Author

"Why’s this so good?" No. 71: John Jeremiah Sullivan and "Upon This Rock"

Last summer, John Jeremiah Sullivan wrote an essay about Faulkner’s Absalom! Absalom!, and amid his deft and borderline genius thoughts on the novel – “It…dramatize[s] historical consciousness itself, not just human lives but the…
February 12, 2013
Viewfinder: Funny business

Viewfinder: Funny business

The news business is rarely funny. Much of what we do every day is report on devastating acts of nature, the plight of those without voices – the problems of the…
February 8, 2013
Just one question ... for Lane DeGregory, on the presidential hugger

Just one question … for Lane DeGregory, on the presidential hugger

My Pulitzer-winning pod-mate Lane DeGregory in the Tampa Bay Times, on the Florida pizza man who famously gave Barack Obama that bear hug:FORT PIERCE — After talking to MSNBC and Inside Edition, while waiting to be miked…
February 7, 2013

Annotation Tuesday! Amy Wallace on Garry Shandling

Reading Amy Wallace's profiles is like sitting around your favorite bar with your favorite super-witty friend and talking about people over cocktails: You come for the companionship and vibe, you…
February 5, 2013

"How'd you find that story about grown men playing tag, Russell Adams?"

The Wall Street Journal’s Russell Adams wrote a story last week about four grown men who’ve spent the past 23 years playing tag. Their shenanigans started in high school, and the men have gone to…
February 4, 2013
Thomas Curwen and the brave young man

Thomas Curwen and the brave young man

Our new Notable Narrative is “A young man’s fateful dance with death,” in which Thomas Curwen of the Los Angeles Times elegantly chronicles 19-year-old Jesús García’s struggle with a brain tumor.…
February 1, 2013
The Venn diagram of hip-hop, country & narrative

The Venn diagram of hip-hop, country & narrative

Songs speak not just to us but also to one another, crossing years and miles and even genres. One of last year’s best hip-hop singles, written by a rapper from…
January 31, 2013

"Why’s this so good?" No. 70: David Ramsey and Lil Wayne

Like the hook of a catchy song, David Ramsey's "I Will Forever Remain Faithful," from the Fall 2008 issue of The Oxford American, lures you in with a promise:1.Complex magazine: What…
January 29, 2013
Work the problem: "How do you prospect for narrative beyond the obvious?"

Work the problem: "How do you prospect for narrative beyond the obvious?"

This is the inaugural installment of Work the Problem, a storytelling advice column featuring everyday craft quandaries and a roving band of narrative sages. Today's players:>Dave Tarrant, reporter, Dallas Morning…
January 25, 2013
Reporting and writing "Never Let Go" -- inside Kelley Benham French's remarkable series

Reporting and writing "Never Let Go" — inside Kelley Benham French’s remarkable series

Kelley Benham French’s “Never Let Go,” about the extremely premature birth of her daughter, Juniper, was included in Storyboard's Best of Narrative list for 2012, and our final Notable Narrative of the…
January 24, 2013