Feature writing — good feature writing — is about telling interesting stories about fascinating people and ideas. It requires the reporter to become embedded with a subject for a period of time, ask the tough questions, and help create a “fly-on-the-wall” perspective for the reader. A good feature writer is a sort of ringmaster, keeping the show going (reader engaged) and thoughtfully weaving together what otherwise would be disjointed and out-of-place facts and quotes. Feature writers endear themselves to their subjects, drawing from them emotions and memories that take stories from good to great.
Inside Ben Maleson’s Mushroom Mini-Empire, Fall 2010 – Boy, was this guy fun — and quirky! What else would you expect from someone who spends several hours a day walking alone in the woods hunting for fungi? The best thing about this piece was the compliment Ben himself gave me upon reading the final product: He said I captured the essence of who he is in a way previous pieces hadn’t. That’s why I’m in this business.
Guilt-Free: Area Burger Joints Take the Junk out of Fast Food, Spring 2011 (selected for publication in Best Food Writing 2011, Da Capo Press) – Traditional fast food has been under fire in recent years, leading to both menu changes and a new crop of healthier, more sustainable (yet no less fast) options. In Boston, two of the leaders are b.good and Four Burgers. The piece culminates with the ultimate, make-or-break taste test for fast-food establishments: the four-year-old’s approval. (spoiler: two thumbs up from the ankle-biter)
The Boston Food Truck Challenge, Summer 2011 – As the food truck phenomenon sweeps cities across the nation, Boston attempted to jump-start a movement here with a unique contest to put three trucks on City Hall for an entire summer. Whether or not the movement will catch on here is still a big question mark. Whether or not the mobile culinary offerings being dispensed on City Hall are tasty is firmly set in stone — they most definitely are.
Treasures Around Every Corner, Brattle Book Shop brochure, 2010
Everyone knows feature writing is a mainstay in journalism. But feature stories and profiles are useful tools for telling of the impact corporations, small businesses, and nonprofits are making in their communities. Facts and figures will only take your organization so far — compelling stories transform customers into advocates.
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