Artful Journalism: Essays in the Craft and Magic of True Storytelling

“If you aspire to do artful journalism, everything you need to know is in this book.”—Jon Franklin, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, journalism professor emeritus, University of Maryland, author of Writing for Story

Artful Journalism is a must-read for journalism professors and students, working professionals who want to enhance their storytelling skills, readers, and literary journalism scholars who understand the immutable place of “truth” in even the most artful examples of journalism.

For four decades, Walt Harrington has done memorable stories and books that are still studied and admired by those who pursue the kind of journalism that aims to engage the heart as well as the mind. A longtime Washington Post Magazine writer who became a journalism professor at the University of Illinois, Harrington has been a leading voice in the field of long-form storytelling. Artful Journalism collects for the first time his insightful and evocative essays that have inspired and informed several generations of writers who aspire to do journalism-- that captures the feeling of literature while adhering to traditional journalistic standards of fairness, balance, and accuracy.

Artful Journalism also includes essays by two of America’s prominent young journalists, Wright Thompson and Justin Heckert, whose work has been inspired and shaped by Harrington’s principles.

“For years, I've been marveling at Walt Harrington's work and wondering how he did it. After reading Artful Journalism, I have my answer. Not only is Walt a brilliant writer, he's a true master of the craft.”—David Finkel, Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur Award winner, author of The Good Soldiers

“Harrington’s essays are as practical as they are artful. He reminds us why we write, and why it matters.”—Joe Mackall, director, Ashland University creative writing program, author of Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish