Articles

Teaching narrative in the time of coronavirus

Teaching narrative in the time of coronavirus

Every year as I put together my syllabus, Hank Stuever’s list makes me smile. A decade ago, I came upon the 13 questions that my former Washington Post colleague would…
April 16, 2020
R.B. Brenner
A religion reporter profiles a charismatic community drawn to a "miracle Bible"

A religion reporter profiles a charismatic community drawn to a “miracle Bible”

Surprising stories spring from any number of places. Investigative or narrative or explanatory stories often start with curiosity sparked by a local news story or feature. That’s what happened when…
April 14, 2020
Trevor Pyle
When the narrative becomes the disease

When the narrative becomes the disease

EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece is published in partnership with our friends at the Poynter Institute. It’s happening again, as it always happens with disease. Our fear of contagion has turned some…
April 13, 2020
Roy Peter Clark
John Prine would want us to feel real life today, and write it with feeling every day

John Prine would want us to feel real life today, and write it with feeling every day

It’s 4:08 a.m. EST on Wednesday, April 8,  as I type this, and John Prine has been dead for too long.Like many of you, I went to bed a few…
April 8, 2020
Wade Livingston
How knowing the full story process informs a writer's work

How knowing the full story process informs a writer’s work

The anecdote is packed. Daniel Riley was writing a profile for GQ of Brooks Koepka, one of the world’s elite golfers, and he knew immediately that this would be a…
April 8, 2020
Greg Bowers
How to wed personal experience and journalistic discipline

How to wed personal experience and journalistic discipline

Some journalistic tenets are almost sacred, among them: The story is not about us.But sometimes, the story is. Or at least the journalist is living the same story as his…
April 3, 2020
Jacqui Banaszynski
Six core questions to spark fresh ideas

Six core questions to spark fresh ideas

Journalism is, at core, a reactive profession. Something happens; journalists react. Then they cover the counter-reaction to the reaction, and track any consequences as they dribble out.I used to think…
April 1, 2020
Jacqui Banaszynski
A writer channels her own life of fear to report about science and psychology

A writer channels her own life of fear to report about science and psychology

Award-winning freelancer and outdoorswoman Eva Holland weaves memoir and research in her debut book "Nerve"
March 31, 2020
Kim Cross
"... America was postoned."

“… America was postoned.”

The story begins with a short sentence: “Routine left us suddenly” — a succinct summarization of what Floridians were feeling after those first two weeks of March. It ran on…
March 27, 2020
Lane DeGregory
What we can learn about writing and life in a graduation speech sent from a distance

What we can learn about writing and life in a graduation speech sent from a distance

Do you remember your college commencement speaker, or anything s/he said? I had it in my head that a state legislator spoke at my high school graduation in 1970, but…
March 26, 2020
Jacqui Banaszynski