Narrative News

“An ordinary life examined closely reveals itself to be exquisite"

“An ordinary life examined closely reveals itself to be exquisite”

This week’s One Great Sentence by Susan Orlean, referenced in the headline above, could be my journalism mantra. Yes, we must know about the great events and people of our…
February 23, 2018
Kari Howard
On bullets and planes that fall from the sky -- and, somewhere in the middle, love

On bullets and planes that fall from the sky — and, somewhere in the middle, love

This could have been a week of love — at least of the commercialized Hallmark variety. But hearts and flowers didn’t prevail for even one day before yet another person…
February 16, 2018
Kari Howard
A tribute to audio storytelling, and to the memory of bedtime stories

A tribute to audio storytelling, and to the memory of bedtime stories

This is a very “audio” week on Storyboard, and I’d like to have more of them. Storytelling has so many forms, and sometimes we hear stories better than we read…
February 9, 2018
Kari Howard
Forget the politics of immigration -- read about the real lives of immigration

Forget the politics of immigration — read about the real lives of immigration

This week on Storyboard we spotlighted some wonderful journalism (and songwriting) about immigration. I know I might be biased, because I spent the bulk of my career at the Los…
February 2, 2018
Kari Howard
A salute to storytelling in the Middle East: Syria, Saudi Arabia and Shadid

A salute to storytelling in the Middle East: Syria, Saudi Arabia and Shadid

This week we spotlighted the storytelling of the Middle East on Storyboard. Too often the coverage is of the bird’s-eye-view variety, either because of dangerous conditions or cultural differences. But…
January 26, 2018
Kari Howard
The sorrows of Ireland, from Dan Barry, Frank McCourt and Dolores O'Riordan

The sorrows of Ireland, from Dan Barry, Frank McCourt and Dolores O’Riordan

The words “lyricism” and “Ireland” seem entwined. One of my favorite poets is W.B. Yeats (oh, his “Stolen Child”). More recently, the playwright and screenwriter Martin McDonagh, born in London…
January 19, 2018
Kari Howard
For the New Year, a little bit of hope and a little bit of help

For the New Year, a little bit of hope and a little bit of help

Friends sometimes tell me to take off my rose-colored spectacles, but I was determined to start out 2018 with a bit of inspiration on Storyboard — from some of our…
January 5, 2018
Kari Howard
Some legends of longform on the stories we need next

Some legends of longform on the stories we need next

As audience development editor at Longreads, it’s my job to encourage readers to find and share unforgettable stories. Stories that help us understand this world. Stories that imagine a better…
January 2, 2018
Catherine Cusick
Want to read some of the best literary journalism of 2017? We've got you covered

Want to read some of the best literary journalism of 2017? We’ve got you covered

A weekly roundup of some favorite things, for your reading and listening pleasure
December 22, 2017
Kari Howard
"Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn't show." (Haunted by this.)

“Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn’t show.” (Haunted by this.)

The final half of this week’s One Great Sentence has stayed with me: “Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn’t show.” It’s about the winter landscape, but couldn’t it also apply…
December 15, 2017
Kari Howard