Notable Narratives

We love the humor in this piece, the light touch, the human, almost self-deprecating voice. It’s folksy and sophisticated at once—a lovely, complete little memoir.Read “A Life Without Left Turns,”…

Hiba Hariri is 14. She’s acting in a play, along with her boyfriend. They have a fight, and then the trouble begins. This piece is a good model for the…

As we read this series, we thought of Chip Scanlan’s discussion of using private records for insights into characters. This entire series is, in a sense, based on the private…

This piece depends on its strong, admirable protagonist, Artie Folse, who refuses to say die. As other homes fester and are torn down around his, he gets to work and,…

In her comments on this story on the Journal Star’s Web site, Lange-Kubick writes, "We hoped that one family’s journey might illuminate a larger truth: How difficult it is to…

Betsy Perez wants to go away to college. She overcomes obstacles and does. We admired this piece in part because it portrays character so effectively and efficiently. It’s also a…

This tour de force pursues two basic lines of narrative: a more intimate story in an Illinois gas station, where its workers struggle and customers complain as gas prices climb.…

This piece includes an excellent focus on one thoughtful, smart, sympathetic character. His character arc is strong. We liked the beginning of the piece: It establishes conflict right away, gets…

We admired the lively writing in this piece and Lake’s smart take on its subject. More than just an entertaining story about a man with an unusual job, it’s got…

This is a piece with a somewhat boilerplate topic: a child in need of radical surgery and her mother’s emotional struggles. But we thought Theriault did well in reporting for…