Articles

Reporting trauma: Moni Basu on following an earthquake survivor

Reporting trauma: Moni Basu on following an earthquake survivor

The former CNN reporter returned to Haiti several times to follow a young woman who had been trapped in the rubble
Viewing the COVID divide through tensions in one rural community

Viewing the COVID divide through tensions in one rural community

AP reporter Tim Sullivan found a small town on the Minnesota prairie to explore the political chasms exposed by COVID
Reporting trauma: Jessica Ravitz on farmer suicides

Reporting trauma: Jessica Ravitz on farmer suicides

Ravitz made time and space for a daughter and son to talk about their father's death in hopes of helping others
Sticking a story together — and nailing the structure

Sticking a story together — and nailing the structure

A top Danish journalist uses a one-word theme and color-coded Post-its to find the path through her stories
When writing sparks writing

When writing sparks writing

Lines from a Muriel Rukeyser poem echoed forward into the heart of a Christmas movie starring Dame Maggie Smith
Reporting trauma: John D. Sutter on Hurricane Maria

Reporting trauma: John D. Sutter on Hurricane Maria

Sutter spent a year following victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico for CNN, and gained insights about taking care of story subjects and himself.
An obit gets honest and goes viral

An obit gets honest and goes viral

“A plus-sized Jewish redneck lady died in El Paso on Saturday.” That’s the first line of the unforgettable obit of Renay Mandel Corren, who died in December at age 84.…
An editor's sensitive guide to interviewing victims of trauma

An editor’s sensitive guide to interviewing victims of trauma

Narrative editor Jan Winburn created a class at the University of Montana focused on "The Worst Day Ever: Writing about Trauma"
An Atlantic writer turned a fatal blow into a sensitive study of boxing, guilt and grit

An Atlantic writer turned a fatal blow into a sensitive study of boxing, guilt and grit

Jacob Stern knew nothing about boxing when he set out to ask a painful question: How can a boxer who killed an opponent return to the ring?
The making of Joan Didion: From fuzzy facts to peerless prose

The making of Joan Didion: From fuzzy facts to peerless prose

A re-read of Didion's work shows the evolution of excellence that came through years of hard work and self scrutiny