Articles

"The third is when you can make a basket without worrying about whether it is good enough."

“The third is when you can make a basket without worrying about whether it is good enough.”

If this sentence seems lacking a word, it is. We’ll get to that in a moment. Until then, bookmark the notion of “good enough” — an aspiration that seems to…
October 11, 2019
Jacqui Banaszynski
Stories that unfold — and pain that is measured — from the ground up

Stories that unfold — and pain that is measured — from the ground up

You can almost smell the cedar-hewn totem poles and see them rise from the soil, so evocative is “We Didn’t Stand A Chance,” Joshua Hunt’s personal essay about opioid abuse…
October 9, 2019
Trevor Pyle
Subjectivity, hugs and craft: Podcasting as extreme narrative journalism

Subjectivity, hugs and craft: Podcasting as extreme narrative journalism

The literary journalism movement unleashed by Capote, Didion, Mailer and Wolfe in the 1960s is reinventing itself in a remarkably powerful way
October 8, 2019
Siobhan McHugh
"How dare you..."

“How dare you…”

After you watch Greta Thunberg’s speech a second or third time, after your heart rate slows, after your guilt subsides (a bit) — read the transcript.Franklin Foer of The Atlantic…
September 27, 2019
Tom Warhover
"Life is too short to write something boring."

“Life is too short to write something boring.”

I’m obsessed with structure. From John McPhee’s sketch for “Travels in Georgia,” which resembles a Fibonacci Spiral, to the lopsided bell curve of the classic story arc, there are examples…
September 26, 2019
Kim Cross
The story in the music — and the music in how the story is written

The story in the music — and the music in how the story is written

I fall to pieces every time I hear a recording of Patsy Cline singing “Crazy” or “Sweet Dreams” — or “I Fall to Pieces” — and it’s not just because…
September 26, 2019
Chuck Haga
"Problems that are not seen cannot be addressed."

“Problems that are not seen cannot be addressed.”

Journalism’s most idealistic missions are well-known and, despite the sine wave of attacks throughout history and the economic disruptions of the digital age, remain immutable:Give voice to the voiceless. Hold…
September 20, 2019
Jacqui Banaszynski
When gun violence visits, a pastor finds faith and a reporter finds those not noticed

When gun violence visits, a pastor finds faith and a reporter finds those not noticed

“Pittsburgh. El Paso. San Bernardino. Las Vegas. Aurora. Orlando. Sandy Hook. Isla Vista. Gilroy. Colorado Springs.”David Montero’s voice trails off.  “I just feel like there are obvious ones I’m missing.…
September 19, 2019
Chip Scanlan
When gun violence visits, a workaday mayor — and hard-working journalist — respond

When gun violence visits, a workaday mayor — and hard-working journalist — respond

By early August of this year, 253 American cities had been added to the map of mass shootings. For a day or two after yet another event, officials in these…
September 18, 2019
Chip Scanlan
If it was good enough for Jane Austen ...

If it was good enough for Jane Austen …

My mother’s reverence for education, a solid grounding in middle-school grammar, and a long career in old-school journalism has chiseled me into one of those people who honors language, and…
September 13, 2019
Jacqui Banaszynski