Inside the Writer's Mind: Writing Narrative Journalism

From Library Journal

Making up this delightful collection are 30 short journalistic essays, originally published in Salon.com, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Los Angeles Times, among other places, and grouped under broad headings such as "Ordinary People," "Extraordinary People," and "Extraordinary Circumstances." Although it contains a useful albeit brief introductory chapter on good essay writing and how to conduct an interview with a subject, this is not a book about how to write narrative journalism. Rather, it is a fine example of the range of journalism professor Bloom's (Postville) own creative journalism; it instructs by example rather than by didacticism. As Bloom aptly observes, "good writing is storytelling, i.e., turning observation into narrative." Whether he is interviewing Dr. Michael Levitt, an expert on flatulence ("Dr. Fart Speaks") or Dr. Ruth Westheimer, our popular culture's expert on sex ("The Joy of Dr. Ruth"), Bloom captures his subjects with verve and interest. Somewhat less insightful are the short reflections accompanying each story that reveal their genesis and writing. Students wanting direction on their own writing process might need to look elsewhere, although the suggested "assignments" at the end of each chapter might be useful; readers of creative journalism will enjoy this book. Herbert E. Shapiro, SUNY/Empire State Coll., Rochester

Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

First sentence: Lots of writers write about heroes, but what about antiheroes, the antagonists of everyday dramas?

Intriguing people. Real situations. Human emotions. Inside the Writer's Mind: Writing Narrative Journalism is much more than a collection of an award-winning writer's best stories. This textbook is a step-by-step manual on how professional writers go about their tasks - from idea conception to story aftermath.

Inside the Writer's Mind: Writing Narrative Journalism propels readers into 30 very different published stories, written for magazines, newspapers and the Internet. Among the stories Bloom dissects are profiles of accused murderers, a little league umpire, a husband and wife who sign a suicide pact, a world-famous Brazilian plastic surgeon, and a notorious abortionist. Bloom also writes about his employment as an assembly line worker, a Caribbean cruise he took, a family of professional wrestlers, and an afternoon spent with Dr. Ruth.

Bloom gives readers an insider's look at how each story was written, as well as its implications and complications. For each story he follows this setup:

* an explanation of how he learned of the story and the context within which each story happened;

* his methods for researching, interviewing,