In this Book
- Words Matter: Writing to Make a Difference
- Book
- 2016
- Published by: University of Missouri Press
Newspapers and magazines have been steadily shrinking, and more and more former subscribers have gone to digital and internet sources for the news. Yet it has become increasingly clear that “short takes” don’t satisfy many readers, who still long for nuanced, long form journalism. By providing examples of classic magazine articles by professional writers, all of whom are graduates of the Missouri School of Journalism, this book fulfills the need for more sophisticated, thought-provoking essays that will resonate with both the general reader and students.
The book is divided into three broad categories: profiles, first person journalism, and personal memoirs, and includes the original articles as well as a “postscript” by the writers in which they discuss what they’ve learned about writing, journalism, and the business of getting published. Useful for students and instructors in writing programs, the book also appeals to writers interested in both the art and the craft of successful writing.
Table of Contents
- Foreword: The Journey of Writing
- pp. ix-x
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xi-xiv
- Introduction
- pp. 1-4
- The Miranda Obsession
- pp. 11-27
- Harvey’s Two Families
- pp. 31-37
- The Price of Football Fame
- pp. 41-46
- The View from Within
- pp. 49-57
- Confronting a Different Kind of Loss
- pp. 61-64
- Vinyl Hero
- pp. 67-78
- Skid Row Karaoke
- pp. 99-103
- Sexuality: A View from the Chair
- pp. 105-111
- A Persistent Culture of Poverty
- pp. 115-129
- Simina Mistreanu on mentors and influences
- pp. 130-132
- The Big Payback
- pp. 133-141
- When Daddy Comes Home
- pp. 143-162
- The Town That Blew Away
- pp. 165-177
- Part II: First-Person Journalism
- pp. 181-184
- Mary McNamara on voice and humor
- pp. 190-192
- To Just Stay Alive
- pp. 193-215
- Robert Langellier on being a young writer
- pp. 216-218
- Video Games with a Refugee
- pp. 219-221
- Reaming the Cube
- pp. 225-232
- A Sad Thought Danced
- pp. 235-241
- Suan Pineda on the beauty of language
- pp. 242-244
- These Mountains Eat Men
- pp. 245-248
- Part III: Personal Stories and Memoirs
- pp. 251-254
- Faye’s Ashes
- pp. 255-263
- Afghanistan: A Long Road Home
- pp. 267-276
- Engaging Social Responsibility
- pp. 279-282
- Besa Luci on journalism that takes time
- pp. 283-284
- Without Completely Falling Apart
- pp. 285-287
- When Nationalism Trumps Race
- pp. 289-292
- Soul Train on Mute
- pp. 297-307
- 1202 Park Avenue, 1999
- pp. 311-313
- Sona Pai on the power of the personal essay
- pp. 314-316
- Last Words
- pp. 319-332
- Contributor Biographies
- pp. 333-346
- Permissions
- pp. 347-348