The countrys most prominent journalists and nonfiction authors gather each

vear at Harvard's Nieman Conference on Narrative journalism. Tel l i ng Tru e

S t o r i e s presents their best advicecovering everything from finding a good
topic, to structuring narrative stories, to writing and selling your first hook.

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More than fifty well-known writers offer their most powerful tips, including:
Tom Wolfe on the emotional core of the story
9
9

GavTaiese on writing about private lives

INCLUDING ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM

DAVID
HALBERSTAM

Malcolm Giadwel! on the limits of profiles Nora Ephron on narrative

writing and screenwriters

Alma Guiilermoprieto on idling the story and

telling the truth Dozens of Pulitzer.-'Pri/cwinning journalists from

the A t l an t i c M on t h l y, N e w Yor k e r, New Yor k Tim a s, L n s Ang e l a s
Tim e s , Was h i ng t o n P o t t , and more ...

The essays offer important counsel for new and career journalists, as well as
for freelance writers, radio producers, and memoirists. Packed with
refreshingly candid and insightful recommendations, Tel l i ng Tru e S to r i e s
shows anyone fascinated by the art of writing nonfiction how to bring
people, scenes, and ideas to life on the page.

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A PLUME BOOK
Writing

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A NONFICTION WRITERS

GUIDE
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EDITED BY

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TELLING
TRUE
S T OR I E S

TELLING
TRUE
STORIES

A NON FICTION'WRITERS' GUIDE

FR O M TH E NI E M AN FO U ND ATI O N AT

H A R VA R D U N I V E R S I T Y

ST

Edited by

M'Srk Kramer and Wendy Call

A PLUME BOOK

PLUME .
Published by Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014,
U.S.A. Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada M4P 2Y3 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin
Books Ltd., SO Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St,
Stephen's Green. Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) 0 Penguin
Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road. Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a
division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) 9 Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd.,
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2-1 Sturdee Avenue. Rosebank,Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USk) Inc.
First Printing, Februarv 2007 1 0 9 8 7
'

Copyright The President and Fellows of Harvard College,

2007 Ah rights reserved
These writings are adapted from the authors presentauons at the Nieman Confer ence on Narrative journalism.
Each selection is the copvrighted property of its respective author anc^appears
in this volume by arrangement with the individual writer.

7,.
REGISTERED TRADKMAR K-

MARC A REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OR CONCRESS C ATALOG!NO-IN-PUB LIC ATION DATA

Telling True Stories : A nonfiction writers' guide from the Nieman Foundation at
Harvard University / edited A Mark Kramer and Wendy Call, p. cm.
ISBN 97S-0-452-28755-6
1. Reporters and reporting. 2 Journalism-Authorship. I. Kramer, Mark.
II. Call. Wendy (Wendy Louise). 1968- III. Harvard University. Nieman Found ation for journalism.

.
.
PN4781.T45 2007
'

070.4'3dc22

2006026809
Printed in the United States
America Set in New Baskerville
Designed by Eve l Kirch

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Without limiting the rights under copvright reserved above, no part of this publica tion may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in anv form, or by arm means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright
owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
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The scantling, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via anv
other means wit limit the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by
law, Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in
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BOOKS AKt AVAILAB LE A'I OUANT ITV DISC OUNTS WHE N USED TO PR OMOTE PRODUCTS
OR .SERVICES. K)K 1 N EO RSI ATI O N PLE ASE WR ITE TO PREMIUM MAR KETING DIVISION,
PENGUIN CROUP (USA) INC., 37'; HUDSON STREET, NE W YOR K, NEW YOR K 10014.

Mark Kramer and Wendy Call dedicate this book to their

families, Susan, Will, and EH, and to Aram, Marilyn, Douglas,
Alan, and Kate, respectively.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Mark Kramer arid Wendy Call give their deepest thanks to the many
people who made this book possible and to the organizations that
supported it. All fifty-one contributors generously donated their pre cious words and then their help and patience through many rounds of
edits. Jina Moore read the enure manuscript, asked sharp ques tions, kept
track of countless pieces of paper, and made this a much better bod|..
Buck Ewing and Mary-Helena Mclnerney recorded and transcri$^ more
than half a million words. Geri Thoma always had cool and dflrn advice.
The entire Nieman Narrative teamLisa Birk, jenny Davitr, Liliana
Ibara, Dasha ICusa, Nell Lake, Jessica Pierce, Pauliina Pope, Martha
Synnott, and Prat Thakkaroffered all sorts of support over more than
three years. Chuck Collins, jim Collins, Laurie Hertzel, John Temple,
Patricia Weaver Francisco, and Dick Weiss each read portions of the
manuscript and made excellent suggestions. Jacqui Banaszynski and
Adam Hochschild added insight and enthusiasm at regular intervals.
Trena Keating, Emily Haynes, and Lavina Lee deftly turned our
manuscript into this book. Bob Giles, curator of the Nieman Foundation
and the Knight Foundation, provided essen tial support. Thanks to the
Poynter Institute, which lent its name and savvy to our narrative
journalism conference eariy on. and to the B o s t on G l ob e , the
O rego n ia n , and the Harvard Book Store, also gener ous conference
cosponsors,
Mark also thanks Susan Eaton, Sid and Esther Kramer, Will and Eli
Kramer, Wendy Call, Sean Ploen, joe Lavalle, Lesh Avens, Bob and
Joan Weiss, Roy Peter Clark, Ranald Macdonald, Samuel Mc Cracken,
Sheryl Jackson, David Anabel, Nick Mills, Noel Perrin, Sam

viii

Acknowledgments

Splace, Bruce DeSilva, Wait Harrington, and many years of Nieman

Fellows.

Wendy also thanks Douglas and Marilyn Call, Aram Falsafi, Sandra

Rui2 Harris, Pam Kasey, Mark Kramer, David Palmer, Carol Rose, and
Sasha Su-Ling Welland.

" Acknowledgments
Preface

,
'?

'

vis
xv

Part I: An Invitation to Narrative

Stories Matter BYJACQUI BANASZYNSKI

Delving into Private Lives by Gay Talese

The Narrative Idea BY DAVID HALBERSTAM

10

Difficultjournalism Thats Slap-Up Fun by Katherine Boo

14

Pa rt H : F in d i n g , Res ea rch i ng , an d R epo rt i n g Top ic s

Introduction ISY MARK KRAMER AND WENDY CALL

19

Finding Good Topics: A Writers Questions

BY

LANE DEGREGORY

20

Finding Good Topics: An Editors Questions by Jan Winburn 22

Reporting for Narrative: Ten Overlapping Rules

'

24

JACQUI BANASZYNSKI, JON FRANKLIN, and GAY TALE.SE

28

BY

MARK KRAMER

To Tape or Not to Tape? BY ADAM HOCHSCHILD,

Interviewing: Accelerated Intimacy

byIsabel Wil.KERSON

The Psychological Interview byJonFranklin

30
34

Participatory Reporting: Sending Myself to Prison

TED CONOVER
To Begin the Beginning BY DENEEN L. BROWN
BY

35
100

CONTENTS