Why’s This So Good?

Look at clouds from all sides now — before they're gone

Look at clouds from all sides now — before they’re gone

When Reuters, the venerable global news agency, hired narrative veteran Kari Howard to be its first Storytelling Editor, she brought three principles to guide reporters in the field: Examine closely.…
These boots were made for discovery

These boots were made for discovery

Tom Curwen’s new boots, size 17AAA, handmade by boot maker Randy MerrellThey say every good narrative is a journey.Los Angeles Times reporter Thomas Curwen starts his by looking down. Literally.…
Romancing the moon in the reality of time

Romancing the moon in the reality of time

When it came time to write about the 50th anniversary of man’s first walk on the moon, Charles P. Pierce jettisoned sentimentality like a booster rocket.The opening of Pierce’s July…
A tribute to the "beauty and power" of work by novelist Toni Morrison

A tribute to the “beauty and power” of work by novelist Toni Morrison

EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece was shared, with thanks and permission, by our friends at The Poynter Institute.AUTHOR’S NOTE: American author and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison died August 5, 2019, at…
Stories that beget stories

Stories that beget stories

Chuck Haga with his reading partner and story muse, granddaughter Emma. Haga says they have both aged since this picture was taken, but that Emma wears it better.EDITOR’S NOTE: Metrics…
Haunting old photos — and happenstance — launch a search for answers

Haunting old photos — and happenstance — launch a search for answers

 At first glance, it might seem an unlikely story from a veteran investigative reporter.  But it was those investigative instincts and skills that James Eli Shiffer used to report and…
A tribute: On Herman Wouk and the incandescence of "Youngblood Hawke"

A tribute: On Herman Wouk and the incandescence of “Youngblood Hawke”

The news that Herman Wouk, whose epic World War II novels kept him atop the best seller lists for much of his literary career, died May 17 at the age…
Avoiding false judgments in journalism about Trump's evangelical supporters

Avoiding false judgments in journalism about Trump’s evangelical supporters

Ever since Donald Trump launched his presidential campaign in the summer of 2015, I have grown accustomed to the constant drumbeat of stories that pose the same question: How can…
What the "Insect Apocalypse" reveals about faulty human memory

What the “Insect Apocalypse” reveals about faulty human memory

 For several years, I have been captivated by a porpoise. The cetacean in question is the vaquita, a Mexican marine mammal that is shy, adorable, and totally screwed. The reasons…
Yes, everyone, there is a reason to believe ...

Yes, everyone, there is a reason to believe …

From one crusty newspaperman in 19th century to another in the 21st, the "Yes, Virginia" letter endures, transcending time and cynicism