CNF: Literary Journalism

Subdecks (1)

Cards (23)

  • According to Richard Nordquist (2020), literary journalism is nonfiction that combines factual reporting with narrative techniques and stylistic strategies traditionally associated with fiction.
  • The term "literary journalism" was coined by American journalist Gay Talese in the late 1960s as a way to describe his own work and that of others who were blending traditional journalistic practices with more artistic approaches.
  • This form of writing can also be called narrative journalism or new journalism
  • The term literary journalism is sometimes used interchangeably with creative nonfiction
  • Norman Sims: literary journalism, "demands immersion in complex, difficult subjects. The voice of the writer surfaces to show that the author is at work."
  • According to Sims, a few somewhat flexible rules and common features define literary journalism
  • Shared Characteristics of Literary Journalism
    • immersion reporting
    • complicated structure
    • character development
    • symbolism
    • voice
    • a focus on ordinary people
    • accuracy
  • A list of characteristics can be an easier way to define literary journalism than a formal definition or a set of rules.
  • Among those rules, Kramer included:
    • Literary Journalists immerse themselves in the subjects' worlds.
    • Literary Journalists work out implicit covenants (agreement) about accuracy and candor (being open).
    • Literary Journalists write mostly about routine events.
    • Literary Journalists develop meaning by building upon the readers' sequential reactions.
  • NOTE: Journalism ties itself to the actual, the confirmed, that which is not simply imagined.
  • Literary journalists have adhered to the rules of accuracy and precision because their work cannot be labeled as journalism if details and characters are imaginary.
  • Literary journalism is not fiction, the people are real and the events occurred, nor is it journalism in a traditional sense.
  • Because creative nonfiction is so nuanced (difference in meaning), the burden of interpreting literary journalism falls on readers.
  • John McPhee, quoted by Sims in The Art of Literary Journalism, elaborates: "Through dialogue, words, the presentation of the scene, you can turn over the material to the reader. The reader is ninety-some percent of what's creative in creative writing. A writer simply gets things started."
  • Literary Journalists must deliver facts and comment on current events
  • Literary Journalists must speak to larger big picture truths about culture, politics, society, and tradition.
  • Literary Journalists are more tied to authenticity than other journalists.
  • Literary journalism exists for a reason: to begin conversations