Literature was my first love, but journalism fulfilled a purpose—the chance to right wrongs. I became aware of the visual power of television and the spoken word. I was influenced by the long-form pieces I saw on “60 … Read more
Nieman 80 More Nieman Fellows on exemplary journalism that influenced them The work that made a difference to me as a new journalist is “Der Aufmacher: Der Mann, der bei Bild Hans Esser war” (“Lead Story: The … Read more
Nieman 80 More Nieman Fellows on exemplary journalism that influenced them “1920 Diary” by Isaac Babel has resonated with me for many years. Babel was a Russian-born journalist and writer of Jewish descent. At age 26 he … Read more
Nieman 80 More Nieman Fellows on exemplary journalism that influenced them I have often been inspired by beautifully reported and written narrative histories that bring the “deeper news” to life. The one that made the greatest impact … Read more
I discovered Dorothy Thompson when I needed something from the 1930s to fill out a class I was teaching on narrative reporting. Her reports on the rise of Hitler were on a list of the best works of 20th-century journalism. Read more
I read “Next of Kin” in 2002 and it changed my sense of what is possible in journalism. After reading it, I became a fanatic follower and student of David Finkel’s writing, past and … Read more
The New York Times critic A.O. Scott once observed that great novels often “blend private destinies with public events.” So too with great nonfiction; it was the private sufferings of six Japanese survivors that enabled John Hersey to … Read more
It was all a dream. I used to read Word Up! Magazine. And The Source, Vibe, and XXL. Nieman 80 More Nieman Fellows on exemplary journalism that influenced them I hung pictures on my wall, tearing … Read more
The America’s Cup in the summer of 1983 was not only the longest and most intensive assignment of my career—one that went on day and night for four months—but it entailed total immersion in a sporting, social, historical, and political … Read more
Nieman 80 More Nieman Fellows on exemplary journalism that influenced them Growing up, I craved a more significant existence than seemed available in rural Kentucky. Climbing the ladder as a journalist, working far from home, I longed … Read more
