Nazario’s reporting for this series was remarkable. She followed Enrique for part of his journey—from the U.S.-Mexican border to North Carolina—and reconstructed the rest. As part of her research into his experience, she rode seven freight trains, hitched a ride … Read more
Mark Kramer cautions his students against writing “How I Got the Story” stories. A particularly amateurish version of such a story might begin: “I felt nervous as I walked into Jane Doe’s elegant office. I knew she was one of … Read more
This is a real story, structurally speaking: The main character’s problem is clear from the outset, and we are engaged by the central question of whether he will succeed. Secondary dramatic threads—the missing mother, the dissatisfied girlfriend—enrich the narrative and … Read more
The amused view on this piece’s topic makes it an entertaining read—while taking inventory of the consequences of high urban rents. It also acknowledges that not all crises are washed in tears. Read “Talk About Renting a … Read more
Lake does a nice job portraying this fallen soldier’s life in authentic terms. He shows some change in the young man’s character before he dies, which makes the piece more engaging and insightful. He follows the transportation of the soldier’s … Read more
This series rather exhaustively looks back over nearly 20 years of history surrounding the prosecution and incarceration of Darryl Hunt, a black man accused of raping and murdering a white woman in downtown Winston-Salem. It uncovers the weaknesses in the … Read more
This piece is beautifully, closely reported: We admired the scene, for example, in which baby Nick’s heart rate calms as his father caresses and talks to him. This is wonderful, real, touching detail. The piece is also plainly, unsentimentally … Read more
This is deadline narrative, written in a refreshing, just-right, lighthearted tone. The tone is supported by the structure: Perry sets up a question, writes up close to the punch line, then backs up to tell the full story. The writing … Read more
Moehringer writes about a man who, many feel, has been wronged. We like the opening paragraphs of the piece, in which Moehringer is crafty with us readers, leading us in one direction, only to turn another way. We like that … Read more
This is a story about a high school girl, Michelle Dowdy, who auditioned for "Hairspray" on a whim and got a part as the understudy to the lead. When DeGregory’s colleague Kelley Benham emailed us the series, she wrote, "It’s … Read more
