narrative is now a classic, instructive for its solid structure, rounded characters and close reporting.Notice the ways that Zuckoff weaves medical background and the details of Naia’s case…

Storm Gods and Heroes

How did Lewan make this piece so compelling? Of course, the event is made for narrative. But notice how it’s told: the relentlessly active verbs—the ship teeters and plunges, the…

Countdown to Landfall

When Bill Adair e-mailed us this piece, he wrote, “It’s an instant narrative. Just add water.” The action, tension, suspense—they’re ready-made.We notice the effective use of team reporting, which enables…

Act One: A Storm Gathers

How many leads can you think of that focus on smell? We admire the first seven paragraphs of this piece. They’re evocative, authoritative and efficient. Kiernan told an audience at…