Nell Lake

Here’s what Erika Hayasaki wrote us when she sent this piece: "This is an example of going back after the news is ‘over’ and finding the richer story. I read…

This is a retrospective narrative, part history and part where-they-are-now. It’s an important and difficult story to tell. Difficult, it seems to us, because of its complexity and nuance. Mundy…

We asked Swidey to tell us about his work on this story. Here’s what he e-mailed us:“I knew what I didn’t want to write: the birth-to-current-day profile of Mitt Romney,…

This series shows how narrative can illuminate complex processes—in this case the machinations of policymaking. It’s a clear, entertaining account of Republican mavericks trying to pass a bill popular among…

Kimber’s story about Tom Martin, a devoted detective, has a strong sense of direction—even though his piece is based on interview. We thought this piece a good example of writing…

Born to an unwed mother, Frank Beazley was given up to an orphanage as a newborn. His difficult life rolled out from there. We appreciated the historical detail the series…

We have to admit that the topic of this story, its high drama, made us a bit wary. Still, the series is well worth reading because it is an engrossing…

By clicking the link below, you’ll find four selections from Shaw’s intermittent series about the transformation of a Minnesota farm into a high-end subdivision. Shaw follows the project from the…

This piece is a good example of how to write about emotional topics without mawkishness or sentimentality. A woman has lost her husband; she must now face the challenges of…

This is a effective example of how narrative can flesh out, give dignity to, people who feel they are, as a central character says in this story, “just a number…