This is a neat topic, conducive to good scene with its unusual site, strong characters and broad reason to care: the dying practice of setting up pins by hand. Batz achieves a nice, light tone with his snappy lead. He … Read more
We must admit we approached this piece about a father and his ill sons with a bit of weariness: another story about suffering children, death, loss. The piece is wrenching. It’s also beautifully done. The lead sets up poignant … Read more
There are many things to admire in Bearak’s collection of pieces for which he won a 2002 Pulitzer. We’ll just point out, for this piece about pre-9/11 Pakistan, his tone: It’s dry, almost wry, which allows for both the seriousness … Read more
Skloot explores the parallel political, cultural and gastronomic universes of two restaurants: a locally owned, eccentric bistro and a Bob Evans. We happened to read this piece not long after reading “Just Getting By,” a first-person account in The (Cleveland) … Read more
Ten reporters contributed to this summer sampler with scenes from the Pittsburgh area. We like the team’s reporting for dialogue, for the senses (how could you do a piece on summer and not write about smell, taste, color and sound?), … Read more
Many would say that this piece is not strictly narrative, and we’d agree. But there are plenty of narrative elements in the story, and we believe they’re what make the piece so effective: close reporting, intimate scenes, a distinctive voice. Read more
For this remarkable piece of reporting, Hallman gained first access into the ward, via the administrators, and then, more vitally, access into the “hearts and minds” of the nurses. Hallman told the listserv WriterL that he got into the ward … Read more
We found the level of action detail in this gruesome series remarkable: Bowden traces what happened when—who got shot where, shrieked, said what, shot whom, with what—with striking clarity. We imagine that spelling out each thread in the bloody narrative … Read more
We’re always glad to find effective, solidly written and reported pieces in papers other than the Heavy Hitters. We appreciated the close, thorough reporting in this piece, the lucid attention to Lequan’s inner life and struggles. We e-mailed Earls to … Read more
This piece explores a judge’s difficult position in a difficult case. Siegel traces parallel themes in the lives of the judge and defendant: responsibility, redemption, compassion. The piece won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. A man leaves his … Read more
