narrative nonfiction

How Pamela Colloff wrote her first book, about a con artist turned jailhouse informant

How Pamela Colloff wrote her first book, about a con artist turned jailhouse informant

The award-winning journalist discusses her new book, ‘Catch the Devil,’ for the Season Two premiere of the Nieman Storyboard podcast
July 17, 2026
Mark Armstrong
A Juneteenth reading list

A Juneteenth reading list

Plus: A high school girls’ water polo team fights for gender equity, and breakable rules for writers
June 19, 2026
Mark Armstrong
How 5 journalists structured their stories to hook readers

How 5 journalists structured their stories to hook readers

From the Nieman Storyboard archives: How writers craft their stories to build momentum and cohesion
June 4, 2026
Emilia Wisniewski
Annotation: How Brendan O’Meara Reconstructs Steve Prefontaine's Legendary Races in ‘The Front Runner’

Annotation: How Brendan O’Meara Reconstructs Steve Prefontaine’s Legendary Races in ‘The Front Runner’

The journalist, podcaster, and biographer shares tips on writing scenes you can’t witness firsthand, and getting in the head of characters no longer around to interview
January 29, 2026
Kim Cross
National Book Award finalist Claudia Rowe on writing about teens and the foster care system

National Book Award finalist Claudia Rowe on writing about teens and the foster care system

The author of ‘Wards of the State’ on preparing sources to be part of a book and covering the foster care system-to-incarceration pipeline
October 23, 2025
Marina Leigh