Customer Reviews

Intimate Journalism: The Art and Craft of Reporting Everyday Life

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This book demonstrates just how well magazine nonfiction can be. The journalists selected are not particuarly well-known, but they are masters of their craft and present highly enjoyable reads. Susan Orlean might be the best-known of the bunch, just because her most recent book, "The Orchid Thief," was highlighted in the 2002 movie "Adaptation."

For starters, Orlean's piece "The American Male at Age 10" was a fascinating look at today's youth. Each piece is outstanding in its own way, but may I also present as standouts "TV Without Guilt" (a family whose television is on approximately 16 hours a day) and "The Man Who Couldn't Read" (profile of an illiterate millionaire with two college degrees).

As a bonus for those with an interest in feature writing, "Author's Afterwords" has the writers briefly describe the process of finding and executing their ideas. But if you are an aspiring writer or just appreciative of quality writing, this book is a must-read.

I was a journalist for more than 10 years and this book proved to be one of my most fruitful instructors. Not only does it have outstanding examples of good non-fiction writing, the interviews with the authors provide a "how to," lesson that is priceless. If you want to improve your writing or if you want to see journalism at its best, remembering its heyday as a highly respected profession that chronicled history as it was made- buy this book!

Well worth the price. Just couldn't put this book down. Harrington illustrates exactly how journalism should be. Every journalist, aspiring or professional, should read this book!