Articles

"...no one feels the entry wound ..."

“…no one feels the entry wound …”

A review of TV series becomes a study in metaphor
How a writer's kaleidoscopic mind learned to still the distractions with haiku

How a writer’s kaleidoscopic mind learned to still the distractions with haiku

I learned much of what I value about writing from a man who lost his voice. A slender, black-eyed Panamanian, José Quintero was a legend in the American theater and…
Foreign reporting: Peter Hessler on seeing China through a personal lens

Foreign reporting: Peter Hessler on seeing China through a personal lens

Peter Hessler’s books about China have resonated with both Western and Chinese audiences, an accomplishment that seems unlikely today, when the “China story” has become a political and diplomatic battleground.Hessler…
The role of editor as story director

The role of editor as story director

The director wasn’t satisfied.“Do it again,” she said, after we finished the scene.We did.“Do it again.”We did.“Do it again.”And so on, until we got it right. Or close enough.It was…
"... and the cold came biting ..."

“… and the cold came biting …”

—Peter Geye in his novel "The Lighthouse Road"
#6 rule of pitching: Stay focused

#6 rule of pitching: Stay focused

A good pitch is not a scattershot, but a clearly stated central idea or question that is fresh, relevant, and a fit for the publication
A profile of Ahmaud Arbery reveals the dangers of "running while Black"

A profile of Ahmaud Arbery reveals the dangers of “running while Black”

Acclaimed author Mitchell S. Jackson won both Pulitzer and National Magazine awards for his edgy and intimate Runner's World story

Industry news that honors the craft and reflects the times

Even the most dramatic news about the journalism is seldom a surprise. Budgets are cut. Awards are given. Veterans retire or are bought out. Book contracts are signed.But collecting a…
The journalistic dangers of binary thinking

The journalistic dangers of binary thinking

Meet Bethany Grace Howe, above. I met her a little over 10 years ago when she came to the Missouri School of Journalism as a nontraditional graduate student. “Nontraditional” essentially…
What journalists need to know when interviewing a transgender person

What journalists need to know when interviewing a transgender person

A transgender activist and former journalist urges reporters to move past the bathroom question and other false stereotypes