books

Remembering The New Yorker's Mark Singer

Remembering The New Yorker’s Mark Singer

Plus: What makes an ideal Talk of the Town story? And pitching an editor instead of a publication
Inside an award-winning book proposal

Inside an award-winning book proposal

Plus: Lessons from an author after the book comes out, and tell us your favorite stories in song
Annotation: The award-winning book proposal that became Lorraine Boissoneault's ‘Body Weather’

Annotation: The award-winning book proposal that became Lorraine Boissoneault’s ‘Body Weather’

Boissoneault, whose proposal won the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award in 2024, breaks down how she wrote it
Summer inspiration for journalists and writers

Summer inspiration for journalists and writers

Plus: Season Two of Nieman Storyboard’s podcast is coming soon, and is an MFA worth it?
Annotation: Rachel Aviv on reporting and writing her Pulitzer finalist story about a schizophrenia diagnosis

Annotation: Rachel Aviv on reporting and writing her Pulitzer finalist story about a schizophrenia diagnosis

The New Yorker staff writer talks about finding the right story structure and working with a family to access medical records and journals
Scenes from National Magazine Award winners

Scenes from National Magazine Award winners

Plus: More AI cautionary tales, how to create a book X-ray, and a Nieman Fellow's new book on writing
Your next story is outside

Your next story is outside

Plus: Tell us your favorite graduation speech, ProPublica's new podcast, and a rejoinder to AI slop
Finding the narrative in small-town libraries and bars: How Keith O’Brien told the origin story of Larry Bird

Finding the narrative in small-town libraries and bars: How Keith O’Brien told the origin story of Larry Bird

For his book “Heartland,” O’Brien visited the basketball legend’s hometown in French Lick, Indiana, to uncover a story never told
Tell us your best advice for journalists in the current moment

Tell us your best advice for journalists in the current moment

Plus: Poynter and Headliner awards, a guide to reported and braided essays, and a history of The New Yorker's short stories
Look beyond the headlines — and five other lessons for journalists from Power of Narrative 2026

Look beyond the headlines — and five other lessons for journalists from Power of Narrative 2026

Storytelling advice from Ken Burns, the Boston Globe, The New Yorker's Sarah Stillman, The Atavist, Jabari Asim, and Keith O’Brien