Narrative News

The oranges of John McPhee, on the page and on backyard trees

The oranges of John McPhee, on the page and on backyard trees

This week I left the snows of New England for a visit to my old stomping grounds in California. It was a bit head-spinning for a couple of reasons: When…
March 24, 2017
Kari Howard
The unexpected benefits of a springtime blizzard: reading a book by candlelight

The unexpected benefits of a springtime blizzard: reading a book by candlelight

A spring blizzard this week left me without power for 16 hours, and at first I felt unmoored because there was no heat, no light — and no Internet connection.…
March 17, 2017
Kari Howard
Let's hear it for women writers like Dorothy Parker and Zadie Smith the *other* 364 days

Let’s hear it for women writers like Dorothy Parker and Zadie Smith the *other* 364 days

This week, International Women’s Day really grabbed the spotlight with the Day Without a Woman protests and homages to role models on social media (shout-out to Nieman Lab’s great Instagram…
March 10, 2017
Kari Howard
The politics of language, from terrorists vs. freedom fighters to "carnage" in Chicago

The politics of language, from terrorists vs. freedom fighters to “carnage” in Chicago

We seem to have two recurring motifs going on this week on Storyboard — animals and the politicization of language. On the animal front, we have Christopher Solomon’s “cute even when…
March 3, 2017
Kari Howard
Meet the phone phreaks, the grandfathers of today's hackers (Russian or otherwise)

Meet the phone phreaks, the grandfathers of today’s hackers (Russian or otherwise)

Just in time for the weekend, here’s a little list of some of the things I’ve been listening to and reading this week, some of it online — Storyboard included,…
February 17, 2017
Kari Howard
A Saudi feminist's spoken-word performance finds its power in protest

A Saudi feminist’s spoken-word performance finds its power in protest

Waad Janbi, a Saudi feminist and aspiring filmmaker, has long fought against misogyny using her hands–furiously typing on her smartphone or laptop. But last month, for the first time, she…
February 16, 2017
Jasmine Bager
Reporters who go deep -- something we need more of in a time of national divisions (and short attention spans)

Reporters who go deep — something we need more of in a time of national divisions (and short attention spans)

Just in time for the weekend, here’s a little list of some of the things I’ve been listening to and reading this week, some of it online — Storyboard included,…
February 10, 2017
Kari Howard
Get your piping hot National Magazine Awards winners right here!

Get your piping hot National Magazine Awards winners right here!

The American Society of Magazine Editors held its annual Ellies awards gala today, and it was a big night for Mother Jones and The New York Times Magazine.Here’s a handy list of…
February 7, 2017
Kari Howard
The future of journalism: amid all the fretting, having faith in the ability to move people

The future of journalism: amid all the fretting, having faith in the ability to move people

Just in time for the weekend, here’s a little list of some of the things I’ve been listening to and reading this week, some of it online — Storyboard included,…
February 3, 2017
Kari Howard
"I’m here to remind you today that great journalism can also find ordinary, regular people and find the extraordinary in what they do"

“I’m here to remind you today that great journalism can also find ordinary, regular people and find the extraordinary in what they do”

The focus of this week’s “The Future of News: Journalism in a Post-Truth Era” at Harvard was, understandably, the (pretty terrifying) landscape for journalists dealing with the new Trump administration and…
February 2, 2017
Kari Howard