As an early-career environmental journalist, I guessed that objectivity was the most important goal in the field. But as a poet finishing up an MFA at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, this kind of writing doesn’t come naturally to me. Read more
The competition to prove — or disprove — claims that former President Donald Trump made about his wealth was fierce. Of special interest were Trump’s long-denied tax returns, something all modern presidents before him released. In the midst of … Read more
What do you do when you are a freelancer who is frustrated by the business mysteries (and abuses) of freelancing? You start a business about the business of freelancing. That’s the quick backstory behind “The Writer’s … Read more
Are you wondering how you can break out of writing brief news items into writing longer, more engaging narrative articles? Mark Kramer, the founding director of the Power of Narrative conference, focused a breakout session at this year’s virtual … Read more
Pull up Roy Peter Clark’s website and you’ll see it leads with a reference to him as “America’s writing coach.” The source of that comment isn’t specified, but could likely be claimed by any number of the thousands … Read more
The title of the 2021 Power of Narrative conference, hosted by Boston University, was more a reflection of the times than any particular theme. “In-depth Storytelling at a Safe Distance” was a virtual half-day of sessions … Read more
Every story has a beginning, middle, and an end. But in the telling, stories don’t necessarily conform to that neat order. For Dave Cullen, freelance journalist and bestselling author, there is plenty of room for creativity … Read more
This year’s Power of Narrative conference seemed to capture the #MeToo zeitgeist, with speakers like author Roxane Gay and the Boston Globe’s Sacha Pfeiffer talking about the uncomfortable truths of sexual abuse. “The match we lit started a huge … Read more
Mary Roach doesn’t do her homework. She didn’t go to J-school. By her own admission, she’s never quite sure she knows what she’s doing. “I always have the sense that I’m skating on thin ice,” she says about her … Read more
What does Shakespeare have to do with clickbait? How much in common did ancient indigenous peoples have with the Twitter community? Was Dante’s “Inferno” the original “explainer” story? Amy O'Leary … Read more
