Notable Narratives

Reflections on classic stories that endure through time, or on new narratives that expand the possibilities of story work.

Browse Archives

By Date

Fighting for Life on Level 3

By Notable Narratives November 18, 2004

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

Lequan: The Lost Boy

By Notable Narratives November 18, 2004

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

Black Hawk Down

By Notable Narratives November 18, 2004

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

One Good Thing On Top of Another

By Notable Narratives November 17, 2004

While covering a cookie-stacking contest, Pollak kept asking herself that ever-important question: What and where is the story? So instead of a cutesy, standard piece about a child winning a competition, we get a more quirky and enduring one, in … Read more

Life’s Ups and Downs

By Notable Narratives November 17, 2004

The scale stands at the entrance to the Publix in Hudson, Fla. It catches the attention of passersby; they weigh themselves and react. Through simple reporting—observing people weigh themselves and talking with them about their reactions—DeGregory achieves a surprising richness … Read more