Story Craft

Documentary photographer Lori Waselchuk's "Grace Before Dying" and the ethics of narrative activism

Documentary photographer Lori Waselchuk's "Grace Before Dying" and the ethics of narrative activism

Lori Waselchuk describes herself as a “documentary photographer and arts activist.” We’ve wanted to talk with her for a while about her latest project, “Grace Before Dying,” which focuses on…
NPR’s Daniel Zwerdling on golden radio, Yoda parallels and the Robert Krulwich moment

NPR’s Daniel Zwerdling on golden radio, Yoda parallels and the Robert Krulwich moment

[The third installment in an ongoing series of posts by Julia Barton about audio narratives. –Ed.]A ghostly crowd of voices parades across the public radio airwaves every day: politicians and hosts,…
Meg Kissinger on writing the tough stories

Meg Kissinger on writing the tough stories

Our February Editors’ Roundtable tackled “The law creates barriers to getting care for the mentally ill,” a story by Meg Kissinger of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Addressing the difficult question…
February Editors' Roundtable: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on patients' rights

February Editors’ Roundtable: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on patients’ rights

Our February Roundtable looks at “Law creates barriers to getting care for mentally ill,” by Meg Kissinger. In her narrative, Kissinger touches on violence, mental health and 40 years of…
January Editors' Roundtable: The Roanoke Times on PTSD and hard questions

January Editors’ Roundtable: The Roanoke Times on PTSD and hard questions

Our January Roundtable looks at “After the battle, Mike Sword’s war within,” by Beth Macy. In her story, Macy explores the death of a combat veteran in southern Virginia, tracing…
December Editors’ Roundtable: Vanity Fair on U.S. money trouble

December Editors’ Roundtable: Vanity Fair on U.S. money trouble

Our last Roundtable of 2011 considers “California and Bust,” in which superstar business reporter Michael Lewis turns his keen eye away from analyzing European financial problems, looking instead toward the…
When journalists become authors: a few cautionary tips

When journalists become authors: a few cautionary tips

There's long-form narrative, and then there's book-length narrative. Both are "long," but a story that's 300 pages long is a different proposition, for both writer and reader, from one that's…
Gay Talese has a Coke*: reflections of a narrative legend, in conversation with Esquire's Chris Jones

Gay Talese has a Coke*: reflections of a narrative legend, in conversation with Esquire’s Chris Jones

Continuing the Nieman Foundation narrative writing speaker series set up by Paige Williams, journalism legend Gay Talese appeared on campus two weeks ago in conversation with Esquire’s Chris Jones. The Harvard…
Chris Jones on reporting for detail, the case against outlining and the power of donuts

Chris Jones on reporting for detail, the case against outlining and the power of donuts

Esquire writer at large Chris Jones came to the Nieman Foundation two weeks ago as part of the Narrative Writing speakers series I started at the foundation last year, and spent a…
November Editors’ Roundtable: GQ's close-up on the people who bring you breakfast (and lunch, and dinner)

November Editors’ Roundtable: GQ’s close-up on the people who bring you breakfast (and lunch, and dinner)

Our November Roundtable looks at “Hecho en América,” by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Laskas immerses herself in the world of migrant workers picking blueberries in Washington County, Maine, and illuminates the…