Notable Narratives

We admired the efficient, effective structuring of the reader’s experience, the muscular approach to an unusual narrative. And we think the writing even does Raymond Carver justice.Read “A Journey to…

This piece would be even better with clear point or “take.” We wondered: How does the author want us to think about this story? What themes could he have explored?…

This piece is built around an extraordinary character, an extraordinary setting—Gee’s Bend, Ala.—and tells an extraordinary history. Moehringer’s voice does the subject justice: The voice is at once eloquent and…

This is a finely reconstructed account of a charismatic leader who moved into a town and changed nearly everything about it. We like Lewan’s opening paragraphs: His language suggests legend…

This series got a lot of attention: The Plain Dealer’s Web traffic increased dramatically during the week of its publication, says Stuart Warner, an editor and writing coach at the…

Benham strikes the right tone in this piece—friendly and a touch ironic. The piece is punctuated by creative passages and playful quips. But there’s substance here, too: The playfulness is…

This is a wonderfully consistent profile, with thorough and effective characterization. Lewin provides telling details that stick to a theme, and yet the portrayal is not simplistic. Her material is…

Like another series by Nutt on this site, “The Seekers,” this piece is not truly narrative. But it shows how a companionable voice and a sense of destination, applied to…

In this fourth installment in the Times’ series on class, Lewin provides lots of quotes, and not much dialogue or scene—and yet the intimate reporting, the insightful and probing look…

We particularly like the first several sections of this piece. Earls provides an effective sequential experience for her readers: first a cliffhanger beginning, then an efficient summary of the topic,…