Nell Lake

Chasing Shadows

By Notable Narratives July 7, 2007

There’s a subgenre in first-person works of journalism in which the “I” is the reporter on the trail of a story. This sort of story offers readers a look at the reporter’s process and is often about the narrator’s efforts … Read more

Attacked by a Grizzly

By Notable Narratives April 29, 2007

This story reconstructs the experience of Johan Otter, who was attacked by a grizzly while hiking in Glacier National Park with his daughter. The first section tells the story of the attack and of Otter’s rescue. The second installment chronicles … Read more

Thembi’s AIDS Diary

By Notable Narratives April 26, 2007

Thembi Ngubane is one of the most compelling characters we’ve encountered in a nonfiction narrative. She is an exceptionally likable narrator, both open in her feelings and poised in her dignity. She is heroic in her approach to her disease … Read more

Best Men

By Notable Narratives April 24, 2007

This series was written and reported by Thomas Farragher and Patricia Wen. It recounts the experiences of a couple and their two sons. One son is straight, the other gay. Both marry during the same summer. Farragher and Wen follow … Read more

Band of Brothers

By Notable Narratives April 24, 2007

This piece is about guilt, loyalty and the relationship between ordinary Americans and soldiers fighting in Iraq. It’s also a good test case for the "It’s not about you" principle of first-person pieces. There’s a lot of self-referencing here, but … Read more