We have to admit that the topic of this story, its high drama, made us a bit wary. Still, the series is well worth reading because it is an engrossing tale. Rose’s pregnancy, it seems to us, makes the story: … Read more
This piece is a good example of how to write about emotional topics without mawkishness or sentimentality. A woman has lost her husband; she must now face the challenges of hanging onto her farm and caring for her young son. Read more
By clicking the link below, you’ll find four selections from Shaw’s intermittent series about the transformation of a Minnesota farm into a high-end subdivision. Shaw follows the project from the farm’s last harvest through the process of planning and building … Read more
This is a effective example of how narrative can flesh out, give dignity to, people who feel they are, as a central character says in this story, “just a number in someone’s book.” The story also uses narrative to make … Read more
This is a lyrical short memoir that manages to be touching without being overly sentimental. We found the mix of direct scene and reflection effective. We offer one suggestion. Imagine what one small change could do: Remove the “would” ‘s … Read more
We admired the plainness of this story’s language. It is as if the horror of the event stripped Henninger’s voice of all pretense. He gives a blow-by-blow account, with summation in only one paragraph. The piece was published the day … Read more
This short piece entertains while providing an appropriately complex portrayal of a man who has suffered but whose spirit, or will anyway, seems irrepressible. We particularly liked the opening line for its writerliness, and the ending quote for the way … Read more
We first read this reconstruction during the year following the 9/11 attacks. We found it difficult to read for its level of detail, its emotional content. Rereading it, we admire the clarity of structure, the way Maraniss bookends the piece … Read more
We liked the topic of this narrative, and we appreciated Laughlin’s clarity in laying out its themes. Through a narrative approach, she reveals the cultural and legal ramifications of Sophia Addo’s death on 9/11 and the ways in which her … Read more
Smith writes in a folksy, manly voice—as if he were saying, “gather round, boys, and I’ll tell you a story about daring, heroism and doing the right thing, even when the world seems bent on doing wrong.” It’s a captivating … Read more