Batz does justice to this story’s emotional content without tipping into mawkishness. He achieves this through his poised nut graph and delicate scene-writing. Read “Remembering 89,” by Bob Batz Jr. Read more
This is a powerful work of reporting, a devastating account of exploitation. The two-part series tells the story of a group of young Nepalese men who were recruited to work in the Middle East, sent to Iraq against the expectations … Read more
Breslin approaches the burial of John Fitzgerald Kennedy from the perspective of his grave digger. It’s a plainly told story—no breathtaking sentences here—but the style is effective in its Hemingway-esque directness. Breslin moves from the gravedigger’s perspective, to a more … Read more
French uses the second person here to describe a reporting experience he had in Uzbekistan. This is a “how I got the story” story, in which the narrative consists mainly of the process of reporting. It seems clear that French … Read more
There’s no real narrative structure here, but the piece contains scenes that reveal much, that stand out for their lovely writing. Like his other story on Uzbekistan that’s included on this site, but to a lesser degree, this piece has … Read more
Here’s an example of a piece that has a narrative feel despite not having exactly a narrative arc. Its voice and humor and neat scenes make for an engaging read. Read “Fixing Nemo,” by Rebecca Skloot … Read more
According to this narrative’s editor’s note, French began covering this story 24 hours after the baby had died. He ended up focusing the narrative on a labor and delivery nurse. We were interested in this good choice of focus. On … Read more
We include this narrative essay by a physician—published in a health care journal—because it’s a great example of the ways that narrative can enliven and enlighten discourse about complicated and difficult topics. Winakur dispenses with the sterilized language of health … Read more
This piece takes on the theme of idealism; the two others in the paper’s series (of which we are aware) took on themes of optimism and fear. These latter pieces address their themes head-on, as in “Now I’m going write … Read more
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 the Water’s Edge,” by Thomas Lake … Read more
