First published 2023
Lane DeGregory spent three decades finding stories at society's margins. She wrote about a 99-year-old man still cleaning a seafood warehouse, a young couple fleeing winter by bus, and a child navigating adoption. Her work earned her a Pulitzer Prize and more than 3,000 published stories at the Tampa Bay Times. This collection presents twenty-four of her most memorable newspaper features alongside her writing process. DeGregory explains how she built each story, from initial reporting to final draft. She shares techniques for finding intimate details and connecting with reluctant sources. The book includes her Pulitzer-winning title story and features a foreword by Beth Macy. Each piece comes with notes on craft and practical advice for developing narrative nonfiction skills. DeGregory shows how she transforms real people into compelling characters while maintaining journalistic integrity. The collection serves both as showcase of exceptional reporting and practical guide for writers seeking to master the art of true stories.
Genres: non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, journalism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, real-life
Period: 21st-century
283 pages · Kindle Edition · The University of Chicago Press