Articles

"There are more what-ifs than there are stars in the sky."

“There are more what-ifs than there are stars in the sky.”

Jill Lepore is not a florid writer. No trickery with words. No embellishments to wow the reader. Rather, her writing typically demonstrates deep curiosity, methodical reporting, and clear connections. If…
June 14, 2019
Jacqui Banaszynski
A writer who cared enough to strap in; an editor who cared enough to show up

A writer who cared enough to strap in; an editor who cared enough to show up

EDITOR’S NOTE: It is not unusual these days to come across yet another announcement of the death of a notable journalist. Those who came into the profession during the heady…
June 14, 2019
Tommy Tomlinson
Rethinking how we see and understand news — and who frames it

Rethinking how we see and understand news — and who frames it

If you have taken a picture and shared it with no text, or studied a news image to see if it was “real,” or wondered if “photography” is an accurate…
June 7, 2019
Nancy Richards Farese
Not just a guilty pleasure: "Game of Thrones" holds essential writing lessons

Not just a guilty pleasure: “Game of Thrones” holds essential writing lessons

Esteemed writing teacher Roy Peter Clark shares the 12 things he learned (or re-learned) about storytelling from the epic HBO series
June 5, 2019
Roy Peter Clark
A sex worker plunges to her death and a reporter demands to know: Who was she?

A sex worker plunges to her death and a reporter demands to know: Who was she?

Dan Barry led a team at The New York Times to uncover a name, a life history, and the sinister world of power and exploitation on 40th Road
June 4, 2019
Chip Scanlan
Getting in the writing zone

Getting in the writing zone

A chronic reality of writing: It’s a struggle.Or so it often (always?) seems if you’re the writer. You aren’t sure whether your information is sound, where to start your story,…
May 31, 2019
Jacqui Banaszynski
A tribute: On Herman Wouk and the incandescence of "Youngblood Hawke"

A tribute: On Herman Wouk and the incandescence of “Youngblood Hawke”

A 12-year-old Chip Scanlan "borrowed" his brother's book, read under the covers by flashlight, and vowed to become a writer
May 28, 2019
Chip Scanlan
What a "true war story" is really about

What a “true war story” is really about

Postscript from a reader about the powerful and troubling narratives of war
May 27, 2019
Jacqui Banaszynski
What's in a 50-year-old photo? The lingering gutwrench of the Vietnam War

What’s in a 50-year-old photo? The lingering gutwrench of the Vietnam War

An iconic photo from the 1968 Tet Offensive is revisited, raising questions about memory, identity, and and how we honor those who served
May 24, 2019
Steven A. Smith
"A true war story is never moral."

“A true war story is never moral.”

—Tim O'Brien, from his novel "The Things They Carried"
May 23, 2019
Jacqui Banaszynski