Monthly Archives: September 2014

Where should we go next? You tell me

Let me start with the bad news: for the month of September, the Telling The Story blog will be taking a break.

The good news: it’s only for positive reasons.

I have a very exciting month coming up, both personally and professionally, and am going to briefly hold off on the blog until the hectic schedule simmers down.

In the interim, I invite you to offer your suggestions on what you’d like to see in the future — specifically, who you’d like to see on the Telling The Story podcast.

Which storytellers inspire you? Whose work impresses you? Who would you like to see on the receiving end of a long-form interview?

Submit your ideas in the comment section below, or e-mail me at matt@tellingthestoryblog.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

In the meantime, thank you so much for your support. See you in October! (more…)

3 GREAT STORIES: Starring India, SNL, & Soldierstone

Every week, I shine the spotlight on some of the best storytelling in the business and offer my comments. “3 Great Stories of the Week” will post every Monday at 8 AM.

Fulfilling a promise, Jewish center in India reopens after terror attack (8/26/14, New York Times): Here is an example of what the New York Times often does so well.

Writer Gardiner Harris tells the story of a Jewish center in India that had been “attacked and gutted during a 2008 killing rampage by Pakistani gunmen”. A week ago, the center re-opened, with a group of Hasidic men from Brooklyn having flown to Mumbai to help dedicate it.

The facts of the story are interesting on their own. But Harris elevates them by surrounding them with context, a summary of Jewish history in India, and personal perspectives. Sometimes, as journalists, we complete a story and wonder if we have covered everything worth mentioning in our tiny allotted window.

This is a complete story, and Harris — with his editors, for giving him the space — deserves credit for a job thoroughly done. (more…)

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