Inside the writer's mind Writing narrative journalism

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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.