Sorry about the break of the last fortnight–it was unplanned. It’s not that nothing was going on worth blogging about, rather the contrary. It’s more a case of life intruding, as it sometimes will, on plans we mortals make.

First comment back doesn’t have anything to do with technology, though. I went to the Region 3 conference of the Society of Professional Journalists a couple of weeks ago and had a chance to hear Rick Bragg speak. I’ve told a number of folks that, if they want to know something about the place where I grew up, they should read his book All Over but the Shoutin’. Rick and I grew up in different circumstances, but in the same time and place. He describes it far better than I could.

At the conference, he was talking about narrative journalism–basically committing journalism by telling compelling stories built on the facts you have. He told a number of stories about the situations he covered–Haiti after Aristide, the Oklahoma City bombing and suesequent trial–and walked everyone through the process by which he’d arrived at his story ledes. After hearing his process and, most impressive, the work that resulted, all I can say is:

 Damn.

Go out and buy his books. He’s one of our seriously good writers, and someone students should read as they’re learning to “feel” good writing.

Categories: Media