Author

"Violence of the light miraculous."

“Violence of the light miraculous.”

—From the novel "The Dust That Falls from Dreams" by Louis de Bernieres
June 26, 2020
Reporting the emotionally sensitive story through trauma and physical distance

Reporting the emotionally sensitive story through trauma and physical distance

As a reporter for the Metro section of the Los Angeles Times, Angel Jennings explores issues affecting residents in South Los Angeles. Throughout 2019, she was one of the primary bylines…
June 25, 2020
The route to a Pulitzer in opinion writing: rigorous reporting

The route to a Pulitzer in opinion writing: rigorous reporting

A newcomer to a tiny newspaper in rural Texas brings fresh eyes, big-city experience, a drummer's rhythm, and some "swagger" to his editorials
June 24, 2020
The challenge of precision: As descriptors evolve, the press must be clear

The challenge of precision: As descriptors evolve, the press must be clear

 The U.S. Supreme Court this week (June 17, 2020) ruled that the Civil Rights act of 1964  prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which the majority said…
June 18, 2020
"Words are living things. They have personality, point of view, agenda."

“Words are living things. They have personality, point of view, agenda.”

—Mads Mikkelsen as TV character Hannibal Lecter
June 16, 2020
"They were tired, so tired and still they returned."

“They were tired, so tired and still they returned.”

—Washington Post staff
June 11, 2020
The challenge of writing a life in two lines

The challenge of writing a life in two lines

On May 23, 2020, (May 24 in print), the New York Times landed a daring and historic front page: A wash of overwhelming gray, which jumped to two more gray…
June 10, 2020
A confluence of hard news that demands uncomfortable considerations

A confluence of hard news that demands uncomfortable considerations

All news is the stuff of history. But some deserves more than a dusty archive to be stumbled upon by a research scholar. It is an immediate marker that demands…
June 9, 2020
How F. Scott Fitzgerald guided the hand and aspirations of a newspaper journalist

How F. Scott Fitzgerald guided the hand and aspirations of a newspaper journalist

Early in my career, while working in Minnesota as a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, I fell in love with F. Scott Fitzgerald, the city’s most famous native…
June 4, 2020
Reading (Stephen King) to learn to write

Reading (Stephen King) to learn to write

Now for something fun and funky, or at least distracting, but these days I’m sure we could all use fun and funky, or at least distracting. A starter’s guide to…
June 3, 2020