Author

Kari Howard

@karihow

I'm the woman who left a dream job as Column One editor at the Los Angeles Times because I wanted to move to Maine. Go figure how happiness works. Former editor of Nieman Storyboard. I love music almost as much as (and sometimes more than) beautiful storytelling, so expect to see that here too.

A mass shooting in the news, and loss also in longform -- but always, always hope

A mass shooting in the news, and loss also in longform — but always, always hope

Loss was too much with us this week, as we learned of yet another mass shooting that beggars the imagination. And it’s a theme of this week’s posts, too. In…
October 6, 2017

“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.”

—Tennessee Williams, "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore"
October 4, 2017
Zooming in on two of America's biggest stories: culture wars and opioid epidemic

Zooming in on two of America’s biggest stories: culture wars and opioid epidemic

Two of the biggest stories in America today are the culture wars that seem to be deepening the divide in the country and the opioid crisis that is devastating a…
September 29, 2017
For film week, home movies and drive-ins (and David Foster Wallace on David Lynch)

For film week, home movies and drive-ins (and David Foster Wallace on David Lynch)

It was a lot of fun focusing on movies this week on Storyboard. Each day I tweeted out some of the best-written lines in filmdom — including the best one-word…
September 22, 2017

“I know all about reporters, Walter. A lot of daffy buttinskis running around without a nickel in their pockets and for what? So a million hired girls and motormen’s wives’ll know what’s going on.”

Why is it great? Yes, it’s three sentences. But it’s one brilliant summation of journalists, from the best-written movie about journalists of all time. God, the banter in the screenplay!…
September 20, 2017
Documentary film as "home movie": Going beyond a public face to reveal a private one

Documentary film as “home movie”: Going beyond a public face to reveal a private one

Almost all of us have home movies of our families somewhere, from the flickering black and white of 8-millimeter film to the Instagramable perfection of an iPhone video. We like…
September 19, 2017
The big tent that is storytelling: embracing the richness (and beauty) of its diversity

The big tent that is storytelling: embracing the richness (and beauty) of its diversity

It shouldn’t be surprising that storytelling was the focus this week on Storyboard: That’s what we do. But I love the variety of the storytelling on offer. A narrative about…
September 15, 2017
Sometimes journalism and literature are controversial; sometimes that's a good thing

Sometimes journalism and literature are controversial; sometimes that’s a good thing

I decided to try another “theme” week on Storyboard, after having such fun with the Southern focus last week. For this one, we took a look at controversial stories, books, writers…
September 8, 2017

“A woman has to live her life, or live to repent not having lived it.”

Why is it great? For “Controversy Week” on Storyboard, I chose a sentence from one of the most controversial books of the 20th century. “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” was shocking on…
September 6, 2017
It's Southern Week on Storyboard: Read on for some great regional storytelling

It’s Southern Week on Storyboard: Read on for some great regional storytelling

It was Southern Week here on Storyboard, spotlighting some wonderful regional journalism and writing. It’s been fun tweeting out great lines from famous Southern writers, including this one from William…
September 1, 2017