What stands out among all the lovely elements in this series is Tizon’s use of the first and second persons. Come join me on a journey, he says. And if you’ve just joined me, let me fill you in. In … Read more
As in all of Siegel’s stories on this site, all of which cover in some sense an “endangered child,” he portrays emotional content—in this case a young boy’s death, his parents’ senseless loss—while making a contribution to the way we … Read more
Siegel builds this piece on effective, masterful movement from story-telling through explanatory digressions and back to story. The digressions advance not just our understanding of how this girl could come to die in the way she did, but also the … Read more
What consistently sets Siegel’s writing apart from many other newspaper narratives is his ability and willingness to construct an authoritative, muscular “argument.” In this case, he shows how a middle-class community in the 1960s failed to prevent a child’s murder, … Read more
The title of this piece triggered our mawkishness radar: It signals tragedy; we wondered how such tragedy would be handled. Reading, we thought the piece teeters on the edge of too much. But it’s also a powerful story, and it … Read more
This is a thorough and nuanced examination of the war’s impact on American lives. The story of the main character, Jeannette Mulligan, the wife of a soldier, provides an overarching narrative thread as the story moves from chapter to chapter. Read more
Viser writes about a young man, Zack Weinstein, who has “started an unusual process: healing by blog.” Weinstein writes about his experiences on his blog following a spinal injury that paralyzed him from the chest down. Viser alternates excerpts from … Read more
You might say radio has an inherent advantage when it comes to scene-setting. Put ambient sound in the background, and you’ve placed a listener in a particular place at a particular time. This story explores the struggles of military couples … Read more
We liked that DeGregory emphasized the human component in this story about the loss of her dog: her children and their reactions, her husband’s and her own reactions as well. The piece shows a skillful, light touch. Read “ … Read more
Rakan is a 12-year-old who, through extraordinary intervention by several powerful men, is flown to an American hospital from Iraq following the death of his parents and his own injury from American fire. It’s a compelling tale. We liked the … Read more
