Chuck Haga

A veteran newsman teaches writing through music

By Chuck Haga• Story Craft• February 2, 2023

By Chuck Haga The students file in and suddenly some remember the day’s assignment: Bring in a favorite song lyric, something with magic in the way words work together. Out come the phones and they search, trying to remember … Read more

A retired newspaper man finds a new writing voice in the solitude of wilderness

By Chuck Haga• Personal Essays• August 24, 2021

Every year, or as often as I can, I go into the northern Minnesota woods, usually alone now, seeking tranquility and time to brood and reflect. And I write while I’m there, among the pines, at a campfire or … Read more

In good writing, clarity is job one

By Chuck Haga• Story Craft• January 30, 2020

After 40-some years of practicing journalism, I decided there was much I still had to learn about the craft. So I became a teacher. Any of you who have gone from reporting and writing to talking about reporting and … Read more

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

By Chuck Haga• Story Craft• September 25, 2019

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 of the depth and sweetness and catch in Patsy’s … Read more

Stories that beget stories

By Chuck Haga• Why's This So Good?• July 18, 2019

Chuck Haga with his … Read more

Haunting old photos — and happenstance — launch a search for answers

By Chuck Haga• Why's This So Good?• July 17, 2019

At first glance, it might seem an unlikely story from a veteran investigative reporter. But it was those investigative instincts and skills that James Eli Shiffer used to report and write the sweet, sad life story of Janet … Read more

About Chuck Haga