Trost’s own daughter is doing well, she reports, after years of innovative and experimental treatments for her combination of learning and behavioral problems. In this piece Trost returns to that world by following another little girl through a maze of … Read more
A woman on the verge of death is saved by a bone marrow transplant. She seeks out her donor after her recovery. They fall in love, and the rest is… a good story. Feeney goes after good detail in his … Read more
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, a year after Hurricane Katrina, is close to returning his … Read more
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 records of struggling kids. Through Snyder’s reporting on a … Read more
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,” by Michael Gartner … Read more
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 basic narrative paradigm of complication, development and resolution. And Hayasaki’s … Read more
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. A larger narrative is international. Salopek managed to get access … Read more
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 neat example of showing, in few words, a sympathetic character … Read more
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 gain legal status and how far love will travel to … Read more
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 us involved in the character’s struggle. We thought the battle … Read more
