Author

Paige Williams

@williams_paige

Paige Williams writes for The New Yorker and is an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. Winner of the National Magazine Award for feature writing in 2008, and a finalist in 2011 and 2009 (shared) , she has been anthologized in five volumes of the Best American series, including twice in The Best American Magazine Writing. She is the former editor of Nieman Storyboard and has taught narrative nonfiction at Harvard, M.I.T., NYU, Emory, the University of Pittsburgh, and at her alma mater, the University of Mississippi. She was a '97 Nieman Fellow and holds an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. Her narrative nonfiction book "The Dinosaur Artist" is forthcoming, from Hachette, in Fall 2016.

"What's on your syllabus?" Narrative professors on what stories and books they assign

“What’s on your syllabus?” Narrative professors on what stories and books they assign

Every narrative journalist can point to a story or a book, or two, that changed their lives, and that made them want to tell true stories. What story does it for…
Writing 9/11: Erin Sullivan on survivors, intros, collaboration, inspiration and the importance of working with what you have

Writing 9/11: Erin Sullivan on survivors, intros, collaboration, inspiration and the importance of working with what you have

We chose Erin Sullivan’s story about a 9/11 survivor as our latest Notable Narrative for the usual reasons − interesting characters; strong, memorable writing − but also because it contained the watermark…

Notable narrative: Erin Sullivan and the 9/11 survivor

We thought about rounding up some of the week’s better 9/11 anniversary coverage (including that viral thing about rescue dogs, because a great protagonist doesn’t have to be human), but…
New Niemans and their stories: Meet the Class of 2013

New Niemans and their stories: Meet the Class of 2013

The first week of fall term ends today at Harvard, and the Nieman Foundation's newest class of fellows is settling in. The Nieman fellowship, which next year will celebrate its…

Michael Kruse and the woman who disappeared in her own home

In July 2011, Michael Kruse of the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) wrote a haunting story about the “disappearance” and death of a woman named Kathryn Norris. He did it…
The best of Storyboard: What’s that sound?

The best of Storyboard: What’s that sound?

The best stories – even the written ones – have audio. Maybe it’s a sensibility: voice or style, which Ben Yagoda explores in his craft book The Sound on the…

Jon Franklin and “Mrs. Kelly’s Monster”

Jon Franklin’s “Mrs. Kelly’s Monster,” which in 1979 won the inaugural Pulitzer Prize for feature writing, ran 33 years ago but never loses its power to captivate or instruct. Franklin…
What we're reading: digital long-form enterprise, quest narratives, a goalie's dream, recession survivors, the curated Ayn Rand

What we’re reading: digital long-form enterprise, quest narratives, a goalie’s dream, recession survivors, the curated Ayn Rand

Five from the field:1. Rachel McAthy’s recent roundup of eight long-form digital projects included sites you probably already know about, like The Atavist, Byliner and Longreads, but also Matter, which recently…

Jeneen Interlandi on "When My Crazy Father Actually Lost His Mind"

We’ve chosen Jeneen Interlandi’s recent New York Times magazine cover story about her father’s mental illness as our latest Notable Narrative. “When My Crazy Father Actually Lost His Mind” follows a…

Notable Narrative: "When My Crazy Father Actually Lost His Mind," by Jeneen Interlandi

Our latest Notable Narrative, “When My Crazy Father Actually Lost His Mind,” is Jeneen Interlandi’s New York Times magazine story about an episode in her father’s debilitating bipolar disorder, and…